Snowy Egret

This Snowy Egret was having a bad hair day the morning I took this. It is in the top of a rookery tree in Willows, CA. Some of the trees were removed and/or trimmed since this photo to prevent the birds from nesting in town. Black-crowned Night Herons, Snowy and Cattle egrets caused so much stench that the city and county felt they had to stop them. For more egrets in Willows visit my Flickr photostream by clicking on the title link at the top of this blog.

Birds of the Alders at Lily Pond

I spent about an hour and a half photographing birds at Lily Pond in Lassen Volcanic National Park a week ago. I captured these six and saw several more species. If you can identify the Vireo please tell me. Also if I missed any let me know.

Yellow Warbler



Wilson's Warbler


Red-breasted Nuthatch


MacGillivrey's Warbler


Cassin's Vireo - Thank you Larry Jordan

Hermit Warbler

Visit my website to see American Pika and other wildlife photos I took on this trip.
http://www.jimarnoldphoto.com

Avocets of Summer Lake Wildlife Area

This is a slideshow I made of avocets in the Summer Lake Wildlife Area in Oregon. Click on the title to go to the link. You may have to download a viewer from Photodex for this show. It's safe.

The music is Stevie Ray Vaughn's - Chile con Carne. It usually plays fine, but today it echoed.

Thanks, Jim.

Recent Visit to Ash Creek Wildlife Area

I got many flight shot opportunities of this curlew as it swooped past me for several minutes. Guess I was too close to the nest but it had to be at leasst a hundred yards from me. © Jim Arnold Photography 2009 all rights reserved.

This little avocet was very busy wading and pecking at things in the water. © Jim Arnold Photography 2009 all rights reserved.

A very pretty bird in the green grass and blue sky reflection. © Jim Arnold Photography 2009 all rights reserved.

This buck would walk between bunches of grass to keep concealed from me. © Jim Arnold Photography 2009 all rights reserved.

I could just see the baby in the tall grass once in a while. It was definately not coming out for a photo. © Jim Arnold Photography 2009 all rights reserved.

I made what is probably my last visit to the wildlife area this year. There were only a few birds and other wildlife still around. Some baby (more like adolescent) shots and a few larger mammals. I still got a few shots though.

Table Mountain

Made a trip to Table Mountain this week. It's beautiful with wildflowers and mostly green grasses. This is the Table Mountain near Oroville, CA. Part of it is owned by the CA Department of Fish & Game and all appears to be grazed by cattle. Of course we got there at least forty minutes before sunrise. That was good for a nap not that the nap was good for anything.

I mentioned it is beautiful with wildflowers waving in the wind. Oh well so much for close-up photos. Even though the wind was just a breeze there were no still flowers. So I thought I could take advantage of the wind and make an abstract photograph. I strapped on the ND filter and slowed the shutter down. All that did was make the flower look more out of focus. Then I told Mary I needed more wind.

No more wind came. I just shot a few distance shots and let it go at that.

Sage Grouse Lek

Sage Grouse Lek
Originally uploaded by jga154

Well we did get our Sage Grouse shots. Also many other great photos.

Our weather was pretty good, at least the first day, Friday. After the grouse we found a Great Horned owl nesting in the refuge and took turns photographing her on the nest. To cause the least disturbance we had one person go in and set up a tripod and lens. We then each took turns with our camera bodies on the lens. Good thing we all (4) shot Nikon.

Saturday the grouse decided to display too far from the road for photos. So we went down into the refuge again. The Sandhill Cranes did not want to be photographed much either. We did get some Red-wing Blackbird shots and a pheasant.

Later we drove the Diamond Loop. Photographed a mule deer buck with his antlers still on while the fellow nest to him had nubs of new antlers coming. Kinda weird.

Frank and I photographed the inside of the old Peter French round barn, built in the 1800's. Then we drove out to the Diamond Craters. Some good photo opportunities there but it started to rain. We went home and ate diner.

Should have stayed out though. As usual the rain broke and the sunset was beautiful.

Sunday morning had a slight skiff of snow so we started home early. We stopped on the way to take a few snow, sagebrush and weather shots.

We had a great trip took a few thousand images and made it home safely.

Malheur Trip

4am Thursday, we leave Palo Cedro, CA for the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oregon. A trip to photograph sage grouse on a lek. I hope they are there...I hope it doesn't rain/snow...If it does rain/snow I hope we can photograph something else. Well there's hope anyway.

This is a shot in my yard. It must be getting close to spring...Maybe I'll have more to say when I get back.

Flicker - Bird Photography Weekly

Flicker
Originally uploaded by jga154

With my wife driving and me shooting out the back windows on a too busy county road, I managed to get a few good photos of this flicker. It must have had something wrong with the left eye (the one towards the camera of course) because in most of the shots the eye is half closed.

Water Falls on Kabyai Cr.

Kabyai Cr.
Originally uploaded by jga154

Saturday Garry Bagula and I took a trip to the north side of Shasta Lake to see if we could find any moving water or waterfalls to photograph. Wow, did we find some. This is just one of many little beautiful streams we found.

This falls is only about six or seven feet high. The blue water below though really caught my eye. Then I noticed the red/orange bush in the upper left. I hoped it would make a pretty picture. I think it did.

We spent the whole day back in there taking several roads. Our intent was to drive clear through to Fenders Ferry . The snow caused me to chicken out. I don't have aggressive snow tires just 'highway' snow tires on my truck. At one bend I decided it would not be prudent to go further....I hate putting chains on to get out!

All in all it was a great day. Good photography, beautiful scenery, and sunny skies.

My first book.

Fungus Photogr...

N. California & Ore...

By Jim Arnold