Blind Bird Photography

I spent the morning with Frank again making birds perch where we wanted them to. It is quite a chore but baiting them helps. Figuring out how to get a bird to pose just right is another problem that is just...well, left up to the bird.

We also have to be sure the background is good. Nothing that looks architectural, even though our lenses do a good job with bokah (blurring the background). Large very light areas are out also as they pull your eye to them and away from the bird.

Shooting from a blind lets us get fairly close (15 to 20 feet) which is where we need to be for these close-up shots.

Here are a couple of keepers from this morning. I posted a few few more on Flickr and Facebook.

An Oak Titmouse on a Sugarpine cone.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Downy Playing Hid-n-Seek

A Downy Woodpecker staying behind the Bark Butter laden pine cone.

Orange Variant - House Finch

This is a nice example of an orange variant, House Finch. Frank always seems to have one hanging around his place. Sibley Field Guide to Birds attributes the variation to diet. Anyway he matches the berries well.

Frank got an image of him trying a berry, but he didn't seem to like it much, and only tried the one.

Token Snow Patches

Mary and I made a day trip on Wednesday up to the west side of Lassen Park. Not actually in the park, but not much over a mile from it's west boundary either. I didn't find one road that I couldn't drive because of snow. Even at an elevation of 6,800 feet at times. There were patches of snow here and there though. Poor Mt. Lassen looks like summer.

Of course we were also geocaching and found most of them we looked for. Big ones like this are easy. It's the film canisters that are easy to overlook. Wish Jack was with us cause there was loot in this big one.

The rock formations up here are quite surprising. We found lots of holes, cracks, and figures. They must be fertile rocks too as there are trees growing right out of the middle of many. It seems to be decomposing granite, but who am I to say.

I found a couple of unobstructed views of Mt. Lassen. Most of the time trees block part of it. Might be good for an evening shot with the right clouds, etc.

I plan on going back for more exploration in the summer. The winter days are just too short and usually to deep with snow up there.

The Holes Are Right

I have been experimenting with my sourdough bread for about a year now. The flavor of the loaves has been nice for a long time but I just couldn't get the holes right. By holes I mean the texture of the loaf. Gluten development traps water which turns to steam and makes the holes.

After trying what I thought was everything, at least everything I could find in online sourdough bread baking sites, I had given in to the no hole texture bread. It is very good, just not what I was looking for. I guess what I was looking for would be sourdough French bread style.

By accident I discovered the resolution. The main application I have been using was a San Francisco style sourdough style website. The author suggests using a covered stoneware bread baking dish. This has distinct advantages as it keeps the heat very uniform and traps moisture inside while baking. The trapped moisture makes for a nice glossy topped loaf. He also says not to preheat the oven. So, I didn't preheat...ever.

Come Alton Brown and his "Need Not Bread" application. Alton uses a dutch oven that is preheated to bake sourdough (which in my opinion is not true sourdough) bread. I tried it, burned it (too many briquettes) in my camp style dutch oven, and got perfect holes. Mary was happy and I was happy.

After experimenting with my "real" sourdough, cooking it in a preheated stoneware dish, in the gas oven I found, that was it. Very happy with my bread loaves now.

Bird Shooting

Western Scrub Jay, a photo by Jim Arnold (jga154) on Flickr.

Garry, Frank, and I spent the morning shooting birds from blinds at Franks preserve. We had some pretty elaborate perches going too. As of 10:00am, when I had to leave this Western Scrub Jay was the most cooperative bird we had.


White-breasted Nuthatch


Spotted Towhee are so hard to photograph without a lot of clutter as they don't get on perches much. They prefer the ground.

I also posted a California Towhee and House Finch on my Flicker site.

Short Notice Geocaching

Close to the top of Bohemotash Mountain with Mt. Shasta in the background.

At about 8:30 this morning Mary and I decided to go for a ride in the Samurai. We chose to take Route 1 from Shasta Dam to Trinity Mtn. Rd. since there is no snow yet. There are some fantastic views up there. We (I) also decided to pickup some geocaches on the way.

The Trinity Alps in the background.

Our last cache of the day. Also where I went down for the count.

A totally great day with my wife.

North of Shasta Lake

_DSC0024, a photo by Jim Arnold (jga154) on Flickr.

Garry and I took a drive today in the Samurai to the north of Shasta Lake. We photographed some mushrooms, found some geocaches, and did some mild wheeling. There is some very pretty country up there as well as at least one high place for a view. We found one of the geocaches at Hogback lookout.

Only saw one Forester and some bear hunters.

I posted more mushroom photos on my Flicker Photostream

Is it a Baguette?

It's sixteen inches long by three and a half inches in diameter. It that a baguette or a french loaf or what? Tell me if you know.

I do need more eaters of bread. If Mary and I eat all the bread I make we will expand.

Whiskeytown Falls

Whiskeytown Falls, a photo by Jim Arnold (jga154) on Flickr.

Garry and I walked into Whiskeytown Falls arriving just before 5 pm last evening. It was my first trip there. The falls is much larger than this photo and includes some cascades. You really can't fit it all in one photo.

The lighting was nice but it got too dark pretty quickly. We reached the truck after dark. This an eight second exposure at f22. I used a polarizer and vari-ND filter.

Above this spot and with waders on you could possibly get some good shots of the middle part of the falls. There are signs posted on the railings not to cross though.