Hummingbird

An earlier kinetic construction. The video is a little glitchy but not bad. Inspired by the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre in London.
(more real birds soon)

Heron and Fish

I haven't been out with the camera as much as I'd like lately... So in keeping with the arts theme of my last post, here is a kinetic sculpture I recently built.

Pencil and Paper

I loved drawing as a youngster and am discovering it again.

Morning on the Lagoon

Glass calm

Otter impressionism

Morning... more like bedtime

The photographer is discovered

Apparition

A close pass

Amber waves of flame

Black Phoebe

Rodeo Lagoon Bobcat

I was on my way to see the River Otters and got sidetracked by a beautiful pair of Northern Harriers that led me to the top of the surrounding hills. By the time I got back down to the lagoon there was a single otter making very brief appearances but the landscape had slipped into a lazy afternoon, warming light, gentle calm. I found my secret otter watching spot and scanned the water's edge carefully.

Suddenly, from the clump of reeds between me and the water, a Bobcat exploded into view. Determined to find cover in the taller brush, it bounded through the grass in a series of thundering leaps. Curious as to whether I'd disturbed it during a meal, I investigated the matted grass where it had been hiding and found nothing. The otter poked its head out of the water a few feet away, then rolled over and slid below the surface.

A Wrentit on alert.

Black-tailed Deer passes as I watch the Harriers.

A large Bobcat heads for the shadows.

River of Birds

As the sun retreated beyond Mount Diablo, the Harriers took last looks over the marshes and the Goldeneyes gathered in mounting floating shoals. The waters of the Sacramento/San Joaquin delta were calm. The east-flowing breeze cooled to herald the darkness and overhead, a river of birds began to flow. Heading north of the setting sun, high in the sky, a seemingly endless stream of black birds snaked along in a pulsing, choreographed, ribbon of bounding wings. Even with binoculars it was impossible to find the beginning or the end of the flock which held itself in a compact sinuous band. The cord of birds was many miles long and it coursed by silently for over 10 minutes before dissolving as discretely as it appeared. I've never seen anything like it.

Color Change

Due to popular demand (er... request), I've changed the colors of the blog to make it a bit easier to read. Thanks for the feedback folks... and thanks for looking.

Rodeo Lagoon Otters

This morning in the Marin Headlands the weather was calm and punctuated by sunlight. I'd decided to see if I could catch a glimpse of the river otters that have taken up residence in Rodeo Lagoon. Yesterday the beach was closed as waves thundered over the dunes into the lagoon. Today the water level was as high as I'd ever seen it. The footbridge to the beach seemed to to be floating.

After five minutes I saw the first otter just a few feet offshore. It scared a few gulls off and then disappeared. Five more minutes elapsed, and in the distance across the lagoon, I saw 15 gulls leap and swirl into the air. One was left behind struggling, and I could see the otter drag it below the surface. It carried its prey toward a thicket on the north side of the lagoon near the road.

I decided to make a circuit and while I was watching a Western Grebe at the east end of the lagoon, a group of 6 otters made an appearance, swam toward me and across to the southern bank, where a Great Blue Heron was preening and relaxed on the shore. When they got to within 50 feet of the heron the otters submerged.

Three of them launched a group attack on the Great Blue which managed to leap to safety. The otters disappeared into the vegetation and emerged an hour later to make a circuit of the complete lagoon before returning to the north bank. I also had a close fly-by from a Northern Harrier (banded), a beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk, and a nervous Spotted Towhee.

None the worse for wear, the Great Blue departs.