Tag Archives: Sierra-Nevada

Winged Creatures Yesterday

The weather is growing cooler and the animals are about. Yesterday morning I spotted something different about a log in the pond. Not knowing what it was, I zoomed in and took a picture of a resting Mallard hen (see below), looking very much like a piece of wood. Also took pictures of an AcornContinue reading “Winged Creatures Yesterday”

Visiting with the Vultures

Today I saw a group of three turkey vultures standing on a log in the canyon. I moved closer and began taking pictures as more vultures arrived. Then my camera battery went dead, so I first just stood with all the birds, closed my eyes and enjoyed the silence with them for a few minutes.Continue reading “Visiting with the Vultures”

A Jackrabbit Up Close

As I approached Nance Pond yesterday by walking through a break in the hedge, a black-tailed jackrabbit approached from the opposite direction. At a distance of about eight feet the hare saw me and stopped in place, allowing me to take several pictures before it hopped away. These jackrabbits are quite large, about 24 in/61Continue reading “A Jackrabbit Up Close”

Fire Season in Paradise This Year

This year we are back to restful alertness. The huge fires of years past have eliminated many local and regional sources of fuel. It also appears Calfire has now modified its strategy to immediately jump on fires of any size, instead of the watch and wait policy of the past. Our largest fire of 2022,Continue reading “Fire Season in Paradise This Year”

The Doe I Met This Morning

I headed into the canyon around 7 AM today to change out my camera chips and take any pictures. As I came down the slope a black-tailed doe sprang out of her bed of grass to my left and began bounding down the hill. At the same time her fawn was doing the same toContinue reading “The Doe I Met This Morning”

A Day At The Office

Using four game-cams and a Nikon P1000 I am always gathering numerous and interesting photos of wildlife around Nance Canyon. Due to the late rain and absence of fires there is a lot of activity for this time of year. Here are recent photos of black-tailed deer and fawns, an acorn woodpecker, some of theContinue reading “A Day At The Office”

The Full Moon on the Evening of Guru Purnima

I had my tripod set and began shooting the moon as it rose ESE. The equipment is a Nikon P1000 with 125x optical zoom. The first photo of the moon, slightly larger than full frame, is at full optical zoom. Please enjoy these five shots from last night:

Today’s Walk Through Nance Canyon (Part 2)

At the pond after shooting the video, I took pictures of the turtle and bullfrogs, but the real treat was further up the canyon. As I was walking the trail, something to the right caught my eye. It was two black-tailed does about 50 feet away, always a quiet thrill to see. One was pregnant.Continue reading “Today’s Walk Through Nance Canyon (Part 2)”

Today’s Walk Through Nance Canyon (Part 1)

I first walked down to Nance Pond taking my tripod and camera, then set my tripod on a flat spot near the edge of the pond. Next, I began recording a video with sound to capture the birdsong. Red-winged blackbirds are the melodic ones, with the cooing of doves in the background. Also a fewContinue reading “Today’s Walk Through Nance Canyon (Part 1)”

Visiting Nance Pond in May of 2022

For a small pond of about an acre, Nance Pond has a large watershed and stays full year-round. There is always a family of creatures there. Before the 2018 Camp Fire we even had black bears. I visit at least once a week to see who is around, take photos, change out my gamecam chips,Continue reading “Visiting Nance Pond in May of 2022”

Flights Above Paradise

The Chico Municipal Airport (CIC) which includes a Cal Fire Air Attack Base, is twelve miles away as the crow flies. We are near many flight paths at various altitudes, so it is a great place to capture pictures of aircraft of all types. Please enjoy these recent photos:

Happy Mother’s Day 2022!

It has turned out to be a great day for birds. All of these showed up in less than an hour, with the dove always roosting at the front door. Happy Mother’s Day to all! Please enjoy these five birds from today; a mourning dove, acorn woodpecker, Anna’s hummingbird, hooded oriole, and wild turkeys:

An Active Spring Day at Nance Pond

I went down in the canyon around noon today to swap out two gamecam chips, and took my camera. I was rewarded by several uncommon sights, notably a pair of turtles, a vulture, a starling feeding in the pond, and a red-tailed hawk. Please enjoy these 12 photos 🙂

Hummingbirds and Rain

Our cold rain continues (51F now), with the hummingbirds unperturbed. They make themselves known to me when I step outside, flying nearby and making a loud hum with their wings. A russet-colored hummingbird, with an imposing brown beard showed up a week ago too. Please enjoy these five photos of the birds and wet weather:Continue reading “Hummingbirds and Rain”

A Sudden Change in the Weather

Last week was close to 90F(32C) during the day, yet today will be 60F(16C) for a high and 35F(2C) for a low (right now). Along with the rain, we even had one quick shower of hail yesterday and very high winds, 35mph(56km) to 50mph(80km). Countering the high winds, the moisture is preventing any fires. TheContinue reading “A Sudden Change in the Weather”

Hummingbirds and a California Alligator Lizard

With Spring underway, all the animals are active – Last Friday a hummingbird flew into the garage. At first I thought it had done so by mistake, so I left the doors open. But it had no desire to leave and just flitted around checking the place out, rested and groomed itself, and then leftContinue reading “Hummingbirds and a California Alligator Lizard”

Red-tailed Hawks and Sunrise

The raptors here enjoy hunting from the tall snags in Nance Canyon, affording me some excellent photo opportunities. Yesterday I saw a pair of Red-tailed Hawks in the canyon, and also took pictures of yesterday’s and today’s sunrise. Please enjoy these six pictures:

Winged Victory Arrived Today

I looked out to the canyon this morning and roosting on a large snag was a Red-tailed Hawk, poised for the hunt. A little while later, I heard the gentle flute-like sounds of the Sandhill Cranes flying high overhead. Please enjoy these two photos of winged victory 🙂

Celebrating a Peaceful Morning

The International Space Station (ISS) was due overhead at 5:47am this morning, first visible at 27 degrees altitude, due West, heading Northeast. So I set my camera for a 30 second shutter, and began the exposure when I first saw the space station. Note: the ISS is traveling from left to right in the image.Continue reading “Celebrating a Peaceful Morning”

Nance Canyon Gamecam Photos and the Bat

A few months ago, I moved my gamecam from the back fence down to the property line, further into Nance Canyon. Here are seven photos, including one of me, and the final shot of a bat just now feeding under the eaves of the house. Enjoy!

Looking WNW Across Butte Creek Canyon (UAV flight)

Here is another still from yesterday’s flight into Butte Creek Canyon from Bille Park in Paradise. On my return, the full sun was coming up and I couldn’t find my landing zone through the drone’s camera, so I began the auto-land sequence. This can be tricky, as all obstacle sensing is disabled for this function.Continue reading “Looking WNW Across Butte Creek Canyon (UAV flight)”

Looking Southwest Down Butte Creek Canyon

I took the UAV (DJI Mavic 2 Pro) over to Bille Park (Elev. 1,700 ft.) in Paradise, and flew it out about a half mile and up a few hundred feet in the canyon. It was a great day for flying, and I took this screenshot from the video. Enjoy!

January 2022 – Views of Paradise, California

Please enjoy these 11 photographs. The name Paradise comes from the sanskrit, para desa, meaning ‘transcendental place’. First, a winter’s sunrise. Then several pictures of a flock of turkeys wandering through the neighborhood, followed by a few views of Nance Pond, and concluding with a plaster cast of Gail’s hands in prayer (c. 1992).

First Skies of the New Year – 2022 – Above Paradise, California

Happy New Year, All! Close to the stroke of midnight here in California, after ringing in the New Year, I went out with my camera and took some first pictures of the New Year’s sky. The creative shot (photo #4) was a result of having the shutter set for 30 seconds, and pressing it byContinue reading “First Skies of the New Year – 2022 – Above Paradise, California”

Happy New Year 2022! Fire and Ice from Paradise

All the continents have now entered the New Year, so close enough! Happy New Year, 2022, to Everyone on Earth! Promises to be a real corker! 🙂 Today, I first photographed the sunrise over Paradise, and later took pictures of the Mendocino Range, 70 miles or 112 kilometers west of us, across the Sacramento Valley.Continue reading “Happy New Year 2022! Fire and Ice from Paradise”

A Doe and Fawn Walking by Nance Pond

I changed out my camera chips in the game cam by Nance Pond this morning, and saw pictures of these two deer walking by the pond when I returned home. I had also raised the camera for a better view. Please enjoy this sequence of four pictures from the morning of December 26th:

A Young Buck This Morning in Nance Canyon

A slight fog began forming in the canyon behind the house this morning, as the sun rose. I went out to the fence to take some pictures, and then noticed a young blacktail buck just outside the fence, to the right. Please enjoy these ten photos, taken as he made his way down our hillContinue reading “A Young Buck This Morning in Nance Canyon”

Bats at Dawn in Paradise

About twenty minutes before the sun appears, the bats dart about, feeding. They also show up at evening dusk. One of my projects now is to get some clear pictures of them, easiest in the morning when they are flying against a lightening sky. This morning I tried both taking a video and extracting screenshots,Continue reading “Bats at Dawn in Paradise”