I’m always amazed at how the universe conspires to put me right where I should be, right when I should be there. I’m slowly making my way to the desert southwest to visit and revisit some places I really want to photograph. However, I don’t want to show up while it’s still winter, and I don’t like to drive long distances without some “stay put” time, so my journey is slow-paced. This is not a problem for me, and it’s actually perfect in many ways. So, what to see and photograph while passing through central California? Well, wildlife, of course! Not only is central California one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country, it’s also home to an amazing variety of birds and other wildlife.

It seems the first three months of my travels were dedicated to getting better at landscape photography, and the last two months have been an opportunity to hone my wildlife photography skills. I didn’t intentionally set out to balance things so well, it seemed to just work out that way.

And the opportunities have been amazing! I had the good fortune to experience a rookery up close.

Spotted a rare leucistic bald eagle.

And more herons and egrets than I have seen in my entire life!

And then there are the hawks. Oh, the hawks!

When I got here, I planned to stay only a week or two. Long enough to take care of some business and maybe visit a couple of wildlife refuges. The rent per week here adds up to more for a two week stay than the rent per month. So, being thrifty (i.e. cheap), I opted for a month, thinking I could leave after two weeks and still get the cheaper rate. Now, I don’t want to leave so soon! So, it all just fell into place beautifully and I have two extra weeks to enjoy Bird Fest 2015, my own little celebration of the birds of California.

Once again, thanks for coming along!