Stories behind the images – Bald Eagle Swoosh

Stories behind the images – Bald Eagle Swoosh

This “story behind the image” is about an eagle in flight shot that almost never was. I was at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge for the second time and there were many eagles out and about that day. I was very fortunate to have spotted the dilute plumage juvenile bald eagle that had been seen at the refuge. Some were calling it the “caramel eagle.” There is some debate among the birding community as to whether this eagle is leucistic or dilute plumage, and whether or not the two terms are interchangeable. I’ll leave that to the experts and just say that I was very pleased to have the opportunity to photograph this rare bird.

Leucistic Bald Eagle; Caramel Eagle; Haliaeetus leucocephalus; rare; leucistic; leucism; pale; albino; light; unique; pigment; bird; bird of prey; bald eagle; juvenile; perch; gold; golden; sacramento national wildlife refuge; sacramento NWR; california; Willows ca; glenn county ca; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson

Caramel Eagle

Unfortunately, she didn’t do much while I was watching her, so all I got were perching photos. (I have no idea if it is a he or she, but I’m calling it “her” because she looks rather feminine.)

After my good fortune on the first trip around the auto tour loop, I decided to go around again. I had already seen three or four adult bald eagles, and a couple of juveniles in addition to the caramel one.

About 3/4 of the way around the loop, I noticed a refuge employee wrapping up his day’s work out in one of the closed areas. He was using a loader and was heading for the main road, which I was on. As I passed one of the locked gates, he was opening it in preparation to bring the loader through. It was about that time I spotted an adult bald eagle in a tree a few hundred yards ahead. Since I was driving into the sun, I decided to try and drive past the tree so I could shoot the eagle with the sun behind me.

Regal Eagle; american bald eagle; Haliaeetus leucocephalus; survey; territory; atop; tree; perch; bird of prey; raptor; wild; wildlife; sacramento NWR; national wildlife refuge; glenn county ca; california; adult; mature; blue sky; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson

Regal Eagle

So far, so good. I always try to get at least one shot of the bird perched before it inevitably flies away. The only problem was, it had no intention of flying away! You see, at the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge, and other refuges in the area, it’s strictly forbidden to get out of your car while on the auto tour route. Not only that, but the birds seem to know it! So, we were at a stand off. Me sitting there waiting for the eagle to fly and the eagle staring at me knowing there was nothing I could do but sit there and point my camera out the car window. Then I heard the loader coming. Ha, I thought! I bet that thing will make you fly! But then…it stopped. What?

I looked down the road and there was the loader, stopped. It turns out, the polite refuge employee saw that I was photographing the eagle and didn’t want to wreck my shot! Little did he know, I already had shots of the eagle in the tree. I wanted shots of the eagle flying!

So, I frantically motioned out the window of my car for him to keep coming. But he didn’t. Now I was in a stand off with both the eagle and the loader. I decided to wait them out. I must have sat there for ten minutes before the loader operator finally got tired of waiting on me and proceeded up the road.

Prepare for Takeoff; american bald eagle; Haliaeetus leucocephalus; raptor; bird of prey; wild; wildlife; sacramento NWR; national wildlife refuge; california; glenn county ca; bird; wings; blue sky; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson

Prepare for Takeoff

And, just as I had suspected, the eagle that was immune to cars passing did indeed react when a piece of heavy equipment came along. And I was ready!

Bald eagle swoosh; Haliaeetus leucocephalus; american; perch; taking flight; atop; tree; sacramento NWR; national wildlife refuge; california; glenn county ca; blue sky; wings; wingspan; bird of prey; raptor; wild; wildlife; in flight; flying; majestic; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson

Bald Eagle Swoosh

I already knew that patience is one of the keys to wildlife photography, but that day I learned that sometimes you have to be patient, not only with the animals, but the humans as well.

 

Bird Fest 2015

Bird Fest 2015

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.

Great Horned Owl; Bubo virginianus; bird of prey; nocturnal; camouflage; eyes; stare; bird; large; tree; perch; wise; wind; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson

Great Horned Owl

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.

Prepare for Takeoff; american bald eagle; Haliaeetus leucocephalus; raptor; bird of prey; wild; wildlife; sacramento NWR; national wildlife refuge; california; glenn county ca; bird; wings; blue sky; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson

Prepare for Takeoff

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

Dancing in the Air; great blue heron; Ardea herodias; rookery; heronry; nesting; breeding; fly; flight; wading bird; wild; wildlife; California; butte county ca; gray lodge wildlife area; bird; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson

Dancing in the Air

Spotted a rare leucistic bald eagle.

Caramel Eagle; Haliaeetus leucocephalus; rare; leucistic; leucism; pale; albino; light; unique; pigment; bird; bird of prey; bald eagle; juvenile; perch; gold; golden; sacramento national wildlife refuge; sacramento NWR; california; Willows ca; glenn county ca; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson

Caramel Eagle

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

Todays Special - Crayfish; catching; hunting; great egret; ardea alba; crawfish; crawdad; mudbug; wading bird; white heron; prey; wild; wildlife; water; pond; wetlands; Colusa NWR; national wildlife refuge; colusa county ca; california; hunt; eat; reflect; reflection; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson

Todays Special – Crayfish

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

Red-Tailed Launch; Buteo jamaicensis; red-tailed hawk; red tail; hunt; prey; fly; flight; bird of prey; dark morph; tree; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson

Red-Tailed Launch

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.

Ibis at Sunset; white-faced ibis; Plegadis chihi; white faced; wading bird; wings spread; Colusa NWR; national wildlife refuge; colusa county ca; california; wild; wildlife; bird; marsh; hunting; fishing; and; the; over; with; under; above; against; in the; on the; at the; Loree Johnson

Ibis at Sunset

Once again, thanks for coming along!

 

 

The revisit list

The revisit list

With such a short time left before becoming a perpetual wanderer, my mind is already drifting off into the great beyond. I’m very anxious to get started on my journey, but there are still some things that need arranging before I can take flight. More on that later. Of course I have a long list of places I have never been that I would like to visit in my travels. I’m also accumulating quite a list of places I have already been that I would like to go back to. One such place I was recently reminded of is the Pinnacles at Crater Lake.

the pinnacles; volcano; volcanic; crater lake; oregon; or; scene; scenic; national park; ash; steam; vent; chimney; fumaroles; surreal; amazing; geology; nature; natural; in; and; the; a; on; over; to; of; with; under; above; against; Loree Johnson

The Pinnacles

I’ve been to Crater Lake numerous times, but only once to the Pinnacles. It was very windy that day and the light was kind of harsh. It would be nice to have more time to spend exploring and photographing these unique, otherworldly formations.

Another place on the revisit list is Zion National Park. Having spent four days there in 2011, I’ve longed to go back ever since.

Zion National Park; Utah; storm; clouds; rock; rocks; cliff; red; orange; trees; weather; sandstone; desert; southwest; canyon; fog; mist; sky; beauty; nature; natural; scene; scenic; beautiful; Loree Johnson

The Storm Clears

Of course, California’s giant redwoods call to me to come visit them. Not only are these trees amazing to behold and humbling to spend time among, but they are also a great opportunity to hone my skills. To say that giant redwoods are a challenge to photograph would be an understatement.

redwoods; redwood; forest; tree; trees; ancient; giants; canopy; huge; massive; tall; big; peace; peaceful; nature; natural; scene; scenic; red; green; ferns; trail; Jedediah Smith State Park; fog; foggy; morning; california; coastal; Loree Johnson

Giants in the Fog

Also in 2011, I visited the Columbia Gorge in Oregon. I had planned the trip for a week in October, hoping to be there for autumn foliage. As it turns out, I was a week or two early. Although the waterfalls of the gorge are breathtaking any time of year, I hope this time to also catch the fall colors.

Multnomah; falls; Multnomah Falls; Oregon; waterfall; bridge; spectacular; large; trees; cliffs; water; Columbia Gorge; river; waterfalls; benson; footbridge; green; moist; wet; scene; scenic; or; splash; spray; mist; nature; natural; moss; mossy; Loree Johnson

Multnomah Falls and Benson Footbridge

Elowah Falls; Elowah; falls; waterfall; Columbia Gorge; Oregon; water; stream; pool; cliff; green; misty; spray; river; mist

Elowah Falls

There is no guarantee when, or even if, I will be back to any of these places. And, I’ve learned that sometimes when you revisit a place, you often find that things have changed since you were last there. The forest fires raging in northern California right now, for example, will alter the view in many places. So, as I say “so long” to Siskiyou County rather than “goodbye,” I know that when I return to visit, some things will have changed.

Wild and Scenic Scott River; granite banks of the scott river; scott river near tompkins creek; wild and scenic; sisikiyou county; national system; trappers; beaver river; whitewater rafting; flyfishing; water; flow; snow melt; alpine; rapids; fresh; clear; forest; granite; rocks; rock; boulder; boulders; tree; trees; destination; in; and; the; a; on; over; to; of; with; under; above; california; ca; Loree Johnson

Wild and Scenic Scott River

But, thinking about these places, and others I hope to enjoy, as well as the inevitable and unexpected surprises that often happen on the way, is helping me make it through these last few days of managing details before I can actually set sail. Next post will be “Bon Voyage!”

The conflagration in northern California

The conflagration in northern California

This article will be different from my usual posts because I just want to share what’s going on in my neck of the woods, especially for my friends who don’t live around here. It’s a bit overwhelming, even if you do live here, so I hope to share what it’s like right now in order to bring you some insight into the situation. Backstory: we had little snow in the high elevations this past winter and little to no rain in the spring. Everyone knows California is suffering from an epic drought, but maybe not too many know what that actually means in terms of daily life. There are mandatory restrictions on watering. I can only water my lawn three days of the week. That, combined with near record high temperatures for over a month now, has resulted in a pretty brown lawn. If my lawn is brown, getting watered three times a week, just imagine what the forest and grasslands are like. And I live in the far northern part of the state. It’s even worse in the south. So, on July 30th, 2014 a thunderstorm rolled through. It brought a little rain and a lot of lightning. The moisture and humidity was welcome, but short-lived. Within 24-48 hours, a few little fires which had been ignited by the lightning turned into immense wildfires. This screen shot, which was posted on Facebook, gives an idea of where these fires are located in relation to where I live–Yreka, CA.

active wildfires 8/4/14

active wildfires 8/4/14

So, as you can see, at least six major wildfires within 30 miles of town. The air was heavy with smoke and ash, and the temperatures were well into the nineties, pushing one hundred.

But, the really amazing thing is what happened next. With people, homes, and livestock threatened, the superheroes started to appear. There was a Facebook page started with offers of space, trailers, and transport for animals and livestock in harms way. The same day the page was created, it already had nearly 800 members. In a town with a population of less than 8,000, this is truly impressive. Next, the firefighters started arriving–in droves. Every motel in town was filled. All their parking lots housed fire trucks. They came from practically every town in California, and many towns from other states, too. I’ve seen fire trucks from Colorado, South Dakota, Washington, and Oregon. I’m sure there are other states represented here that I’ve missed, but all are appreciated, and admired. Then, the National Guard arrived. Our little town has at least doubled, maybe even tripled in population in less than a week. The local high school has been transformed into a command post. With school starting in a few weeks, all athletic practices have been cancelled. Why? Because the soccer/football/baseball fields are now temporary home to our visiting heroes.

High School Soccer Practice Field

High School Soccer Practice Field

This is where these guys live for now, in tents behind the high school. You can see how heavy the smoke is in the background.

High School baseball field

High School baseball field

This is the baseball field, down the hill from the soccer field. More firefighters can get a little shuteye between shifts.

Staging Area

Staging Area

This this the vacant lot between the high school and the gas station. A staging area for water trucks, bulldozers, and other heavy equipment. I am amazed, inspired, and utterly grateful to everyone who has rallied around us in this time of need. And I’m not the only one. Signs are popping up all over town thanking the dedicated and selfless men and women who have come to our aid.

One of many thank you signs

One of many thank you signs

This sign covers the regular sign of the salon just two doors down from my house. And, as I was walking over there to take this photo, a fire truck rolled down the street. As I smiled and waved at them, they honked their fire truck horn at me and waved back. I checked the emblem on the side of their truck to see where they were from, and smiled again when I saw they were from Etna. One of the local towns besieged by the fires.

The "local boys"

The “local boys”

This post is dedicated to everyone who has come together to help in a time of need. Average citizens and highly trained firefighters, politicians and military personnel, business owners and land owners, kids and senior citizens, locals and people who live far away–a heartfelt thanks to you all. My faith in humanity has been restored. The fires are still burning, but progress is being made. The air was a little clearer today, fewer homes are threatened, and the county fair opened. It looks like we’re gonna make it.

Let the transformation begin!

Let the transformation begin!

For the last few years, I’ve been planning and preparing to downsize and go on the road. Well, finally, the countdown has begun! Sometime in September, I will forego my 2500 square foot house for a 230 square foot motorhome. The next couple of months will be spent doing some minor renovations to the RV, selling and donating the majority of my worldly possessions, and planning a route. It’s hard to believe it’s finally happening. I’m excited and a little scared at the same time. Isn’t it funny how dreams often work like that? Dreaming is a nice, comfortable, safe activity. But, when you actually make your dreams come true–WOW. It’s a lot to take in.

On the Road

On the Road

When I bought this rig, back in 2010, my intention was to eventually make it my full-time home. I soon learned that, while a bicycle is nice to have, a car is sometimes necessary. So, I traded in my pickup truck for a toad. (RV slang for the car you tow behind your motorhome.) I’ve been on many “practice” trips, and seen a lot of sights in the past four years. I’ve also learned quite a bit about RV’ing. After each trip, I’ve always been a little sad to come home. Now, I won’t have to. Wherever I am will be home.

oregon sunset; beach; haceta head; clear; sky; skies; tree; trees; rock; rocks; sea stacks; stack; pacific coast; silhouette; silhouettes; glow; glowing; sun; dusk; orange; reflect; reflection; reflections; wind; windblown; windswept; in; and; the; a; on; over; to; of; with; under; above; against; Loree Johnson

Oregon Sunset

So far, the plan is to start out along the central coast in Oregon. A place I have been before, but never for long enough.

oregon sunset; beach; haceta head; clear; sky; skies; tree; trees; rock; rocks; sea stacks; stack; pacific coast; silhouette; silhouettes; glow; glowing; sun; dusk; orange; reflect; reflection; reflections; wind; windblown; windswept; in; and; the; a; on; over; to; of; with; under; above; against; Loree Johnson

California Coastal Redwood Forest

Then, farther down the coast to northern California and the giant redwoods. Again, a place where I have wished for more time.

From there, the plans get a little more fluid. I would like to spend some time in the Santa Cruz/Monterey area, but campgrounds are pretty pricey–even the monthly rates. So, I’m not stressing about it. I will wait and see which way the wind blows me. Maybe I will end up on the central California coast, or maybe someplace else entirely.

four mile beach; santa cruz; california; ca; long exposure; surf; wave; waves; tide; tidal; rock; rocks; water; sun; sunset; cloud; clouds; sand; sea; seascape; sand; ocean; pacific; bay area; scene; scenic; nature; natural; evening; afternoon; dusk; twilight; reflect; reflection; ocean; beach; Loree Johnson

Ocean Motion

The desert southwest is calling me back. And eventually I will end up spending some time there, too.

carved by water; slot canyon; sandstone; curves; orange; nature; natural; Zion National Park; wash; erosion; beauty; beautiful; sand; rock; rocks; Utah; desert; southwest; south; west; Loree Johnson

Carved by Water

I invite you to follow me on this journey as I embrace the nomadic lifestyle and learn to prioritize experiences over things. Use the subscribe option above and you will get an email whenever I add a new post. This is going to be fun! Let the adventure begin!

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