Visitors 84
Modified 21-Dec-23
Created 11-Nov-21
40 photos
A Jasper Ridge "History" walk reveals some interesting bird behavior. The landscape is crispy dry, and beautiful.
A mixed group of adventurers share the hike. This is great fun: some old hands share stories, while naive visitors ask interesting questions, sparking wide-ranging discussions. This history exploration, the major focus of the morning, is not captured in photographs.
My camera is instead mostly drawn to birds. As the tour wraps up, a Great Egret stands watch on Searsville Dam, quite happy to be there, walking along the railing to give us room to pass before finally giving up and flying away from that narrow passage. I encounter a Great Egret several other times this morning; i don't know if it is the same one.
Acorn Woodpeckers are also active. I know there are at least two: a male, with his red top feathers touching the white forehead feathers, and a female, with a black band in between. They are busy in a granary tree near the road -- a common occupation.
A flock of Mallard Ducks flies overhead. Hummingbirds appear, even photobombing a photo of a posing Egret. Starlings congregate.
Here are also a few plant photos, including Buckeye trees with crispy-dry leaves and mature seeds waiting for the rain.
As always, please leave a comment if you know an ID or have anything to add. Even history!
