Straight out of Camera

4/16/25 →

You got this  #WrensDay #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Birds #BirdPhotography #Fujifim #SOoC

A small Bewick's Wren is perched on a winter naked Willow branch. This Wren, for once, isn't singing but is squat against the branch, looking out. It has a really long narrow and dark tail and white stripes on its head. Its body is mostly gray.

4/14/25 →

At Black Butte Lake this last Saturday, we were treated by a flying formation of American White Pelicans. They are captivating flyers. #AmericanWhitePelican #BlackButteLake #BirdPhotography #Birds #Fujifilm #SOoC

Against a blue sky, four American White Pelicans are in a straight line formation, spaced by mere feet. They are photographed as a diagonal across the frame. The rear edge of their wings are black, the rest of their body is white.

4/13/25 →

Yesterday: Damselfly and a Mosquito at Black Butte Lake #Damselfly #BlackButteLake #Fujifilm #SOoC A blue damselfly resting on a rock surrounded by wet, sandy ground with small pebbles and a mosquito to its left. Both are surrounded by wet brown muddy muck.

4/12/25 →

Spectacular day at Black Butte Lake today A single tree stands atop a grassy hill in the distance, framed by lush green trees in the foreground. Below is a body of water reflecting the greenery. The sky is bright blue with large, fluffy clouds.#BlackButteLake #Fujifilm #SOoC

4/9/25 →

Bushtit! A small gray-brown Bushtit is on a tree branch surrounded by green leaves and twigs. It has a rather active pose, like it’s in the process of turning around.#Bushtit #Birds #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC

4/8/25 →

Towhees are all the rage right now, so here’s one busy looking for food at the Refuge’s parking area A small brown California Towhee with a dark brown head, reddish brown body, and pinkish legs stands on a parking lot with cracks filled by dry grass, looking down as it searches for food. It is a profile view and only its back is illuminated by the sun.#CaliforniaTowhee #Birds #BirdPhotography #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC

4/7/25 →

Loggerhead shrike from the Refuge the other weekend #LoggerheadShrike #Birds #BirdPhotography #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC

A small Loggerhead shrike, mostly gray with black eyeshadow, is perched on a bare tree branch against a backdrop of a clear blue sky and blurred Willow foliage.

4/3/25 →

I was feeling left out, so please enjoy the Black-Necked Stilts in lieu of penguins. #BlackNeckedStilts #Birds #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoCTwo black-necked stilts, one near the photo’s left edge and another near the right edge, with long pink legs stand near a marshy water area. The background consists of water and patches of vegetation.

4/2/25 →

I finally have a #Wrensday post, thanks to this constantly singing Bewick’s WrenA small bird with a brownish body and patterned tail perches on a nearly vertical slender, bare tree branch against a clear blue sky. #BewicksWren #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC

4/1/25 →

Another photo from the Refuge this last SaturdayA flock of birds flying in a clear sky, featuring white egrets (2 total) and dark white-faced ibises (12 total) with long, curved beaks. #GreatEgret #WhiteFacedIbis #Birds #BirdPhotography #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC

3/31/25 →

A photo directly below and looking up at a perched and sunning Turkey Vulture. Its wings are open and its red bare skin head is clearly visible above its wings. It has some weird downy feathers surrounding its beak. #TurkeyVulture #Birds #BirdWatching #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC

3/30/25 →

American Bushtit at the refuge yesterday. What an acrobatic fuzzball! An American Bushtit, with a light orange head and gray fuzz-ball of a body, is upside down, hanging on a young Willow tree branch full of golden catkins against a clear blue sky. #AmericanBushtit #Birds #BirdWatching #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC

3/29/25 →

Western Fence lizard basking in the sun at the Refuge today #WesternFenceLizard #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoCA fairly girth-y Western Fence lizard on Willow tree bark, nearly camouflaged with its surroundings.

3/26/25 →

Random unexplained photo of a very narrow part of our backyard #BloomScrolling #Ceanothus #NativePlants #Yarden #Fujifilm #SOoC A Ceanothus branch with clusters of small, light purple flowers and shiny dark green leaves. The bokeh background is wooden fence with sunlight streaming through.

3/23/25 →

#SilentSunday #DeathValleyNP #MosaicCanyon #Fujifilm #SOoCA rocky desert valley and wash with sparse vegetation and hikers in the distance, surrounded by layered, red to gray rugged mountains and canyon walls.

3/17/25 →

Last Friday, this coyote had plenty of rabbits and birds to consider but instead wanted to check us out. Hope everyone can find the good in this week! #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Coyote #Fujifilm #SOoC A coyote walking along a gravel road in a rural area with a “Soft Shoulder” sign visible. The background features vegetation and an overcast sky.

3/14/25 →

What luck at the refuge today! Among many others, we were treated to Northern Flickers, an Egret feasting on a crawdad, a really tame(😬) coyote, and a gorgeous Pheasant #NorthernFlicker #Egret #Coyote #CommonPheasant #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoCA woodpecker perched on a bare branch with a blurred landscape of hills and fields in the background.

A white egret is standing in a grassy, marshy area with a small crawfish in its beak. The background is blurred with various shades of green and brown from plants and grasses.

A coyote trotting across a grassy levee with a cloudy sky and sparse vegetation in the background.

A male pheasant with vibrant plumage, featuring a red face, green neck, and mottled brown body, is standing in a grassy area with greenery and twigs in the background.

3/2/25 →

#SilentSunday #UbehebeCrater #DeathValleyNP #Fujifilm #SOoC A view of a large, steep-walled volcanic crater with multi-colored rock layers, mainly red to yellow. The floor is covered with sparse vegetation and a mix of sandy and rocky terrain. The sky is overcast, adding a muted tone to the scene.

2/21/25 →

Our backyard Nectarine is now in full bloom! #NectarineTree #Yarden #HomeOrchard #BloomScrolling #Fujifilm #SOoC A small Nectarine tree with pink blossoms in full bloom, set against a backdrop of a wooden fence and a clear blue sky. The tree is planted in backyard with gravel and bare soil around the tree. There’s an unsightly aluminum RV shed behind the fence.

1/26/25 →

. #SilentSunday #Fujifilm #SOoCA far off coyote trots across a sloping coastal meadow with many white flowers, framed by a calm Pacific Ocean and few scattered clouds.

1/20/25 →

Lewis’s Woodpecker (spotted Saturday) #LewissWoodpecker #BlackButteReservoir #Birds #Fujifilm #SOoCA Lewis’s Woodpecker, with a red eye liner, a black head, and a chest fading from gray to pink, is peaking out, half-way exposed, on the branch of a tree with bare, tangled branches against a clear blue sky.

1/18/25 →

Went out to Burris Creek today, west of Black Butte Lake. For the first time we saw Lewis’s woodpeckers! They were constantly harassing each other. They’ve gorgeous pink bellies. We also saw a Nuttall’s woodpecker and an Emirates A380 Reg. A6-EVO Dubai-SFO (EK225) at 39,000 feet #LewissWoodpecker #NuttallsWoodpecker #Birds #A380 #Aviation #Fujifilm #SOoCA Lewis’s woodpecker with red and gray plumage flying like a bullet against a clear blue sky.A Lewis’s woodpecker perched on the branch of a leafless tree against a clear blue sky. It has a red belly and red spots on its head.A small Nuttall’s woodpecker with a red patch on its head & white spots on its feathers is perched on a bare tree branch against a clear blue sky. Dry oak leaves are nearby on the branch.An Emirates A380, is flying high in a clear blue sky, leaving four contrails behind.

1/6/25 →

Today I finally photographed one of several Orange-crowned Warblers that use our backyard as a hunting ground #OrangeCrownedWarbler #Birds #Fujifilm #SOoCA small yellow-green bird, with a short but sharp beak, perched on a wooden fence cross beam near some green Ceanothus leaves.

1/5/25 →

The resident Scrub Jay had herself a vigorous bath on this fine California day #WesternScrubJay #Fujifilm #SOoC #Birds A jay splashing in a metal birdbath with water droplets scattering around. The background is a wooden fence. A blue jay splashes in a birdbath, causing water droplets to spray around. A wooden fence serves as the background. A scrub jay splashes in a birdbath, sending droplets of water into the air against a wooden fence background. A scrub jay with fluffed feathers is perched on the edge of a birdbath, set against a wooden fence backdrop.

12/25/24 →

Today: Downy Woodpecker skillfully foraging at the Pine Creek Unit of the refuge #DownyWoodpecker #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC A Downy woodpecker is perched upside down on a branch of a tree with sparse leaves.

12/23/24 →

Last Sunday, we witnessed a Western Meadowlark in a meadow! 😲🫣 #WesternMeadowLark #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Birds #Fujifilm #SOoC A Western Meadow Lark stands in a field of tall, dewy grass. The bird has a distinctive yellow chest and mottled brown plumage, blending into the surroundings. Drops of water are visible on the grass. They’re looking toward the camera.

12/22/24 →

Poor Great Horned Owls have no privacy in the winter #GreatHornedOwls #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Birds #Fujifilm #SOoC Two great horned owls sitting on a sturdy branch with lots obscuring bare tree limbs. They’re looking toward the camera.

12/19/24 →

Last Sunday: an American Kestrel. Just look at that face! 🤩 #AmericanKestrel #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC An American Kestrel, with narrow black eyeshadow, perched on the bare branches of a tree against a clear blue sky.

12/16/24 →

Stereotypical Black-necked Stilts at the refuge yesterday #BlackNeckedStilts #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Birds #Fujifilm #SOoC #MondayIsForTheBirds A group of black-necked stilts standing in shallow water with tall grass in the background. The birds have long, thin legs and are reflected in the water.

12/15/24 →

The Snow Geese cannot be missed right now at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Also not to be missed: widebodies on approach to SFO. In this case, a KLM 787-10 #SnowGeese #SacramentoWildlifeRefuge #Fujifilm #SOoC #Aviation #SFOA large flock of Snow Geese flying in the sky with some foliage blurred in the foreground. A distant KLM 787-10 flying across a clear blue sky, leaving a contrail behind.