Wild Wednesday … Together Again!

Posted on March 14, 2018 by foresterartist

A week after the male osprey arrived the female showed up. They’re together again for another breeding season. While waiting for her to arrive he kept busy doing guy stuff. Click on the galleries to enlarge the pictures.

Osprey, nest, nesting, birding, photography

The male and female osprey are together again.

While she was away he watched whatever he wanted like any guy would.

He ate out all the time

Finally, at the last-minute he decided he’d better clean house.

This could take a while…

Still cleaning.

He’s totally checking her out!

Apparently, an incident was witnessed by several coworkers between an eagle and the osprey. On Monday, one of the eagles showed up and began circling the nest. The male osprey took off and began to circle up to the eagle. When the osprey reached the eagle he began diving on it. After multiple diving runs the eagle began turn belly up to give the osprey its talons. The aerial combat went on until the eagle moved off.

Incidentally, I discovered this on the neighboring property. You have to click on the gallery to see the bald eagle on the nest.

Our eagles have a nest next door. I didn’t see the eagle in the nest until I looked at the picture on the computer.

The nest is in a huge valley oak beside a pond. I think this is where the eagles were going nest all along. The just liked partying at the osprey nest.

Wild Wednesday … Osprey Nest Update

Posted on March 7, 2018 by foresterartist

On Monday morning an osprey returned!

Osprey

He came with no fireworks, no fanfare and no eagles.

The week prior the eagles were notably absent and the osprey hadn’t arrived. Last Monday when he did arrive the eagles had been gone for a week. They must have a nest elsewhere and were using the osprey nest as a private getaway. You can see the eagles here.

Now that he has arrived his vigil begins. The female is fashionably late every year. More osprey news to follow when she hits town.

Wild Wednesday … Wood Rat’s Nest

Posted on February 28, 2018 by foresterartist

Bliss and I were out marking trees a few weeks ago when we came upon several wood rats nests. They build these large stick pile akin to a beaver lodge on land. They are very industrious creatures. They are also an important prey species for forest predators.

Bliss, wood rat nest

Bliss was very impressed with this massive collection of sticks. So impressed that she claimed it for herself. Sadly for her it wasn’t going to fit in my vest and she could only carry one stick at a time.

This clever rat built its nest in the trees. No sticks for Bliss from this one.

Bliss found a deer skull under the nest. “No Bliss it’s not a rat skull and no you can’t eat it!”

Wild Wednesday … Eagles Nest?

Posted on February 21, 2018 by foresterartist

This is week that the osprey customarily return to their nest in the electrical tower at the sawmill. I haven’t seen them yet. Usually the male shows up a week or two before the female. This year they will be in for a bit of a surprise. A little over a month ago a pair of eagles moved in. I’m not sure how this will go, but the eagle are a lot bigger than the osprey. I’d have to put my money on the eagles. Click on the gallery to enlarge to photos and get the dirt.

Nice looking birds.

He seems to have staked a claim here.

I keep waiting for them to gather sticks, but the haven’t. I not convinced their serious about nesting here.

These are all osprey pictures from previous years.

osprey, pen and ink, nature, wildlife, drawing, portrait

The osprey have inspired art from yours truly.

This has been an osprey nest literally for decades.

It’s a prime location for fishing birds with its grand overlook of the Sacramento river.

It hasn’t been without struggle. last season it rained so much the nest grew a garden before the birds arrived. They had to weed it.

When the summer heat get over about 106 the parents shade the chicks.

Osprey, pen and ink, drawing, wildlife, nature, ink

More art.

Two years ago the male osprey was struck be a helicopter blade and died. he was trying to defend the nest from the helicopter that was inspecting the tower.

The osprey have raised many generations.

The osprey probably won’t be too happy with the new residents.

Stay tuned to see how this turns out.

Below are a few of the osprey posts over the years.

https://wordpress.com/post/theforesterartist.com/948

https://wordpress.com/post/theforesterartist.com/1056

https://wordpress.com/post/theforesterartist.com/1090

https://wordpress.com/post/theforesterartist.com/1703

https://wordpress.com/post/theforesterartist.com/2659

https://wordpress.com/post/theforesterartist.com/4017

Wild Wednesday … Birds Around the Mill

Posted on November 29, 2017 by foresterartist

I started this post last June, but never finished it. Better late that never. Here are just a few pictures of our birds that make their home at the Mill. It defies conventional wisdom that so much wildlife makes it home at an industrial complex and thrives. It’s all about the habitat.

Wood Ducks.

Osprey

wild turkey, turkey, hen, birds, wildlife, nature, photography, sawmill

Wild Turkey Hen

Killdeer

Great Blue Heron

Black Pheobe

Cattle Egret

blackbirds, poles, birds, wildlife, nature, photography, sawmill

Blackbirds on a pole stack.

Wild Wednesday … Wood Ducks

Posted on November 1, 2017 by foresterartist

Wood ducks hanging out in the canal behind the sawmill. Something a little more serene than the Halloween post.

Wild Wednesday … Denali Nat’l Park

Posted on October 25, 2017 by foresterartist

Mary and I took a trip to Alaska last spring to spend time with family. While traveling from Fairbanks to the coast we took an afternoon to visit Denali National Park. It was the pre-season and the tour buses weren’t running yet. Therefore, we were able to drive 30 miles into the park. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and we weren’t to see the mountain. On the positive side we were able to stop anytime we wanted to take pictures. In fact, our little group did so well spotting wildlife that we soon had a caravan of vehicles pulling off the road behind us so they could see the wildlife we found. The gallery below is just a few of the wonderful sights we enjoyed. Just click on the photos to enlarge them.

Denali National Park, rugged beauty.

Denali, Denali National Park, black spruce

Black spruce full of cones.

Porcupine in a spruce tree.

Black spruce cones.

Spruce grouse.

Strutting for the ladies!

Willow ptarmigan.

A beaver pond.

The owner of the beaver pond.

Denali, Denali National Park, willows, willow flowers

The willow trees were beginning to flower when we visited.

Denali, Denali National Park, boreal owl

A boreal owl.

Denali panorama.

Caribou

What are you lookin’ at?

Caribou calves.

Caribou

A visit to remember.

This was our first trip to Alaska, but won’t be our last. We had a terrific time. We were there for a week. These shots were just from one afternoon. Stay tuned for more pictures from Alaska.

Wild Wednesday … Mystery Butterfly!

Posted on August 30, 2017 by foresterartist

I’ve been sitting in the middle of I5 for nearly 3 hours. They’re clearing an overturned big rig with a load of steel I-beams. I’m trying to think of something soothing. How about a butterfly. This one showed up on the porch this morning. Good thing the kitten wasn’t around. Does anyone know it’s name?Normally, I’d have my sketch pad, but not today. I have a project to finish too. Instead I’ll have to settle for a butterfly.