Romantic Osprey Triangle

Posted on March 10, 2014 by foresterartist

He was waiting for a girl. It didn’t take long for her to show up either. He arrived on February 28^th, which appeared in the post, Spring Wings. She returned March 3^rd, but there was a surprise.

As I drove around the log deck, the nest tower came into view. I saw two birds on the nest tower. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a third bird in the nest. When I got to the office parking lot, I could see only see two birds.

The two birds kept looking at each other, calling all the while. I thought, I may be here in time to catch the magic moment. The bird closest to the nest took off and did a flyby to the other bird. I knew we were getting close now. Then I saw wings flap in the nest. There WERE three birds! I wasn’t witnessing the dance of love, but instead, two boys fighting over a girl.

Click on the pictures to enlarge the images. Watch the drama unfold!

osprey, breeding, nature, wildlife, photography

The two combatants are sizing each other up.

The osprey near the nest took off.

Trying to drive his opponent away, he begins his assault.

He continued pressing his rival.

He begins to wear his opponent down.

Finally, both birds take to the air.

Most of the aerial contest was a game of chase.

Throw in some dramatic maneuvers.

Finally, one bird prevailed.

Taking his place at his castle.

He diligently stands guard.

Forestry Friday … Masticator

Posted on March 7, 2014 by foresterartist

What’s a masticator? Think of it as a big mobile wood chipper, or a mower on steroids. You may have seen these machines grinding up brush on the side of the road. They’re also used in forestry applications.

I came across a brush clearing operation on the neighbor’s property. Our neighbors happen to be a large government agency. They were shut down because a much needed rain storm made the woods too wet for operating. They were thinning a thirty plus year old Ponderosa pine plantation and removing competing brush with masticators. The thinned trees weren’t big enough to harvest for sawlogs. Masticating an area is expensive, but it makes the plantation more fire resistant and spaces out the residual trees for better growth.

Farther down the road, they used masticators to create a fuelbreak. This provides a break in heavy fuels giving firefighters a defensible line to make a stand against an oncoming wildfire. Shredded and crushed wood from the masticated brush is left on the ground. This woody debris still burns, but the flame lengths and rate of spread of a fire are reduced, thus making it manageable for a fire crew. It’s also a location that a fire crew can use for backfire operations. Over time, this material will decompose, further lessening the fire risk.

The current fuelbreak was originally cleared as a firebreak during the Finley Fire in 1990. A fuelbreak is a change from a heavy fuel type, such as brush, to a lighter fuel type like grass. A firebreak is the removal of all fuel down to bare dirt. After the fire, we replanted our section of the same fireline in 1992. Our trees are now twenty-two years old. As these trees grow larger, they’ll be developed into a shaded fuelbreak. A shaded fuelbreak utilizes the shade of trees to suppress the growth of underbrush. This keeps fuels on the forest floor light. Pruning trees creates a break in the vertical fuel ladder reducing the chance that a ground fire becomes a crown fire.

The neighbors didn’t replant trees in the firebreak immediately after the fire. While our section of the fireline grew trees, their section grew brush. Our stand of trees is twenty years along the process of becoming a shaded fuelbreak. The neighbors must continue to retreat the brush to maintain their section of the fuelbreak.

Forestry is a process with a long planning horizon. I commend the neighbors for creating the fuelbreak. This treatment also benefits our property. However, by making the investment in planting trees early, we saved money on brush removal, while accelerating forest restoration at this site.

Click on the image for a larger view.

The masticator is the piece of equipment mounted on the end of the excavator boom.

The masticator head.

forestry, masticator, thinning, fuelbreak

This older plantation had the brush removed and was thinned with a masticator. These trees are over thirty years old.

This former manzanita brush field was masticated into a fuelbreak.

The brush on the right side of the road is what the left side looked like before treatment.

Looking down the fireline across the ownerships. The manzanita brush is the neighbor’s property and the trees were planted by my crew in 1992.

The pink flag is the property line.

Those are my trees!

Looking across the canyon and watching that sweet rain fall.

Blossoming Dwarf Oregon Grape growing in the fuelbreak.

Blitz loves a shaded fuelbreak. So many sticks, so little time.

Spring Wings!

Posted on March 1, 2014 by foresterartist

Osprey, wildlife, sawmill, photography, nature

I first saw him last week, out back behind the mill.

I was pretty sure it was our male osprey on the snag behind the mill last week. Then right on schedule our boy was back at the nest on Friday morning. Last year he arrived on February 26th. This year he showed February 28th. Now he begins his vigil, as he waits for his mate to arrive.

Back for a new year at the nest. He scans the horizon for his mate.

When the osprey arrive, I know that Spring is knocking on our door. A few early flowers are blooming and the frogs are singing at night. The little birds chase each other around the trees and buds are swelling. We are finally getting some significant rain. We may have a normal Spring after all.

That fish is looking nasty!

You can see all about the nesting season 2013.

Forestry Friday … The Critical Period

Posted on February 28, 2014 by foresterartist

Critical Period means the time of year when the special timber operations practices set forth in these regulations are required to minimize nesting disturbance to a species of special concern.

-California Forest Practice Rules

Forestry, Northern Goshawk, goshawk, protection

This Northern Goshawk fledgling was ready to take me on.

Species of Special Concern include Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Northern Goshawk, Osprey, and Peregrine Falcon. Species of Special Concern are not the same as Threatened and Endangered Species. T and E species rise to a much higher standard of protection. They are protected under rules originating from the Endangered Species Act.

When a nest site of a Species of Special Concern is identified in a timber harvest plan area, a buffer zone is established around it. The buffer zone sizes differ according to the species. The critical period is based on the nesting season for that particular species of bird. No timber harvesting is allowed within the buffer zone during the critical period. After the critical period, harvesting can take place, but the nest trees are always retained. There are limitations as to the type of harvesting that can take place in the buffer zone, such as no clearcutting is allowed. The harvesting practices allowed in the buffer zones are tailored to each species. depending on their needs.

The Northern Goshawk fledgling in the picture was discovered after my crew and I stumbled onto a nest tree. We were marking trees when one of the guys came and informed me he saw a “great big bird in a nest.” When we went to investigate, I could see right away it was a Northern Goshawk fledgling, and there wasn’t one, there were two.

The young birds were branching. This is when they hop from branch to branch strengthening their wings before they have mastered flight. We stopped marking and began moving away from the nest. One of the Goshawk parents was nearby but moved away from us. This was a relief because Goshawk parents are well known for attacking people that are too close to their nest. This usually happens when the chicks are very young. Apparently, they are less protective when the chicks are older. We watched the young birds from what we thought was a safe distance, so as not to spook them. Then, one of the youngsters glided out of the nest to a branch in a nearby tree. Its sibling, not wanting to be left alone, followed. Only this bird wasn’t as advanced in its flight training as the first. It glided downhill and smacked straight into the trunk of a white fir tree and tumbled to the ground. I told the crew, “Oh my God, I think we just killed it.” Fortunately, it popped up on its feet, screeching all the while.

I sent the crew to mark timber in a different area. Then, with my camera in hand, I headed down the hill to check the condition of the young Goshawk. It was mad as hell and ready to give me what for. Otherwise it was okay. I took a few pictures and backed off to let it calm down. I knew, at this age, it would be able to hop its way back up the trees to safety. The parents weren’t far away and would tend to it.

For the Northern Goshawk the buffer zone is twenty acres and the critical period is from March 15 through August 15. The forester who prepared the timber harvest plan knew the Goshawks were living in the plan area. He protected their nest tree, by making it a no harvest area. However, the uncooperative goshawks had decided to move out of a perfectly good nest and build a new one in the logging unit. We were the first to discover the new nest. As a result, a new twenty acre buffer zone was established around this nest and none of the trees we marked in the area were harvested.

This Osprey was behind the sawmill last week. It might be our boy from the nest tower.

The buffer zone for the Osprey is 5 acres and the critical period is from March 15 through August 15.

Bald Eagle

Golden Eagle

If harvesting is done with a helicopter, they can operate no closer than one quarter mile of the nest tree. This is true for Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Northern Goshawk and Osprey. Peregrine Falcon get a one half mile buffer.

Great Blue Heron

The herons and egrets have a 300′ buffer around nest trees. Their critical period goes from February 15 through July 1.

Blitz says, her critical period is pheasant season.

Forestry Friday … Of Trees and Dogs

Posted on February 21, 2014 by foresterartist

When I was a reforestation forester, the district I worked on had about 2,600 acres burn in the Gun II Fire. The fire burned over 60,000 acres in total. It was my responsibility to implement the reforestation on our 2,600 acres.

Tree planting, wildfire, fire restoration

Planting trees in the Gun II Burn.

As an artist, I paint on a small canvas. As a forester, I paint on a big one. After a large wildfire, the landscape canvas can be huge. Reforestation on this scale is a lot of work. It’s very gratifying knowing I had a hand in starting this new forest. Each year when I return, the trees are a little bigger. I picked up and carried every box of trees, hundreds of thousands of trees.

Below are four photo point pictures showing how this canvas has changed over time. I had a few of my friends help demonstrate how big the trees have grown over the last 12 years. It’s a running joke around here, that you must have a dog if you’re a forester.

Fire restoration, forestry, seedlings, golden retrievers

May 5, 2001 Immediately after planting. Hunter and Blaze pose for me.

February 19, 2006 That’s Hunter and Blaze peeking through the trees.

July 7, 2010 The trees have been thinned. Blitz and Hawk pose.

October 23, 2013 The trees are over twenty feet tall. Now it’s just Blitz.

A farmer grows his crop over the course of a year, but our crop takes decades. Counting each year that passes is an occupational reality of being a forester. Seeing my dogs in these pictures also reminds me of time marching on. Now, there are new generations of both dogs and trees. To me, their lives are intertwined with the forest. This forest is full of our stories.

Natural Born Retriever

Posted on February 18, 2014 by foresterartist

watercolor, watercolour, pen and ink, golden retriever, pheasant, hunting

Blitz follows her nose to the prize.

Blitz took me pheasant hunting last week. I think she would drive herself if she had thumbs. Luckily, she needs a gunner tagging along. It’s my joy to watch this girl living her bliss. I captured this hunting moment in watercolor, and pen and ink.

Blitz, pheasants, hunting, pheasant hunting

Blitz with her bag.

Sunrise at the Sawmill

Posted on February 4, 2014 by foresterartist

This morning’s sunrise over the otter pond at the sawmill.

This morning, sunrise was quite a treat for the eyes. Even in the middle of a large industrial site you can find a moment to enjoy nature.

Lassen Peak, Mt Lassen, sawmill, sunrise

Looking east over the mill site toward Lassen Peak.

red tail hawk, red tailed hawk, log, sawmill

A red tail hawk perches on a log deck while on a morning hunt.

The big log deck forms a wall of wood.

heron, great blue heron, blue heron, wildlife, sawmill

A great blue heron gets in a bit of morning fishing.

Forestry Friday … Drought!

Posted on January 31, 2014 by foresterartist

Lassen Peak, Mt Lassen, drought, forestry

I took this picture of Lassen Peak on January 8th, 2013.

In California we’re in another severe drought. I took these two pictures of Lassen Peak in January, one this year and the other last year. You can see the stark difference. Lassen Peak is the southerly most of the major cascade volcanoes and is 10,463 feet (3,189 M) tall. Last year we had over 20 inches of rain at this time, and this year we have less than 4 inches. The snow pack is almost nonexistent. Cattle ranchers are having a hard time. There’s no new grass and the foothills are as brown as July. The price of hay is going to go through the roof forcing many of the ranchers to sell off their cattle. Our ski resorts are having a terrible winter due to the lack of snow. It’ll be a tough year for these folks and the long term forecast is grim. Expect the California water war to once again rear it’s ugly head.

Lassen Peak taken on January 22nd, 2014.

This summer we are expecting our share of challenges in the woods. Drought stress will cause tree die off. This will create prime conditions for bark beetle infestation as the trees become more and more stressed. Worst of all will be the fire danger. I think red flag fire warnings will be the theme of the this summer.

Blitz rolls in the snow while she still can.

Forestry Friday … What a difference a Decade Makes

Posted on January 24, 2014 by foresterartist

Do you have a favorite spot in the woods that you like to get away to and reconnect with nature? Somewhere that you’ve camped with your family or just a quiet place to escape the everyday bustle. The familiarity of that kind of place has a timeless quality about it. That is part of what makes it happy and comforting. We want it to always be there and never change.

This is where we escape. Blitz gives Mary a snuggle.

As a forester, I work with a changing forest every day. Some changes come quickly like a timber harvest. Some come violently as with a wildfire. Mostly, change comes slowly. The different seasons transform the forest each year. This brings about my favorite yearly change, the Spring burst of growth. The fruits of my labor are on full display, as tree buds elongate and spring forth new needles. Each year the trees that we planted are a little bigger than before.

Hunter in 2002.

This photo was taken of my old buddy, Hunter, in 2002. In the background was a newly planted forest. The trees were harvested from the area directly behind him in 2000 and the seedlings were planted in 2001. If you look closely, you can see the small pine trees growing. Lassen Peak is just visible on the horizon in front of Hunter.

forest, forestry, sapling, golden retriever

Blitz, Hunter’s daughter, sits on the same stump in 2014.

Jump ahead to 2014 and Blitz sits on the same stump. The trees we planted have now grown for twelve seasons. Many of them are over twenty feet tall. The view of Lassen Peak is gone. Blitz was barely able to sit on Hunter’s stump because decay caused it to crumble under her. The yearly change may seem small, but when viewed over a decade, it’s dramatic. Expecting the forest not to change is like expecting your child not to grow up. Forests are dynamic and never static. Our memories and old photographs may not change, but our forests always will.

Help! I Need a Caption

Posted on January 22, 2014 by foresterartist

105

ponderosa pine, old tire, humor, caption

What can we say about this?

What a funny sight in the middle of the woods, but I couldn’t come up with a good caption. I need your help people. Throw some clever captions my way and we will see which one sticks.

This is a Ponderosa pine with a tire about eighteen feet up. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t throw it up that high. I don’t know how it got there. However, I have my suspicions. If I were a betting man, I would say it involved a mischievous logger, with too much time on his hands, and a loader. If it wasn’t that, then there must be an airplane flying around with missing landing gear.