Red-Winged Blackbirds, Wetland Tree. San Joaquin Valley, California. January 25, 2015. © Copyright 2015 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
A tree full of red-winged blackbird, in a San Joaquin Valley wetland marsh
This tree and I have become good friends over the past few winters. I have driven past it many times while out in the San Joaquin Valley photographing migratory birds and the flat, agricultural landscape of the place. It is a landmark of sorts on this looping drive — after passing by flat areas with no trees at all, it is the first tree before the route arrives at a grove near the furthest point on the loop.
This tree stands alone on a small peninsula along a levee separating shallow ponds during the winter and adjacent fields the rest of the year. Because of the open landscape, by moving my camera position I have many options for what appears behind the tree, though often the sky itself may be the main show. (Not so much here, since the variations in this foggy sky are quite subtle.) The isolated position of the tree also opens it to light from all directions, so it is interesting in different ways throughout the day — on clear days the sunrise light hits it from the right and the evening light comes in from the left side. The tree is frequently a meeting place for raucous groups of active red-winged blackbirds, and a group of them are perched in its branches in this photograph.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.