Tag Archives: morning

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Wildlife

Red-Winged Blackbird on Fence, Foggy Morning

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Red-Winged Blackbird on Fence, Foggy Morning

Red-Winged Blackbird on Fence, Foggy Morning. Calero Hills, California. April 18, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A female redwing blackbird stands atop a post of an old weathered fence among grasses.

I photographed this bird on an early mid-April morning just before fog began to clear. I frequently walk past this small pond – Castillero Pond – when I begin my hikes into the hills, oaks, and grassland of Calero Park. I’ve learned that it is often possible to find an egret here, so I usually approach the pond slowly and quietly so as not to scare the bird off if it happens to be there. On this morning it wasn’t, but I was pleased to see that the pond had filled after late-season rain, and I found that a flock of redwing blackbirds was flying around – it seems like must be mating and nesting season for them. So I left the long lens on the camera and remained quiet and was able to get fairly close to some of these small birds. While this shot doesn’t exactly fill the frame with the bird, I like the curving form of the fence as it blurs into the distance and the subdued colors in the background.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

Meadow, Hills, and Fence

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Meadow, Hills, and Fence

Meadow, Hills, and Fence. Calero Hills, California. April 18, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Soft morning light on spring meadow and pasture as fog burns off in the Calero Hills.

I made this photograph on my Saturday morning hike as the fog began to break up over these rolling hills in the Calero Park of southern Santa Clara County. I walk past this scene frequently as it is on a trail that I hike quite often – but this soft light on spring plants is special since it only lasts a few weeks each year.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: calero, hills, park, county, santa clara, morning, light, fog, mist, cloud, fold, rolling, flower, grass, fence, meadow, pasture, tree, oak, ridge, mountain, gully, creek, bottom, california, usa, scenic, landscape, nature, stock, spring

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature

California Buckeye, Morning Fog

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California Buckeye, Morning Fog

California Buckeye, Morning Fog. Calero Hills, California. April 18, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Weak sunlight filters through fog to illuminate a solitary California buckeye tree.

Since the peak of the “impossibly green season” is happening right about now here in Central California, I started this weekend by visiting two of the oak/grassland parks very close to my home. This photograph was made as I started a short hike at Calero County Park, an area of open grassland and oaks spread across rolling hills. It was very foggy when I started out but soon the sun began to break up the fog. In this photograph the fog was beginning to thin and the buckeye tree is lit by soft filtered light coming through the fog.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Coastal Redwoods, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California

Red Alder Leaves

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Red Alder Leaves

Red Alder Leaves. Muir Woods National Monument, California. April 11, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Spring Red Alder leaves at Muir Woods National Monument, California.

I made another visit to Muir Woods National Monument this weekend – probably the fourth or fifth visit in the last month and a half or so. This is obviously quite a contrast with the Death Valley photos that I’ve been posting. (There are still a few more of those to come.) When I started visiting Muir Woods this past winter, my first visit coincided with the very first buds appearing on the red alder trees. Now, some weeks later, the new growth has largely filled in, though there are still some trees that seem to be just getting started.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: red, alder, leaf, leaves, twig, branch, tree, foliage, plant, nature, spine, new, spring, season, bokeh, muir woods, national, monument, park, golden gate, recreation, area, marin county, california, usa, redwood, forest, morning, diffused, light, travel, scenic, landscape, stock, green