It's been a year since I started this project last September of 2021 which included four seasons, well if you can call it four seasons in California. Even though it doesn't seem like four seasons, nature still follows a schedule. The natural schedule of things has an extra layer of complication added to my research area. This extra layer is the availability of water, and when spring the busiest time for nature comes around the water starts to disappear.
Pretty much the one constant animal during all my visits to the area was the Birds. Granted not all of them would be out each time but there was enough to keep me busy. The birds of prey were more active in the mornings and early evenings when the rabbits and squirrels were out and about. The rest of the birds were more active at the beginning of spring and early summer with the bloom of the wildflowers and the burst of insects. The one bird that was always active was the Quail. Even though it was the most active bird it was the most difficult one to photograph. When I would get within 100 ft of one, another would sound the alarm and they would all be off in different directions. Even when I hung out in the bushes waiting for them, they would avoid the area or a ground squirrel would alert them. My longest single interaction with birds was with a pair of Vultures, you can read about it here.
Birds in the area: | Confirmed | |
Acorn Woodpecker Anna’s Hummingbird Black-headed Grosbeak Brown Headed Cowbird Calliope Hummingbird California Quail Costa’s Hummingbird Cooper’s Hawk Crow Dark Eyed Junco Desert Tarantula Hermit Thrush Hooded Oriole Horned Lark Morning Dove Downy Woodpecker Great Horned Owl Great-tailed Grackle Lesser Goldfinch Knighthawk Mockingbird Redtail Hawk Road Runner Robin Say’s Phoebe Flycatcher Silky-Flycatcher Song Sparrow Spotted Towhee Swainson’s Hawk Tree Sparrow Turkey Vulture Western Meadowlark Western Wood-Pewee Western Scrub Jay Wrentit Yellow Warbler | Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No | Visual Visual Visual - Visual, Photo Visual Visual, Photo Signs, Visual Visual, Photo - Visual Visual Visual, Photo - Visual, Photo Visual, Photo Visual Visual, Photo Visual, Photo - Visual, Photo Visual, Photo - - Visual Visual, Photo Visual Visual, Photo Visual, Photo Visual, Photo Visual, Photo - - Visual, Photo Visual, Photo - |
Signs: Can refer to anything from Sounds, Bones, Fur, Feathers, or something the animal creates.
Personal Progress:
Stats
Total Time Frame: 12 Months
Boots on the Ground Days: 21
Miles Covered: 105
Low Temp: 42
High Temp: 102
Flowers Photographed: 64
Insects Photographed: 26
Mammals Photographed: 11
Reptiles Photographed: 8
Birds Photographed: 17
Gear:
Vortex Recon Optix 8x32 Monocular
Nikon Z7 II
Nikon Z 70-200mm Lens
Nikon Z 105mm Macro Lens
Shimoda Designs Action X30 Pack
Peak Designs Travel Tripod
MountainSmith Trekker FX Lite Trekking Pole with Manfrotto RC2 Head
Helinox Chair One
Game Camera(s)
The photographs contained in this website may not be reproduced without the express consent of Shutter Bison.
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