Bonnie Rannald's Photo-Explorations in focus with nature. : Northwestern Nevada

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Reflections at Lake Lahontan

World Water Day and memories of the Ancient Lake Lahontan

To commemorate World Water Day on March 22nd, I focused my photo-explorations on a day at Lake Lahontan. Located in northwestern Nevada, the present day Lake Lahontan is named for the ancient Lake Lahontan which during the Pleistocene era covered 8,500 square miles (22,000 km2) of the western U.S.

Today’s Lake Lahontan is a reservoir that was first constructed to provide irrigation for the surrounding farmlands. During the past years of drought the water in Lake Lahontan had all but vanished. However the wet winter in 2016 increased the water level back along the lake’s 69 miles (111 km) of shoreline.

Present day Lake Lahontan with its willows and cottonwood trees provides a sanctuary for many types of wildlife and also offers a peaceful setting for people to enjoy nature.

During the summer, the lake is busy with camping, fishing and boating; on this early spring afternoon, I had the lake all to myself except for an eared grebe that floated by in the calm water.

A knocking up overhead and a red headed woodpecker was busy searching for insects on a giant cottonwood tree.

Along the dead leaves, a robin scurried around hunting for dinner.

As the shadows grew long, the light began to fade and more birds flew in to settle for the night. What a better way to appreciate World Water Day than enjoying the moments at a lake that takes one back to earlier times in the Earth’s evolution.

With the forecast of a wet spring, I am hoping that Lake Lahontan will continue to rise. It will be interesting for a return visit in late spring and note the changes.

Photography has the ability to transport one to another world or dimension if only in their mind. Take a trip with me as we embark on ever new photo-adventures.

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences.

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"

Many of these images are available on my website:

http://www.bonnierannald.com/

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All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Tundra Swans at Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge

Calls of the Wild Ones

The last Tuesday in November of 2011, while the weather was still nice, I made a visit out to the Stillwater Wildlife Refuge, near Fallon Nevada. Stillwater, with its numerous isolated wetlands is an important area for migrating shorebirds and has been designated by the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network as a site of international importance.

As I was approaching the Auto Tour, which takes you to several viewing areas, I noticed a number of large white birds on the water. From a distance, they appeared to be the American white pelican that is very common to the lakes and streams in Northwestern Nevada.

After setting up my Nikon D90 with the 500mm lens on the tripod and getting out my bird identification book, I realized that these were Tundra swans.

Tundra swans breed and summer in the coastal plains of Alaska and Canada. As winter approaches, they fly south to areas where their food sources of aquatic plants, mollusks and arthropods are more readily available.

During breeding season, the Tundra swan sleeps mostly on land. However in the winter, it sleeps on the water where it is better protected from predators.

Immature Tundra swans are duller in appearance with grey feathering mixed with the white.

Tundra swans are known to become very vocal when foraging in flocks and will make excited calls to those arriving or departing, sounding similar to the honking of the black goose. On this day, it was very noisy at the quiet Stillwater Refuge.

What an interesting day to watch these large birds flying in for a landing and then running on the water to get airborne.

For more information:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/tundra_swan/lifehistory

Photographs Make Great Gifts