Egret, Night Heron and Sun Dogs all on an afternoon photo-adventure!
An interesting winter afternoon at Weber Reservoir finds the water level down from its all time summer high.
Even with the water level lower, there is still a tremendous amount rushing through the spillway.
The water that is fed in to Weber Reservoir comes from the Walker River which drains from the Sierra Nevada and eventually terminates at Walker Lake.
As my eyes wander across the flooded drainage basin a patch of white catches my attention.
Moving in for a closer look and I realize this is a snowy-white egret.
Then a different bird came in to focus on the same tree with the egret. Later, I came to identify this bird as a Black-crowned night heron. This heron is stockier than the long-limbed Grey heron. Most active at night or dusk, this bird spends its daylight time on limbs near the water’s edge.
Two empty oriole nests hang overhead from the branches of a cottonwood tree. By the warm days of summer, a mated pair will be busy raising their young in one of these nests.
I look along the mud eroded cliffs encompassing the lake. On closer observation, I see the nesting holes that are home for birds. I’m thinking that a return visit in spring might be interesting to see what birds are using these recesses.
The afternoon light begins to fade and I make my departure from this winter retreat. Suddenly as I am turning on the highway the setting sun shines straight ahead. To my surprise I see that Sun Dogs have formed on either side. I hurry to catch this rare weather phenomenon before it fades away.
As I look up in the sky overhead I also see a halo has also formed from the ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere.
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.
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.
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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"
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