SNOW!!!!

Finally, January 19th, 2007 we got it. Snow. Although it was a light dusting, its beauty was exquisite. With batteries charged and the big lens attached I headed out into the dark grey sky hoping the sun would brighten up things enough to take some images.

First stop was one of my secret nature preserves where I have yet to see anyone in the morning and nature seems to go on with its routine as if the middle of a huge forest. In reality the preserve is is fairly small and surrounded by neighborhoods, roads, and train tracks. Although I did not see all that much the silence and stillness was truly remarkable.

I was surprised how long I had to look to find some deer. I did find 3 doe bedded in some very thick brambles. The were kind enough to let me take some pictures before heading off into the deeper forest.

Around noon I headed out again, this time looking for hawks. Yesterday I spotted what I thought was a Coopers Hawk around lunch time. As I approached to take a picture it took off. Seeing ten Red Tailed Hawks a day seems typical for me, but a Cooper is a different story. Noticing very different coloration and a red breast led me to believe that is what I saw. Today I headed back to the same area in Redding to see if by some small chance it may be hunting the same area. Sure enough, there it was, this time only about 20 fee off the ground on the edge of a drive way , as I pulled in and adjusted my light meter he posed. Confirmed, a Coopers Hawk. Interestingly I have learned that a Coopers Hawk was recently removed from the Threatened and Endangered Species List and the population has been increasing over the past few years. Click to images to enlarge

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend
Bill