Sierra Gold

by Jim and Shirley White

There IS "gold in them thare hills". Sometimes at the foot of a rainbow or sometimes in the marshes and waterways of Sierra Valley. The forcast of "thunder storms in the Sierra" or "rain north of highway I80, often sends use running for Sierra Valley, in Sierra County, California. 

We are wildlife photographers and do not pass up a good secnic landscape shot either. Cattle and hay ranches make up most of this Alpine beauty. Migratory birds from Alaska to Argentina travel back in forth thru this fertle landscape. My almost every trip joke is " maybe we will run into a herd of Wolverines this time". We have only see 2 for real in our lifetime and it was not in Sierra County. But it could be!! Check out these critters. Antelope in Sierra Valley! 

What we really like to see is Sandhill Cranes in Sierra Valley. During this dought year much of the marshes in Sierra Valley are gone. But the good size pond and marsh along Marble Hot Springs road had maybe 30 feet of shallow muddy water last Satuday. This is what we saw:

Sandhills, Egrets and White Faced Ibis. Also nearby was a doe deer lying in the heavy grass out of the wind. A Cottentail scooted accros the road and hawks dove on some pesky blackbirds nearby.

The wind blew sweet, the air a slight chill, and all was well in our "Wild Places" in Sierra Valley.                                                                                      

Raptors and Other Wildlife

on the river of course!!

Everyone knows it is dry! Even at 5500 ft.on the east side of the Sierra near Truckee. So how do us wildlife watchers and photographers find wildlife when it is so hot and dry? What we do and did today was find some tumbling water, a small waterfall or an area with some white tumbling water with some perches and shade nearby. This hawk hunts a nearby meadow for rodents early morning and late evening, but during the day almost all birds and some other wildlife go for the water. An old concrete dam nearby with this driftwood log will produce time after time. While at this spot we saw Mergansers, Dippers and Mountain Quail nearby. We sit on our 3 legged stools, drink our coffie and wait. Dont\'t talk much and sit still. They will fly, swim and run right up to you.

The Tigers are Loose

and all the other Sierra wildflowers

By Jim and Shirley White

Wandering our seceret Sierra wild places yesterday, enjoying our Sierra wildflower, the flower that really starts the summer are the Tiger Lilies. Yes we love the others too. The Colimbine, the Cow Parsnip, Qween Ann's Lace, the Sierra Primrose and all the others. But it is the "Tiger" that rules the mountains in July. What more need be said. The pictures tell it all.

Nature-izing along the Culbertson road

The Culbertson road that runs from the Drum forbay to Bear Valley, Nevada Co. is one of our favorite early July roads to Nature-ize and do our wildlife-flower photography. This 4th of July weekend was one of the best ever. It is best the start the trip along the road by 8 AM and plan on finishing by 11 AM because the hill-side the road follows has a north aspect and the light is great in the mornings but poor in the evenings. There are at least three springs along the road and butterflys, hummingbirds, bumble bees and birds just love them. You can also find a "Fawn Lily" or two..

Alpine lilies and Tiger lilies are there too, but you must travel down some of the side roads to find them. You cross the Bear River into Bear Valley and highway 20 and back to I80. We see why the Emigrants of old were happy when they got this far along the trail.  Enjoy!!

Breakfast with the Dutch Flat Mayors

As usual on the 4th of July weekend, we head for the old gold mining town of Dutch Flat in Placer County.and the annual 4th of July breakfast at the Odd Fellows Hall.This year we were fortunate to breakfast with the two Honorary Mayors and their ladies.

I tried to make points early on and mentioned that I was a personal friend of Jim Gould, who died recently and who's Great,Great Grandfather had owned the nearby gold diggings and the Dutch Flat Gold Mining and Ditch Co.That did not seem to ring a bell so I mentioned my old friend Jim Stewart who also owned the nearby Gold Run hydro mine along I-80 and ran it for 50+ years. Blank stares registered nothing so I mentioned that we were photographers with the Bay Area Porno Magazine and were trying to find a cover photo of a good stud for our up-coming August issue and wondered if I could take their pictures. The heavy-set mayor glanced down, I guess to see if his zipper was closed and then said " I guess so". His lady had stopped eating and was looking at me with eyes as big as saucers.I took the pictures and showed them the results. They thought the pictures were great and wondered when the pictures would be published. I said we usually post a copy on the wall of the Gold Run Rest Area's restroom and it should be up by the end of the month. The ladies were now laughing so hard I saw tears roll down their cheeks so we thought it was time to leave. The Mayors asked where we were going and I said we were going to "Nature-ize" and photograph wildlife and flowers along to Drum Forbay-Bear Valley's Culbertson road. I overheard one Mayor ask his lady if I said Forbay or for-play. I think that story is next.

Osprey Adventures

One of the three Osprey chicks stood up, leaned forward and strained, and out like a fire hose from his rear was a jet stream of white liquid. Thank God they are being fed and are all alive. Daddy Osprey was seeing to that. Earlier we saw him fly low over the nest a drop what looked like a Golden Mantel Ground Squirrel. This last feeding was a fish from the nearby lake.It is a full time job for the male to keep well fed his mate and their three chicks.

We are at 5600 ft. in Placer County and the temps today at the nest site are 81 degrees. When the female is not feeding the chicks she stands with her back to the sun, wings slightly  extended, shading the chicks. The male does not stay long. It appears like lots of his prey are not out in this heat.He has got to go hunt again. It is called hunting for my family and it is really very hard work.

It is only July 2nd and a long way to go before the chicks are fledged.We need some cooling rain.But right now we would settle for just some big nice clouds. Stay tuned..