I hadn't walked along the river near the bridge in quite some time, so I decided to head that direction just to see what could be seen. I had wildflowers in mind, mostly, but one must always keep an open mind because lovely surprises could be waiting around the next corner. After spending some time watching a pair of killdeers calling and scurrying along the sides of the Chowchilla, I headed upriver for a ways in hopes of possibly spotting a turtle. Instead, I saw a pair of these Spotted Sandpipers: number 94 for our bird list! I didn't know the species until I was able to get home and consult the Sibley's; I just knew we hadn't seen them here before.
It's at times like this that I'm glad for always having the big lens in my camera bag. It's extra weight to carry but worth it. (This time of year I start carrying lots of water because it's starting to heat up a bit. The bag weighs somewhere upwards of 30 pounds; it's a good workout.)
For good measure, I'll throw in a wildflower picture. This is yellow sweet clover - unfortunately not native. I saw quite a lot of it in the dry creek just below the ford.
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