A Bird-Lovers Paradise

Before I moved here I didn't give birds a second glance, unless they were being an annoyance. Now, two years later, I seek them out so I can observe their graceful habits from mating dances on the water to a flash of wings that lifts the bird off the ground into flight. It's so easy to become a bird-lover when your county is a birding hotspot with a variety of marshes, forests, and dunes that attract a huge diversity of birds. It's a common occurrence to see a red-tailed hawk perched on a street sign along the highway, herons grazing beside cattle in the pastures, red-breasted robins bouncing in the holly, ravens squawking a death knell, and scolds of stellar jays flying single-file across a clearing. This place is filled with so many wonders to arouse your undiscovered passions.

The ducks of Sequoia Park paddle into a puddle of sunlight.

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Canadian Geese migrate here to have babies! It's priceless to watch these little boogers grow up and fly away, especially at the Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge.

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I watched this fisherman gobble up fish after fish in Arcata Marsh, but what really struck me was the pattern of the rain rippling the water behind him and disturbing his shadow.

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The common seagull is one of my favorite birds. It was a treat to watch these playful creatures tear apart the excess meat that the fishermen at Trinidad Pier threw over their boats.

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