Northern California with Birds

 

In last week's blog I wrote that we took an in-state trip to celebrate our August birthdays — I should have written "regional trip" because on that same trip we spent a week on the Northern California coast.  The northern part of that big state just south of where we live still seems like part of the Pacific Northwest.  California changes when you get further south.  

 

Crescent City

We spent a couple of nights on the beach in Crescent City.   We left from Eugene in extremely high temperatures (for Oregon)  and it was even hotter in Ashland but the ocean breezes cooled it down once we crossed the border.    We walked along the rocky shores,  listened to the waves and the birds,  and just relaxed — we were at the Coast and that's what y0u do. 

 

 

All of the places  on this getaway are "old stomping grounds" and our next familiar stay was in Arcata, one of our favorite places to visit.  We enjoy the laid-back ambience of the area, the good weather — and the birds.

 

 

Willets

Except for the Crescent City collage, all of the pictures in this post were taken on our walks at Arcata Marsh.  Here is a link to an old post that tells more about the marsh.  

 

 

Mid-August isn't the best time of the year  for birding and California has been in a drought situation for a long time, so we weren't sure what to expect when we got to the marsh.   We were not disappointed.  

 

Brown Pelicans 

The weather was perfect for walking.   It had been quite a while since we'd had a birding day, so I was a happy camper.

 

 

Another older couple passed us going the opposite way on one of the trails.  She said "aren't we the luckiest people in the world to be able to spend a day like this."   I agreed wholeheartedly.  

 

 

A beautiful day at Arcata Marsh!

 

 THANK YOU to the readers who told me about the photo editing programs they  are using to replace our beloved Picassa  — I used Photoscape for this post and it seems to be working the best  for me so far. 

 

 Thank you to the hosts of the following sharing opportunities:

NATURE NOTES;   MOSAIC MONDAY (HAPPY HOUR WITH PICS);  THROUGH MY LENS;   MY CORNER OF THE WORLD;  WILD BIRD Wednesday;  THANKFUL THURSDAY;   SKYWATCH FRIDAY  and   SATURDAY CRITTERS