So help me, other than a couple of flashes of grey feathering, the only bird I saw on the entire mountain was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. I can see those through my living room window. So, I headed back home and stopped at a couple of American River Parks to see what was around.
After Rosmoor and El Ma-what'sit, I took a brief venture into Sailor Bar, which is just up the road from my house. I marvel I can never visit there any more without seeing dozens of Lark Sparrows. Where they around 17 years ago and I just never noticed them?
As I left Sailor Bar, just beyond the entrance gate a long line of turkey hens crossed the road. I wasn't fast enough to photograph them on the road, but I got them after they went down the ditch and up the opposite hillside.
Too bad there were nine, as 7 would have fit better with my captioning. Hum... but maybe there was something of a fairy tale I saw over at Rossmore Bar. What the heck! It makes a nice Valentine's Day tale. Once upon a time there was a handsome, yet lonely, Common Merganser lad.
a hen merganser, just for me
So he looked up river and lo! There, along the misty river shore stood the magical Island of Lovlies! Eight, beautiful and vivacious redfeathered Merganser females lounged about clad only in their feathery dainties, and guarded by the powerful eunich-egret.
"I wonder what's going on downstream"?
Oh dear... hope he feels a little more courage later when Spring arrives.
