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The Daily Bucket. To Bucket or not to Bucket. Whether 'tis... Hey, look! The sun came out! [1]

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Date: 2023-01-19

Red-tailed Hawk, photographed Jan. 17, 2023, American Valley area, Quincy, CA

Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023 Quincy, CA

After a week of a mix of rain, snow, and just heavy clouds and/or fog/haze but no rain or snow on the day, BOOF! the sun came out in the afternoon. That decided me: get up, go do my errands, take my camera. Get some fresh air at least.

The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns. We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow.

Believe it or not, it comes as a conundrum to me whether to hold my most recent nature photos and observations and just post them as comments in someone else’s Daily Bucket, or if I’ve got sufficient material should I go ahead a write up a Daily Bucket, even if nothing very scintillating? What frequently decides me is looking at the Backyard Science queue: if there’s a slot available within a couple of days away (or even that very morning, if I’ve got the time, which has happened more than once) then yeah, go for it, otherwise there might end up a “dark” day for the DB and then we’re not so much “daily” anymore.

And so that’s why you’re seeing today’s Daily Bucket: I got some fair shots because the sun came out and I went out, and the slot for Thursday, Jan. 19, was open, and even if it’s somewhat mundane and “same ol’, same ol’” , well, what the heck?

On with the show:

Weather Report

One of the techniques I’m starting to use is inserting one photo within another, such as my weather log into the valley scene. Saves space and makes it a bit easier (less frustrating and tedious and meticulous) to post into the diary, versus uploading and embedding each image singly. But that’s just me, ‘cuz I’m kinda lazy in some respects.

Looking north out over American Valley. Mount Hough (pronounced “huff”) range in background. Most of the snowfall during the past few stormy days has, obviously, been in higher elevations than down at my valley level. That’s all right; bicycling around is kinda tough in the snow.

Red-shouldered Hawk

I’ve no idea if this particular bird is the same RsH I frequently see in this very tree, but it’s likely.

Same tree, not long ago; Jan. 6:

American Kestrel

Background made it a bit difficult to get a sharp focus. No complaints, it’s always fine to see this bird no matter what.

Red-tailed Hawk #1

No question, this is the best of the shots I got for the short afternoon outing.

Red-tailed Hawk #2

Sun direction (coming low and directly from the right) made this sequence a bit challenging to bring out worth a darn from my photo editing program.

Without some processing, the original just has no detail; detail is lost in shadow.

I took several frames; even though a bit washed out, the final group still comes up o.k.

Ferruginous Hawk

If this was the first-ever Ferruginous for me, I would have been somewhat disappointed with myself (and the results). But since that’s not the case at all, here it is for what it’s worth, and a Ferruginous Hawk is always worth a smile on my face, at the very least.

*****

Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023

Well, well. Weather forecast is calling for snow by this afternoon. Maybe I’ll have some more snow photos to show by the time this publishes.

For Wednesday, 18 January 2023. New trick I just accomplished: putting the precipitation forecast in as an adjunct to the temperature forecast. Winds I don’t need worry about. They’ll be mild, if at all. 7mph max forecast.

3:12 p.m. : Well, no, no snow yet and the light is very much diminishing outside, so if it does start snowing the photos will just be like all my others of snow right outside my apartment, and those you’ve seen and they’re definitely nothing new, so what else happened today? Ah… it was somewhat sunny this afternoon again (yaaayyy!!) so I took my walk out my usual path, and howdy-doo…

In the order I sighted them:

Red-tailed Hawk

Flying high and very far off; this is as good as I can get.

Bald Eagle

I thought I’d show these differences, just for grins and giggles. Incidentally, this bird is about 2/10 mile from where I’m standing.

Northern Harrier

I’m very happy to have seen one of these today. Last one I sighted was back on December 18; two sightings in November and only one in October.

Northern Flicker

*****

3:43 a.m., Jan. 19, final update. Yup, got some snow. Just enough to cool my tootsies.

View out my apartment window, this morning, 3:43 a.m.

Now it's Your Turn.

What have you noted happening in your area or travels? As usual post your observations as well as their general location in the comments.

Thank you.

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