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We had a “good luck sign” for the day ahead in the form of a wonderful adult red-shouldered hawk. It was perched on a chain-link fence next to Carson Creek then it flew to a nearby post. The sun was at the correct angle and the raptor was cooperative. Off we went to Cosumnes River Preserve (after a nice breakfast at Mel’s in Folsom).

First stop: Desmond Road area.

A few in-coming squadrons of sandhill cranes and Canada geese were photographed in the sky. There is a partially flooded field on the northwest side of Desmond and the sunlight is good. Suellen pointed out a bald eagle sitting on a berm in the pond, and a white-tailed kite in a fairly distant tree. I took a few eagle photos but fear the distance was too great. After a while, the eagle flew off and joined a single turkey vulture that was soaring higher and higher. While I had my maximum magnification lens system in place I also took some shots of a semi-cooperative American kestrel and a few more geese.

Second stop: wood walk path off Franklin Road

A second eagle was on yet another berm, a bit closer to the road. I stopped, blocked my lane, and photographed it. (Luckily nobody else came down the road during this time period). We parked in the closest lot with thoughts of hiking back down towards this eagle, but it, too, took flight and soared high, then out of view in the stratosphere.

A couple of sandhill cranes were not too far off the wooden walk path but in the glare zone. Another flight of geese passed overhead.

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