Holler Lakes & Birds~

On By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life

There are several lakes surrounding The Holler that provide wonderful places to hike, picnic and birdwatch.

This osprey was vigilant,

intently watching the lake for her next meal (despite the feather stuck on her beak.)

Bald eagles are congregating in greater numbers around Holler lakes,

which thrills me to no end, because they were almost wiped out locally, and I went decades without seeing them here.

Brewer’s Blackbirds are common at The Holler. They are very friendly birds and often eat out of my son’s hands.

Ring necked ducks were on the lake in force,

resting from migration.

The area around The Holler burned extensively in 2007, destroying 1000’s of homes and extensive habitat. You can see the progress of regrowth and the burned trees on the horizon.

Cheers to you from beautiful, burning, California, my native state~

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270 thoughts on “Holler Lakes & Birds~”

    1. Yes we are. Thank you sweet friend. Although we are surrounded by many dead orchards, the effect of the seven year drought, with no rain forecasted. We are tinder waiting to burn. The temps are cool though and the santa ana winds have abated. SoCal is suffering from the drought, the animals, the trees and plants, it is heartbreaking to watch it dry up, Through most of my life, November was the time for the first heavy rains. Those days are no longer.

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    1. Ospreys are amazing aren’t they. I see them at the oddest moments, in the oddest places, where they sit solitary, allowing me to photograph their amazing visages. The last one I photographed, just like this one, stayed briefly, allowed some clicks. That was in the southern most reaches of it’s territory, in far southern South America. Birds are phenomenal. They leave us scratching our heads on the surface of this earth.

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  3. I was thinking it was time to look at your blog for a photo for the GreenFriends newsletter. I was riveted when I saw the big one of the bald eagle.You will see it soon! Thanks.

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    1. Ahh, thank you Alison, for caring. We are safe, for now. Which is basically all anyone ever is. It seems like for California, especially SoCal, it is just a matter of when. We were evacuated in 2007. It is worse now. Everything is dry tinder around us. Temps are dropping and Santa Ana winds are abating which is good. Now is the time we should be getting consequential rain. But we aren’t. Haven’t now for seven years. NoCal will be probably getting rain Tuesday night, maybe 5″. This will help a lot, except for everything, and everyone, who is already gone.

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  9. Pingback: Holler Lakes & Birds~ – jalm

  14. Stay safe my friend, and happy Holler Days to you and yours.
    I actually saw a Toehee (type of larger sparrow) that I hadn’t seen or at least recognized before – last month.

    We had an early snow, yep a record breaker before Thanksgiving. Wish I could’ve put some on the burning parts of your state.

    I haven’t gotten any of my birds or squirrels to eat out of my hand yet. But at least they don’t seem to run as far when I come out to fill the feeder.

    Hugs, Jules

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    1. We have towhees. They come quite close and are fun to watch as they spend a lot of time on the ground pecking and scratching. Happy Thanksgiving dear Jules and be well my friend <3

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  19. Beautiful birds and how cool that the blackbirds will come so close. Hope your area remains fire-free now; California has faced so much devastation and it is heartbreaking.

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  20. Sad about the fires you guys get. It never used to be like this, and I wonder if there isn’t some kind of preemptive forestry you can use. Wish we got more eagles in Boise. I see them about once per year, but we have ospreys every day.

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  24. Anonymous

    Such beautiful birds and good to see some conservation success. There is certainly a worry for us about living in the woods but the fire plans often seem to not serve the interests of indigenous plants and habitats. Often difficult choices and my thoughts and prayers are with you all in California.

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    1. We are fine. Thank you Charles. Rain is coming to NoCal, lots of it. So the inferno will be extinguished, and only the irreplaceable loss will remain. The rain will even wash away the smoke, so my daughters newborn preemie twins who live there will be able to breathe easier. I live in SoCal, we will be brushed by the remnant spit of NoCal’s rain, barely a trace, not even close to enough to stop SoCal from drying and dying. If we don’t get substantial rain this season, it will be our eighth year of drought.

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  27. What lovely shots and the burned landscape is haunting…on our spring road trip up country here in British Columbia we noticed blackened hills from a devastating fire in 2003…my heart goes out to Paradise, California as we grapple with a new reality, fire season!

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  28. Superb images of the birds, but sad to see the Californian landscape burning on our ‘overseas’ TV news channel. At least you have some lakes for the birds to escape to in bad times.

    Your area looks so dry even so.

    I guess it’s all a reminder of our own bushfire season to come in a couple of months here in Australia.

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    1. Yes, Oz and Cali have lots of common. I was in Melbourne for the terrible fire. I remember the shelter in place people, and the rescued koalas with burned feet. Exotic birds are coming to The Holler lakes, escaping the fire and smoke I expect. Maybe they will make it permanent. Some of the lakes are clean and lovely.

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  29. Beautiful pics especially of the bald eagle. So sad about the fire they’ve had out there. I remember the bad ones that came too close to our mountain property when we had ours in Glacier View Meadows northwest of Fort Collins, Co. Takes many years to regain the beauty back & never comes back the same way again. Have a blessed & wonderful Thanksgiving Cindy. Hugs to you.

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    1. Es tut mir so leid, von Ihrem Herzinfarkt zu hören. Ich bin froh, dass Sie zu Hause sind und wünsche Ihnen viel Ruhe, Entspannung und Erholung. Meine Gedanken und Gebete sind bei dir. <3

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  40. As the poet Howard Nemerov said to one of my teacher friends who, trying to make polite conversation at parents night with the father of one of his students, asked if he lived in The Heights (A neighborhood around Washington U. called University Heights because it was on a hill)– Mr. Nemerov answered without missing a beat, “Yes, and sometimes in the depths.”

    But I think you are most of the time in the heights, at least as far as natural beauty and neighborly creatures goes. Thanks for inviting us for this little visit. Wonderfull photographs. Majestic birds!

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    1. Thank you so very much more for Nemerov’s quote which is so freaking brilliant, and humble, at the same time. He lives in the heights, and the depths too. He “gets” life.
      Reminds me of Irene Nemerovski.

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      1. I hadn’t known about Irene Nemerovski until now (just did a search). What a strong person. Talk about depths! I plan to read more about, and maybe by her.

        Yet another giving of thanks! It just keeps on going, and giving.

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  42. Those birds all look like they mean business. So serious looking. We were too dry as well but finally, finally have rain. I’m worried about all of California too. There seems no relief in sight. It’s the animals that worry me most. It’s not like they can hit the highway to better grounds. Hope you had a wonderfilled Thanksgiving.

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  46. Beautiful and wonderful homeland. So peaceful. Superb photos. Fires are certainly devastating but I’m glad the environment responds positively. My prayers go out to the people of California. I hope and pray the fires subside now and that the mudslides do not present further complications.

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  49. That eagle photo!! Magnificent! And the countryside all around looks beautiful– a lot more green than where we are his week up in Ojai– similar terrain, but a lot less green. Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving Cindy. xox

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    1. You are in Ojai!
      I think, sometimes, of moving there.
      I know the love you generate, will keep coming back to you, as it should.
      You make me feel, like people are right in the world.
      Love to you Rhonda.

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      1. HI Cindy– so kind and encouraging. We love Ojai– So close to the coast, but it seems a world away nestled in that little valley. Our son & family live there, so we are up pretty often. When the light comes across the hills in the the late afternoon, it’s magical! take care friend! xo

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