Reflections of the Natural World

Travel with me as I explore the wild things and wild places of our planet. – Jim Gain

  • Birding Between the Storms

    Birding Between the Storms

    2021 Merced County Species-to-Date (as of last checklist)Life List = 183Year List = 122 Seeing a break between storms, I reached out to Rich Brown and Dale Swanberg to see if they wanted to explore the San Luis Reservoir State Recreation areas. I was hoping that something unusual would show up with the unsettled weather Read more

  • BIRDING THE MERCED RIVER

    BIRDING THE MERCED RIVER

    2021 Merced County Species-to-Date (as of last checklist)Life List = 179Year List = 99 HENDERSON PARK Nestled next to the Merced River, surrounded by riparian trees and home to a myriad of ornamental evergreen and deciduous trees in an open setting, Henderson Park was our target for the morning. COLLEGE CREDIT FOR BIRD WATCHING – Read more

  • COVID-19 Birding – A Therapeutic Walk in Nature

    COVID-19 Birding – A Therapeutic Walk in Nature

    Contact with nature benefits our mood, our psychological well-being, our mental health, and our cognitive functioning. For centuries outdoor enthusiasts have given testimony to the joy one can derive from a simple walk in nature. “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” ― William Shakespeare “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Read more

  • I Tried to Catch the Fog, but I Mist

    I Tried to Catch the Fog, but I Mist

    Merced County 2021 Checklists 3, 4 and 5 2021 Merced County Species-to-Date (as of last checklist)Life List = 178Year List = 89 San Luis NWR–West Bear Creek Unit As Benji and I approached the West Bear Creek Unit of the San Luis NWR, I knew it was going to be a challenge. Visibility was no Read more

  • Merced County 2021 eBird Checklist #2 – Merced NWR

    Merced County 2021 eBird Checklist #2 – Merced NWR

    2021 Merced County Species-to-DateLife List = 178Year List = 76 After a delightful tour around the San Luis NWR – Waterfowl Tour Route, my next destination would be the Merced NWR. Infamous for its auto tour route that takes visitors on a loop through time with thousands of Snow Geese, Ross’s Geese, Greater White-fronted Geese Read more

  • The Quest Begins – 1/4/2021

    The Quest Begins – 1/4/2021

    THE FOCUS IS SETPart way through last year’s San Joaquin County Birding Push, I began to consider what I would focus on for 2021. The answer was simple, focus on the southern adjacent county to Stanislaus, MERCED COUNTY. A quick check in eBird showed that I had a lot of work to do to get Read more