Nature and wildlife

Another reason to slow down on Murieta Parkway. This is the egret who is adding to the holiday cheer at the Rancho Murieta Association Building, as photographed by Bill "Birdman" Gengler. Bill speculates the bird has been hanging around for weeks just to celebrate Christmas with residents, but we think the canny fowl was waiting for the right backdrop for its close-up. (Click for larger image) Read more » about The holiday season is feather weather

Paul Anderson does it again. Our neighborhood nature photog brings back a collection of sunrise photos of a family of otters, including the first shot below, which shows four of them gathered on a log at Lake Clementia, faces into their fur, grooming themselves. All told, there were five in the group, Paul says. And guess what? We live here. (Click for larger images)

    Read more » about We Live Here: An otter sunrise

Honored photographer (and neighbor) Paul Anderson shares a recent landing shot of one of our bald eagles, as remarkable an eagle shot as we've published. The bald eagles are certainly one of the glories of life in Rancho Murieta. Click the photo to see it larger, and realize its full quality, and then click this link to see what we believe were the first eagle photos published at RanchoMurieta.com, in 2007-08. Camera technology has advanced quite a bit in the last 11 years – and of course Paul's quite a photographer – but it's one of those night/day differences, as you'll see. (Click for larger image) Read more » about We Live Here: Our eagles, then and now

Much of Northern California is under a red flag warning from Saturday night through Monday morning – with a forecast of high winds, low humidity and an elevated fire risk. The fire threat has been real enough, with the leveling of Paradise and the loss of many lives, plus fires in Southern California. These disasters have touched us only in the form of smoky skies, such as this Friday sunset captured by Bill Gengler. (Click for larger image) Read more » about California fires darken our skies

Paul Anderson, who has been sharing his prize-winning photos with the community for the last couple of years, shot this look at one of our lakeside bald eagles, maybe on a bad day at the nest. Speaking of scary faces, click through to the next page for a shot by Bill "Birdman" Gengler. Read more » Read more » about 'You talkin' to me?' ... 'You talkin' to me?'

Here’s a chance to pitch in to help keep Rancho Murieta’s lakes beautiful. Lake Clean-Up Day is Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. Meet at Lake Clementia at 8 a.m. for assignments. Bags, gloves and litter catchers will be provided by the Rancho Murieta Association. Teens and youngsters working for community service credits are welcome. The day is sponsored by Saving Our Lakes & Open Spaces (SOLOS), the Rancho Murieta Fishing Club and the Murieta Trails Stewardship. There will be coffee, hot chocolate and pastries. (File photo) Read more » about Pitch in: Saturday is Lake Clean-Up Day

Autumn slips over Rancho Murieta gently, with shorter days and chilly nights and turning the leaves of one tree, then another, and another. Sunday afternoon, as sunset cast our bridge in gold, a lone tree was proof enough that a new season is on its way. (Click for larger image.) Read more » about A new season, announced silently

Murietans walking around Laguna Joaquin Friday morning saw few dead fish – nothing compared to Thursday morning’s situation – and the Community Services District confirmed that conditions there were improving. Read more » Read more » about Water conditions improve at Laguna Joaquin

It doesn't compare to the number of fish that died there last year, but Thursday morning a Community Services District crew was on Laguna Joaquin picking up dozens of dead fish. Click photos for larger images.

Dozens of dead fish were skimmed from Laguna Joaquin Thursday in a lesser version – possibly with a different cause – of the fish die-off that occurred there 13 months ago. Read more » Read more » about Once again, fish die at Laguna Joaquin

Brian Rogers was crossing the wooden bridge Tuesday night, coming from South to North, when he saw this mountain lion at the river's edge on the north side. He said he snapped these phone photos and watched it for several minutes before other carts stopped to watch and the cat ambled off into the brush. (Thanks, Brian, for sharing.)

There were two reports Wednesday morning of a mountain lion sighting – one from a neighbor, who shares that a cub was seen near Lake Chesbro, and the other from Security, which says a mountain lion was seen at Lake Clementia. These could be the same sighting, just told twice. Read more » Read more » about Mountain lion sightings; here's some advice