Young Bald Eagle

Arrived in Town, Mt. Shasta, chasing the Fading Sun Light on Mt. Shasta much as I would the Alpen Glow on Half Dome....
rolled about looking for an open view...found the closest thing when I went for a walk looking for a place to have dinner in the Old Part of Town... pic up from the Joquin Millar Plaque....it was a longlong rollabout day!!....after packing, and a quick Breakfast, cheerios, toast, orange juice, started out from Modesto with some misgivings, as there was Fog before Dawn...back in the Valley, just at Dawn, the Fog gets the thickest....but the Fog in the Big Valley held off, and cleared nearing Sacramento, where I was 'fogged' in by traffic!...but once past the City, Road cleared...first Bird of the morning was Pigeon, second, Doves, lots of small Black Bird flocks here and there...first Hawk, Redtail, nearing Zamora, and when I reached the First Sacramento River (I think I crossed five of them!), I sighted another Hawk, and in the distance a mixed flock of Snow Geese and Birds I couldn't see clearly....a really big Flock...three more Hawks, and then I found Deleven Nature Wildlife Refuge...turned off to looksee...I'm not sure how this Refuge is layed out...all I could do was drive along a long Dirt Road, and wish I could see through the Rushes and Tules...could see Hawks okay...Harrier, Redtail Cooper...but could only hear Geese and Ducks, with a farfar away now and then glimpse...continued to the next Refuge hoping for better, Sacramento Wildlife Refuge is much better...a Walk Path near the Visitor Center...Turkey Vulture pic...sighted Kite, Harrier, and Redtail....and a Rollabout Road that makes very large rectangle...layout is like Merced Wildlife Refuge scaled up!...and here the signs say specifically 'the car is your blind'...which I guess is a kinda birder mantra!...because one really wants to get out and walk, especially when a Young Bald Eagle is perched just above the Road...I had to twist Silver sideways on the Dirt Road to lean over and take pics through the passenger window...Branch Shadow on Eagle's head was frustrating...and when I finally got my turn to be on the other side (a small Eagle jam in progress), Eagle was too badly back lit by the Sun...not too dismayed though...Sunlight was perfect on Peregrine Falcon just ahead on another Snag...I had heard Falcon would be there in the Visitor Center, and it was back at the Visitor Center that I learned Eagle was an Immature Bald Eagle...in these flat Farmland Prairie locations one needs the Sun low and behind...light is impossible if Sun is high, or in front...Two Deer at the beginning of the circuit...Deer might be what are called 'Black Tails'...have to check...and Coyote with Poor Mole nearing the end of the circuit...and at the finish, Bat crawling the Wall of the Visitor Center!...pic...'are we here to go birding, or batting!'....and I took lots of far away pics of Ducks and Waders and Long Legs, for sometime....I try to get some kind of pic of each Bird so I can id and study....a fine rollabout, but would have much preferred to walk...there was a place to park and sit in the Far Corner, with Sun behind...but it was too crowded...three or four cars ahead is a crowd!...Birds hereabout aren't nearly as skittish at the approach of cars as at MWR...Birds still fly off or swim away though...trick would be to stay put at that corner all day....sighted a couple more Hawks, Redtails, continuing North....quiet during the climb up and over the Small Pine Covered Mountains before Mt. Shasta.....Shasta comes into view now and then from the Road, and is Snow covered dramatic!...and almost a Lenticular Cloud on top!...Eagle pic is between Deer and Falcon pic...tv works, and gets cbs...can watch my shows, and football too...oh...and do a post as well!...took note of Flags at Half Mast...Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day....foggy to clearing blueblue to cloudy to tomorrow weather says it's going to rain hereabout!...hmmph...