We saw (and heard) so many more birds on this hike than the ones to the waterfalls. (You can read more about the Kings Creek Falls Trail hike and Mill Creek Falls Trail hikes on my travel blog Vaughn the Road Again.) I guess, as a birder, I should already have figured out that you can find many more birds near a lake than a waterfall!
There was a large group of Clark's Nutcrackers flying from tree to tree above the rocks, and they sure were vocal. Some of the noises they were making sounded like a kookaburra!
These birds are always on the move and we had a heck of a time getting any to sit still to have their picture taken.
And here's Shadow Lake, a little further down the trail, and well worth the walk...
Once again, there were quite a few Nutcracker's hanging out around the lake.
Wow! We just went on one of the best hikes I've ever been on!
The hike to Kings Creek Falls at Lassen Volcanic National Park was absolutely breathtaking. Most of the trail ran alongside the creek and the sound of all that water rushing by is enough to make you forget about everything else...
The views along the way are equally amazing and I highly recommend this wonderful hike.
We don't seem to see as many birds when we go on hikes (as opposed to hanging out around Manzanita Lake), but we did manage to spot a juvenile Townsend's Solitaire!
I just love how cute and spotted juvenile birds are this time of year...
(I've posted some video of this little guy at the end of the post.)
A little chipmunk hiding out near the trail...
And again, I couldn't help but notice all of the beautiful wildflowers blooming in the park and around the trail...
There are lots of birds to see and hear at the Kings Creek picnic area, but they fly around so quickly from tree to tree that they are virtually impossible to take a photo of!
This isn't the greatest photo of a Dark-eyed Junco we've ever taken, but I had to post it for proof!
In the photo below, there's a Yellow-rumped Warbler. I cherish every clear photo I've ever gotten of one because I know how quick and uncooperative they can be. (This isn't one of those photos, but what's a bird blog without pictures!)
And finally, we spotted a brand new bird for our lifelist near Lake Helen! Apparently Clark's Nutcrackers are super common at Lassen, but this is the first one we've ever knowingly seen...
If you're wondering what the Kings Creek Falls look like (spectacular!), head on over to my travel blog Vaughn the Road Again where I've posted pics of the trail and the ah-mazing waterfalls. (Yes, there was more than one!)
Here's some video of the juvenile Townsend's Solitaire:
I'm going to have to brush up on my wildflower identification! We saw so many blooming at Lassen Volcanic National Park that I want to know what their names are!
We stopped and had a picnic near Kings Creek and it was so lovely to listen to the water and the birds while we ate our lunch...
No, you can't have a bite of my sandwich, Mr. Steller's Jay!
These little purple flowers are growing all over the park...
They don't look like much from far away, but when you get up close to them you can see their pretty purple blooms...
