Wildlife Photography at Effie Yeaw Nature Center | Northern California Nature Photographer
Nestled along the American River Parkway in Carmichael, California, the Effie Yeaw Nature Center offers a sanctuary for both wildlife enthusiasts and photographers. With its diverse habitats and abundant wildlife, it's a prime location for capturing nature's beauty through the lens.
Effie Yeaw was the location for my recent small group Monthly Mentoring session on wildlife. It’s the perfect location for photographing a variety of animals. Spanning 100 acres within Ancil Hoffman Park, Effie Yeaw features riparian woodlands, meadows, and riverfront trails. This rich tapestry of ecosystems supports a wide array of wildlife, making it a haven for photographers year-round.
Wildlife Highlights
Mammals: Black-tailed mule deer, coyotes, fox squirrels, and California ground squirrels are commonly spotted.
Birds: Over 100 species, including red-shouldered hawks, wild turkeys, acorn woodpeckers, and yellow-billed magpies.
Other Wildlife: Occasional sightings of striped skunks, raccoons, and jackrabbits add to the area's charm.
Sadly, we did not see any deer on this morning, and luckily no skunks. But we did see so many other animals to photograph.
Timing is Everything
Early Mornings: Arriving at dawn increases your chances of capturing animals in their most active state. Animals are out beginning to forage/hunt/preen for the day while others are heading back to their homes to sleep.
Golden Hours: The soft light during early mornings and late afternoons provides the gentle light we’re looking for. Don’t discount overcast days. The soft light can make for beautiful photos.
After meeting and discussing a few points about photographing wildlife, we were off to find some animals. Although it is best to stay quiet and move slowly, the animals at the nature park are quite used to people so they do not scare off easily making it a good environment for learning to photograph wildlife. We kept our distance, enjoyed observing behavior, and shot from afar.
This egret tossed and retrieved that crawdad many times, finally leaving it and flying away.
And, then there were hawks!
Once the workshop was over, I was heading to my car and chatting with one of the participants. As we got near the parking lot, a gentleman excitedly asked us if we’d see the chicks - the red-shouldered hawks’ chicks. After a bit of discussion, he led us there. So exciting! I’d never would have seen them had he not pointed them out. My photos are at 700mm and cropped in severely. Apparently, there are two chicks, but I only saw one. Papa returned to the nest while we were there with a little blue-bellied lizard that Mama fed to one of the chicks. So grateful for generous photographers who feel comfortable sharing!
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As a published, featured northern California fine art photographer living in the greater Sacramento area, I specialize in fine art landscape, nature, and still life photography. My style is authentic, fresh and personality-driven. I offer several educational opportunities including workshops and photography mentoring. You can learn about them by going to SERVICES and WORKSHOPS. While currently living in rural northern California with my husband and a couple thousand walnut trees, I post regularly to Instagram.
Please CONTACT ME with any questions or to schedule your learning session.
Serving Yuba City/Marysville, East Nicolaus, Wheatland, Lincoln, Woodland, Davis, Roseville, Rocklin, and the greater Sacramento area.
(530) 633-7575
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Foxes are fascinating and elusive creatures. So when a friend said she knew the location of some foxes and suggested we go photograph them, I was all in!