Copyright © 1995, Don Baccus
All images copyright © 1995, Don Baccus
Diamond Lane connects the hamlet of Diamond with the world, intersecting State Highway 205 just south of Buena Vista Station. It meanders eastward through the refuge, passes the spur road to Diamond Craters, then meanders southard into town.
With all this overuse of the word "Diamond", it may be a bit disappointing to learn that these landmarks are not named for the rare, crystalline form of carbon so treasured by jewelers, but rather for the mundane, geometrical shape burned into the hides of living cattle. Yes, the name stems from the brand of the old Diamond Ranch. Come to think of it, though, both gem and brand are formed by a combination of heat and pressure.
This road provides some of the best birding in the area, and there are tons of fenceposts for birds to pose on. Recently, the county has been on a mission to pave the portions of the road that were gravel, and this is a mixed blessing for the photographer. On the one hand, dust is reduced; on the other hand, the county has skimped on providing shoulders and the number of places available to safely pull off and shoot are reduced. It's still great, though.
Early in spring, great numbers of Franklin's gull can be seen in the fields bordering the road. Later, in May, flocks of hundreds, and at times thousands, of white-faced ibis are seen. Sandhill crane nest here, and common marsh birds such as common snipe, yellow-headed blackbird, and red-winged blackbird are plentiful.
