Eye on the Hills: Photographer’s work on Oakland-area wildlife lift spirits
In the midst of all this rain, the first signs of spring are emerging — a bountiful showing of birds. One in three of us enjoy birdwatching, according to state Fish and Wildlife data, but few pursue the hobby like Jim Roach.
The Oakland hills photographer who puts his wildlife photos on Nextdoor has done much to lift his neighbors’ spirits. Each thoughtful post of a bird, bobcat, coyote or skunk triggers a wave of positive comments on the neighborhood social media platform’s local pages.
“It warms my heart to read some of their comments,” says Roach, adding that lots of people have said his photos help them see the tranquility of nature in a world of turmoil. A few years ago, Roach was robbed at gunpoint by a crook who took his money, credit cards and camera.
“When I got back to my home and opened my computer, I saw the thousands of comments of support by people, and then I saw the GoFundMe post that someone had started for me,” he says. “Only four hours after the robbery people had donated enough for me to replace my camera right away.”
Roach says he shut down the GoFundMe before noon on the first day and then fielded a flood of media requests — including from a major national news show.
“I declined the national coverage, but I got calls from all over the country from people that saw the local coverage, so I found out that the local coverage did go national,” he says.
Roach shares that for months after the story broke, he was getting recognized everywhere — even on a ferry in British Columbia, Canada. He says he was touched by the love and support but at the same time struggled with the notoriety.
“I am a quiet loner for the most part, and to suddenly have people know me everywhere was a shock to me.”
Roach says his favorite place to photograph wildlife is the wildest, most remote place he can find on any given day. He looks for rare or unusual birds like the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and the Vermillion Flycatcher. He admits that owls are a bit of an obsession for him.
“I often see Great Horned Owls before the sun is up while I’m hiking. I can’t get their pics in that low light, but I see them several times a week, often a half-dozen at a time.”
He adds that Burrowing Owls are always entertaining, with their boldness and obvious attitude they display. Roach says he has more than 100,000 photos on his computer and is grateful that he’s found a way to share them. He says he’ll keep posting on Nextdoor for at least the immediate future and hopes he can keep it up longer so people can enjoy his photos.
Rockridge News: College Avenue is attracting another restaurant that has already earned its chops in Oakland. Enssaro Ethiopian is moving out of its small, Adams Point café and into the larger space at 5897 College Ave. in Oakland’s Rockridge district. The family-owned eatery has been recognized as the best Ethiopian restaurant in the East Bay, with many of its ingredients and spices imported from the Ethiopian town of Enssaro.
SLATE Contemporary Gallery is also opening a new location at 5510 College Ave. This is the second exhibit space for the popular gallery, which opened on 25th Street in Oakland in 2011. Eleven artists will help launch the new site on March 7, with themes of new beginnings, breaking light dawn and regeneration as we head into spring.
In memoriam: Friends and family of Steve Montgomery gathered recently to honor the longtime Oakland restaurateur who passed away on Dec. 15.
Montgomery started Italian Colors with his business partner, Alan Carlson; but long before that he ran the Equinox nightclub in Montclair. Carlson says he remembers Steve as “Mr. Montclair” — a man known for his kindness and sense of humor. He died at the age of 66, and the Neptune Society held a “ceremony at sea” in San Francisco’s McCovey Cove, next to Oracle Park.
Ginny Prior can be reached at ginnyprior@hotmail.com and followed on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook and at ginnyprior.com.