Ground Squirrel

At the checkout:

"See any critters today?"

"A flight of Mallards....three Bandtail Pidgeons....an Ouzel singing.....Oh...and a pic and clip of a Ground Squirrel."

The Ground Squirrel pics and clip...taking them...were something of a sensation...insomuch as passerbys were impressed by the new camera..."How many acorns that set you back!??"...and impressed too by Ground Squirrel posing...they do that a lot...the Tourists' favorite...

I made one quick sojourn over to the Post Office and to take care of an errand (food safety class)..then back for a nap...then out to Creek's End....watched the sunset...well...it's behind me...but on Half Dome!...this is the quietest time...critter wise...I think...I'm curious to see if I can spot some new birds...migrating through...thought that when I saw the Bandtails in the Deer House Oaks...actually they were drinking from the Creek when I got to the Riprap...missed pic!...they may have come down from the High Country...the Mallards were cool...I'd just started scanning about with the binocs...and turned to look up towards Chapel Bridge from Owl Log (no whooo)....and they were like a small dark cloud in the dusk over the river...at least a dozen....they came by in a hurry and off downstream over Half Stump...wondered if they just kept on going down to the Central Valley....by the by there's a wildlife preserve about eight miles out and eight miles over from Merced...it's been there awhile and was made to keep the Ducks from invading the farmlands..."All around it our little hunter's huts..."....there's not much point to sport hunting, I'd say....photog friend gave it up for photography...says "it's harder to take a good picture"....and more rewarding to pin up on the wall!, I'd say!

American Dipper

Well...I geared up to to go up the Four Mile...but my left foot is sore...probably from last Monday's hike...so I just made made my regular Backyard rounds...was sitting below the Woodpecker Tree..pic...and Doe and One Fawn came from the little Sentinel Bridge parking lot...and walked right past me on the Path...new camera doesn't like to focus on moving things!..hmmph...anyway I picked up and followed them to the Apple Tree by Zeke's Cedar...One Fawn eats apples too now...and has lost almost all its spots...took some clumsy clips and pics...they walked right past me on along the Path....I left off and started out to the Post Office...and looking back..thought I saw them coming back to the Apple Tree...which would be a rare thing..the Critters rarely backtrack...but it was Mama Doe and Two Fawns!...who missed out on the fallen apples...I took the clip of them by the river...Ouzel at Duck Harbor at the end of the clip is...sorta my commentary on the news!!....anyway...walked about a lot...got my day off tuna sandwich lunch and munched it down at the Deer House picnic tables...it clouded up and was sprinkling....back at the Cabin I watched TV a bit...then out for an Owl Prowl...but no whooo...sat at Owl Log and did the little charcoal drawing....came to mind I draw like I made models as a kid...I follow the directions and expect there will be no left over parts!!...patchy clouds to overcast to partial clearing...and cool...with sprinkles...

Nest

Went back over to Upper Creek Woods to get a better pic of the Big Nest...on the way tried to get clip of Golden Mantle in the Deer House Oaks...last year clip will have to do!...was glad to see one today though...as I haven't seen one in awhile...I'm pretty sure it's a nest....now just have to check now and then for someone perching in it!!...sunny warm and blue...bit of a swirly breeze in the late afternoon...and report of a couple raindrops....

Turning Leaves

Was over in the Upper Creek Woods....Blue Jays were scolding...couldn't find the cause...but in looking about I found a nest...a really big one...least I think it's a nest!...hard to tell...as a lot of time pine needles falling collect in the branches...Flicker pic is from over in the Deer House Oaks...a few leaves are turning...an Azalea is blooming...clip is from last year this time...Ground Squirrel was at Creek's End on the Lodgepole's roots...looking out over the Merced....route I took today....around and about by Creek's End.,..rainfall mentioned in the weather news...planning hike Monday up the Four Mile...sunny warm and blue.

Fern Doe

Took the Shuttle over to the Post Office...neoprene slippers came!...but they have no heels...they might work....heard Hawk somewhere over Creek's End...sat awhile by the Twig...breeze blowing leaves and thistles about...making the Merced sparkle...sunny warm and blue.

Pics and clip from Monday...part of the delay on the long hike to Nevada!

Lichen

While in Mariposa...dentist...I found story of the Lichen on the Walls...Vernal Falls in particular...SF Chronicle had pic of two scientists roped up and over the Lichen...I just took pic of where they were Monday!...second from bottom is cropped in on exactly where they were...leme get link to story...brb...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/25/BA2N133NCG.DTL&hw=lichen&sn=001&sc=1000

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2008/09/25/BA2N133NCG.DTL&o=0

My niece is married to a lichen expert...have to show them the story!

Day in Mariposa pretty uneventfull!...saw Flicker...a Woodpecker...and Hawk soaring...distantly and moving from the bus window...sigh...walked a bit along the little bit of gardened stretch of Mariposa Creek...it's getting overgrown...and trashed...thought I saw a Duck...Mariposa's a nice place though....traffic always stops for pedestrians...and everyone in the stores and restaurants...and the dentist's!...friendly....sunny warm and blue.

Clubhouse Bobcat

Paddled over to the Post Office....thought the Woodpecker was inside the Deer House Garage!...took my usual route through Cook's...and happened on Bobcat taking what must be it's regular route...as I saw Bobcat here in the Winter...and others have often given reports of seeing Bobcat here...here being behind the Clubhouse!....I'm often asked how big Bobcat is...well..I can go measure those planks and find out!...sunny warm and blue...lots of noise though...chainsaw over by the Lower Falls...backup bells from the roadworkers by the Chapel...a curio of the road repair is that curbs have been installed...maybe sidewalks will be next...and streetlights!!

Black-throated Gray Warbler

On the evening walk when I got to Creek's End...a new bird was perched in the Leaning Cedars...too slow with the 12x...it flew way off...I paddled quick to the Merced and found it way off on Half Stump...took a hopeless long pic...and looked it over with the binocs..."it looks like a Kingfisher!"...it seemed content to stay put atop the Stump...and I paddled quick...half way there I got the pic I post here...it does look to be a Kingfisher!.....it flew off again...but through the evening I could here it's 'rattling' call...I sat for awhile in Owl Woods...tried to study the new camera manual...'live view' requires that!...no whooo...picked up and sat at Owl Log...took some comparison pics with the 12x....the 12x is taking a clearer pic..hmmph...anyway...no whooo whooo there either...so picked up and went around about through Cook's and back to the Cabin and Last Chance for dinner....

Half Stump was in the 'script' in the morning walk too!....after paddling over to the Post Office...and picking up tuna sandwich lunch...I went to Duck Harbor and sat...and the Black -Throated Gray Warbler showed up...only way to see these little birds is to sit in one place...still...and waitwait...a Yellow Rumped showed up too...even got them both in one pic..but it's blurry...these little birds seem to hang out in those mixed species flocks....more like small bunches...oh...and then one small Merganser came waddling along..and plopped into Duck Harbor...pic and clip for sometime...in pursuit of that one good pic of Merganser that I really haven't got yet..I picked up...and followed Merganser all the way to Half Stump!...where I got a pic of Merganser diving there...

the clip...Creek Walk...is from yesterday...at the very beginning of that walk (mine!)..which had has it's destination the Little Valley...I got to the Riprap and saw ripples in a Creek Pond...once in the Creek Bed I saw these four Mergansers...and followed them under the Twin Cedars...under Wee Bridge...under two of the Fall's Paths Bridges...it was Mama Merganser and Three...Three are almost full grown...while following them I ran right into Mama Doe and Two Fawns hidden among the Ferns on the Upper Creek Bank...clip and pics for sometime...Fern Doe!...tomorrow I'll try...

I've gotten a lot of neat pics the last two days...a whole bunch of Merganser clips and pics...heard Hawk day before yesterday and the day before....

Sunny warm and blue...with a little breeze...

Mystery Bird

Well...it was a long day...too long to tell about!...so I just post up this one pic and clip...I was almost to Nevada Falls...and I heard a whole bunch of these birds making the sound that's mystified me here in the Valley....this tree is on the ridge to the right of Nevada Falls...and I'm looking up to it from the trail...kinda where the last switchbacks were....

wonderful day...except for the dour discovery that the Mist trail has been blacktopped from Happy Isles to Vernal Bridge...I came down in the dark from Nevada...headlamp...and stepped onto it after going over Vernal Bridge...I had gone up the Mule Trail...dont recall the asphalt as part of the Valley Plan (Appendix C!)...or being brought up by the critics...many of the trails had been asphalted....and have gone to heck with erosion...but I dont think redoing them a good thing...very hard on the knees for one thing!...the constant pounding in the very same areas of joint connection...well...it's like a carpel tunnel hazard!....sigh...sunny warm and blue...if one ever has the chance...take a headlamp along and come down after nightfall from the Valley rim on one the trails...preferably one that hasn't been paved!!....the Crickets tonight were like Mother Nature purrring....the birds might be Blue Jays...

Mergansers Diving

The Three Mergansers were at Creek's End...just missed clip of them stretching and flapping their wings...but off they went...and came right towards me!...neat clip...pic best I could do...new camera is trickier to focus!...sunny warm and blue...cooler at night....I'd wondered what the Mergansers were up to...and happy to see them!!...have read they'll move downstream for the Winter to lakes and reservoirs..

Piping Squirrel

I often hear the lament that the cars and roadways are in the way of a good pic of one of the icons...in fact I heard it yesterday....and answered with directions to view sights without the road problem!...well...today I realized a simple solution...just kneel down...or get in a low area...and use the meadow to block out the roadway...while taking this Falls pic out in Cook's beside the Merced...Mama Doe and Two Fawns walked by...they'd been somewhere near the Apple Tree...my nearby destination...they walked on and beside the Path over to Flicker Grove...and I picked up and followed...tried for some pics...and didn't get very good ones...they were heads down browsing....and didn't have much better luck with two Bucks resting in the Deer House Oaks...did get the clip and pic of the Ground Squirrel at the Deer House early on...which I like...

this morning before just before sunrise I heard a new bird...at least I think it was a bird...there's a lot of odd noise makers hereabouts!....but it went...ha ha ha ha ha ha....ha....ha.....and then for awhile just a sequence of ha..ha ..ha ..ha....and 'ha' isn't the sound...it's hard to recall!...if I hear it again I'll hop out and record it!....

sunny warm and blue today....I think everyone in France is on vacation hereabouts!

Fern Squirrel

Well..I had a cute clip...but the soundtrack dont fit...so had to delete it....couple of very happy Grey Squirrels....I took the pic of the roadside Ground Squirrel a little further along on the walk...sometime I get a little whip sawed on the walks...my empathy for the critters is pretty high...dont know how else to express that!...the other two Squirrels from a couple days ago walks....

sunny warm blue clouds and breezy....

Camera Walk Pics

These are the pics from the Canon walk...they finally came via email...I didn't have time to review them when I took them...so they loomed large in my imagination!...

I dont know if it was the walk...or coming home and finding Owl and not having that camera and lens...that led me to aquire that camera and lens!! Here's link to that post: http://treeinthedoorvideo.blogspot.com/2008/06/owl-back-in-owl-woods.html

The face-on pic of the Owl I posted a couple days ago is actually with the 12x...I have the same pose with the new camera...and uploaded it to Kodak...and ordered an enlargement...very curious to see how it compares with the 12x's!! The profile is with the new camera...comparing them the resolution is better with the new camera...but I'm familiar with the manual controls on the 12x and was able to adjust focus and exposure...the rustling in the clip is me thumbing through the manual trying to figure out the manual settings on the new camera!!...the 12x's controls by the by are a work of genius....and are really appreciated when trying to get pics and clips of the critters!!

Got up at dawn and after pancakes walked out to Creek's End...and then over to Cook's...and back across the Creek to the Cabin to curl up!....woke up with an hour left before work and peddled over to the Village on a work related errand...a pic of a Doe by the Lilypads...and one of Young Buck by the Deer House...but that was it!....smokey in the late morning from proscribed burn...otherwise sunny warm and blue.

Canon has a set up like Kodak...but I haven't explored it...and it's where the pics are...I downloaded copies but they came across at low res...I really wish the Tanager was high res...and that doggone branch hadn't been so long!...in my recollection I saw just the Tanager against the Ponderosa Bark..on just a stub of a branch...I...I'll have to do a painting!!...Flicker was in the Appletree by the Woodpecker Tree..where the Woodpecker pic is from...and the Sister was by Chapel Bridge.

Map

I was looking for a clip to post from last mid September...and found the pic I took of the map put up when they did the proscribed burn...remember now I wanted to snag it!...it has all the major points of the walkabouts...I'll have to work with it in photo shop...replace some of the names with those I've been using...just for example...Leidig Meadow is Two Top Meadow...and Sentinel Meadow (I dont think anyone calls it that!...usually it gets included with Cook's on the other side of the river!) is called Chapel Meadow and Coop's Meadow...which is over by Swinging Bridge...

Took the usual walk over to the Post Office...pretty satisfied now the way I'm geared up...I have the two cameras...Canon S5 with teleconvertor...and Rebel xsi with 70-300 optical diffraction lens...and the Nikon Monarch binocs...and the Slik tripod...my Camel Back pack...and I'm a little overdressed I thought until I passed someone bedecked in similar fashion!...one thing I have that others dont...which I dont understand!...is Lowpro holster bags for both cameras...I dont like the cameras with the long lenses dangling out where they bang into trees...or the ground if I tumble...which I have!!

one thing I might add is one of those Canon HD cam corders...they make a 12x which has a teleconvertor like the S3 and S5....the higher resolution would be the reason..I could put that in the Camel Back with the light Slik tripod...

the other part of the gear is the computers...both HP...one a desktop Pavilion..the other a laptop Pavilion....HP makes some small really nice portable hard drives that can hook up with cable or slip into the tower...I keep adding them as I fill things up!...

then there's things like boots and clothes...I'll have to make another blog just to discuss gear!....

Over by the Post Office I thought to go to the Indian Village...this time of year it's very quiet....almost like the Graveyard!...which it kinda reminds me of...and I was thinking to get pics of birds and squirrels....as there about...but I visited one of the little dioramas...the 0ne posted here is very well made...and a shame it's obscured by dust!....I dont know who looks after these things...and the stuffed animals too at Happy Isles Nature Center...but they are all covered with dust and cobwebs!!...hmmph...I suppose I could take along some Windex and paper towels...along with a trash bag...which I keep forgetting and end up coming back to the Cabin with my back pockets full of collected trash!!

warm sunny and blue with clouds...tried to get some Squirrel and Woodpecker pics...but no luck...sat awhile at the Creek...very quiet.....

Oh...I'd like to mention that I acquired all this gear in a very slow fashion!...for more than a year all I took pics with was disposable 35 mm cameras...then a year so with a Canon Elf film camera...then after getting the laptop...a Nikon Coolpix 5600.....I would still be using that except that I wanted desperately to take pics of the animals...and after much online searching and study...happened on the Canon S3....and it's teleconvertor....it's history, and the newer ones, is in the blog...all of this happened over a stretch of five years in the Valley!!

Printers and scanners and softwares are sore points I dont talk about....I have Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Premier...mostly I just use them to crop and glue together clips...I've sat in too many classes in school fooling around with these things!!

Cottonwood Owl

Paddled over to the Post Office in the morning walkabout...then back through Cook's...and out around the Big Loop....clouds moving through...but very warm...and a warm wind....got pic of the Falls out by Four Things Log...Meadows tuned brown....sat awhile at CAD beach...White Crowned Sparrows are about in the Valley too!....at Swinging Bridge my hat blew off...and it took some doing to recover it!....as it kept slowly drifting out of sight...finally it grounded and I had to take my boots off to get to it...sandy bottom not so painful!...Half Dome pic by where I lost the Teleconvertor...losing the hat reminded me of it!...and thought to look about for it with the Merced so low...it is really low!!...but it was a wan hope....had my afternoon lunch at Last Chance (my days off in the Valley often fall into this routine!)....and then took a nap...out for the evening walk I went out through Owl Woods....not expecting to see Owl...as it was early...like six pm....but whooo whooo...greeted me...Owl was in the same area...almost called the post Appletree Owl...as one is near the Cottonwood...I think it's a Cottonwood...have to check!.....I think the other Owl was about too...as over aways the Ravens were scolding...and Owl kept looking over that way....I had trouble with the clips' focus...I thought the 12x was focused in...and left off to shoot with the new camera...but on looking at the clips I see it latched on to the leaves just behind Owl...I stayed put where I was and didn't try to get closer...this to say I didn't approach to the point Owl picked up!!...I'd done this earlier with a Ground Squirrel sitting straight up on a slender stump...took a pic...moved forward...took a pic...moved forward...repeated until Ground Squirrel scurried off...with Squirrel I'm okay approaching like this...but with Owl...Hawk...Bobcat...Bear...I often just stay put...and pic up and leave off.... losing maybe a closer pic...which is what I did with Owl this evening...I went over to Owl Log and sat awhile...kindofa happy clam I must say to have gotten the pics and clips!!...then out to Cook's....Does by the Appletree....lot of Apples on the ground...cant imagine Bear passing these up!...and no recent Bear report may indicate they are else ware...a fine evening...maybe too early to be Fall...especially with the warm wind...but it had that feel to it.

Owl Woods

Went to the Meadows for the afternoon....saw Hawk...long distant pics and clips...while sitting waiting skygazing... the White-Crowned Sparrows came by...Mules came by over by Sept. Bridge...pic expands the motif of Critters drinking to the Tuolumne!...was going to spend the night in Tents for Rent..but they were booked up...so came back to the Valley...once home I paddled over to the Post Office....photo magazine came...went through Cook's over to the Twig on Lodgpole Point...and read awhile...taking pics makes me appreciate other's pics...and the little technical notes too!...oh...at Chapel Bridge I talked with tourists who had Bobcat pic...just missed Bobcat strolling across the Bridge!...looked about but no luck...from the Merced bank there by the Twig I picked up...crossed the Bridge and was on my way to the Big Loop...and whooo whooos started coming from Owl Woods...what to do!....paddled on down opposite Creek's End...took my boots off and waded across in my sox...I need some cushion for the stones!...ouch ouch ouch...shades of Sentinel Owl!...anyway....I tried to locate the sounds...plural!...there were two Owls...one a high whooo...whooo...the other deep and low...it's on the clip!....I never did locate them...saw them fly off across the Merced to the Aspens there on the opposite bank...wanted to record the whooos with Sentinel in the clip...but too much bangety banging traffic!....I...I really really like the Owls in Owl Woods!...in the Meadow I heard report that Owls are at the Twin Bridges "chasing one another" in the evening...had hoped to see them...but the local ones were a welcomed substitute!!...sunny warm and blue...very blue above the Meadows...Does and One Fawn were by the Lily Pads...saw one Doe in the Meadows...and a Buck and Doe in the Woods...I think they make like a neoprene sock for Scuba divers...epitome of Tender Foot, I am!

Oh...Mama Raccoon with little ones at Last Chance....in the dark walkways entertaining...camera flashes lighting up!....I've got so many things around my neck!...two cameras...binocs...and the Camel Back straps usually overlapping!...set the grocery bag with snacks down to get untangled...and got a couple night flash pics with the 12x...how the new camera can do this is a mystery now!....anyway...Mama got into the bag...and wouldn't give up the Cheetos Sack for anything...no matter how loud I whooped and stomped my feet!...my bad...last I saw...heard..they were all quarrelling over it!!..they can be snarley...and not to be approached too closely!...and tourists got a pic to remember!!

Apple Tree Deer

Walkedabout the identical route I did yesterday...and met up again with the tourists at the Apple Tree...with an obliging Doe...on the way got pics of Flicker..and another Praying Mantis...clip and pic for sometime...these pics and clips are from three different days...sunny warm and blue.

Red-Naped Sapsucker

(addenda: It might be a Redbreasted Sapsucker!) Paddled back to the RipRap...sat awhile...Creek was quiet...took some shots with both cameras of where Bobcat was...good test with that awful lighting....no time tonight to study them....crossed over the Creek and went along the Merced just upstream from Chapel Bridge....where I saw this new..to me...Woodpecker...Sapsucker...not sure what the difference is!!...took pics with both cameras....comparison unfair focus wise...I dont think I had the new camera focused in...size wise it's interesting...the 12x is larger...to be expected...but not by much...well...I'll probably be doing a lot of these side by sides...continued on...took a pic of the Apple Tree by Zeke's Cedar...then over to the Woodpecker Tree...some neat pics of two Acorn Woodpeckers together....then on the way back Doe and One Fawn were at the Apple Tree....dont know how I missed them!....got a neat set of clips...for sometime...and pics with the new camera...a few only...and only the one posted looked all right compositionally...and it's a crop...the Doe was eating fallen Apples...One Fawn tried too...but settled for some Goldenrod...had to pick up or be late for work...just as well...the Green Cucumber had disgorged a passel....quiet they were...but in the way back and forth!!....time was up for this Pocket of Time...and was almost late for work after a hurried walk back over the Creek through the Backyard and to the Cabin...sunny warm and blue...

Bear Bath

Clip is from last Summer, August 24...when Forty Six came to the Creek...about midway between Wee Bridge and the Twin Fallen Cedars....I think there was more water in the Creek last year in late August...

got up early to go gather up the pieces of the new contraption..handsome looking thing when it's all together!...Acorn Woodpecker one of the first pics...way up the Woodpecker Tree...and it's a crop...kindofa long morning gathering and studying out!... and only an hour of actual walkabout...and things quiet...sunny warm and blue...but cool in the first morning hours..and cool this evening....I'm sleepy!...and watching the Hurricane news...

On the Path

Rode the Shuttle over to the Post Office...paddled back through Cook's...sat a long while at Artist's Grove....on the Long Fallen Ponderosa....skygazed!...then walked on the Path and came on Doe and Two Fawns...while filming I heard jogging steps approaching...and without looking up...motioned backwards with my hand to stop....slow down...and they did!...usually they dont!...anyway...I found a place to stop and turned to thank them...and the poor fellow was very apologetic...but said he was in a hurry and desperate...he was a tour leader looking for a lost passenger!...so I found myself apologizing...and told him continue...but be careful not to startle the Deer...remarkably...he didn't...and encouraged I thought to move a bit closer...and of course Doe stood right up!...but it makes for a neat clip...and it would be neater with the end I didn't post...a family of four...two small ones in a stroller..showed up coming the other way and got a great view of Doe and Two Fawns...there are tourists about...but Cook's is never crowded...and I had a 'pocket of time' without disturbance to get the clips...

after crossing the Creek...and on the Path I often take...stirred up Flicker...and heard another behind me on the Ponderosa...got clip...they are very often in this same place...so I've learned to approach slowly here...kinda the same thing going out Lodgepole Point...oh...these are likely the same Doe and Two Fawns I saw there...though Fawns look very young out in the open!

Sunny warm and blue.