Mountain Quail

Another Long Day...with a Long Hike!...up from Glacier Road to Ostrander Lake...much of the trail goes through an old burned over area...lots and lots of snag trees...craned my neck a lot looking for the Great Grey Owl...and Hawk...did see Hawk soaring...two of them...or one twice!...looks like Red Tail...looks like Zeke!...coming back I caught a glimpse of a large bird on the trail that scooted behind some fallen logs...got the new camera ready and the Mountain Quail hopped up on the log...then flew off...I hear of these by the A Rooms...but this is the first one I've seen...neat bird....I thought the Lake would be surrounded by trees....sorta like Dog Lake...as much of the area is forest...Red Fir and Lodgepole...but the Lake was partly surrounded by rock walls...a flock of Ravens was floating on the thermals against them...very distant clip!...heard lots of little birds in the Snag Forest...lots of Chipmunks...clip and pics...on the road back...in the Valley just before Swinging Bridge...Hawk landed in a Cedar right by the road and perched...and we couldn't stop...again!...no where to pull out...as we neared the Chapel we saw a Deer Jam...and we did pull over...Mama Doe with Two Frisky Fawns on the Chapel Lawn...clips and pics...I missed a really neat pic...first one Fawn dashed in front of traffic to the Meadow across the road....putting our hearts in our throats!....and then Mama and the second Fawn slowly walked across the Cross Walk...and traffic stopped!....no pic but can make a painting!...anyway...safe and sound back at the Cabin...I picked up and went to the Backyard for a short Owl Prowl...no whoo whoo...but another Mama Doe and Two Fawns were by the Tiki Temple...I crossed the Creek but too late for the Half Dome show...which has been spectacular lately...tomorrow I'll try to get to yesterday's census taking!....I'm really tired...dozed off while the basketball was on TV...Oaks are all gold now in Cook's Meadow...make time for them too....sunny...cold up high...warmed up...and blue with like cloud strips drifting over....saw one big cloud forming up way out over Tuolumne....clip is from Oct. 28 last year...hard to hear..but Amazing Grace is being played by a Bagpipe Player over at the Chapel....clip is a pan from Creek's End...the branch in the river at the beginning is Ouzel Branch...it's still there...in fact the whole scene looks just like this now...maybe just fewer leaves on the Aspens now...oh....that's the Ostrander Ski Hut...two Rangers were about fixing it up...got to look inside...mattresses on porta ledges looks to be the rustic and tiny accomadations for the Cross Country Skier...the first half of the trail is easy...but then up to the Lake on Horizon Ridge would be a challenge for one's skills!