6:00 am

Valley Walkabout, October 27, 2008

6 am Oct 27 2008
To Lower Falls Picnic
To Lower Falls Shuttle Stop
To Flicker Grove
Leaves rustling???
Return and
To Last Chance
Breakfast
Back
To Lower Falls
(Falls Noon
Sentinel Six
Orion 7:30
Half Dome 3:30)
On way
Raven Call
Robin call in the Perfect Dogwood
Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaa haaa dont know bird
(addenda: The smallest of these birds, the California Pigmy Owl, is perhaps the most likely one to be heard, because it begins calling at early dusk and often continues in voice long after daybreak. It is only about seven inches long, has a rounded head without ear tufts, yellow eyes, and a dark brown back. It inhabits sparse woods and is the commonest owl in Yosemite Valley. Its call is quite distinctive, a trilled tooting which lasts several seconds, a pause, then a single note, another pause and then a second note, too-too-too-too-too-too-too-too-too; whoot; whoot. Joseph Grinnell link:http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/grinnell/birds194.htm)
2nd Raven Call
Lots of cars! Hard to hear!!
7:17 am
Lower Falls Shuttle Stop Bench by Big Oak
(Half Dome Noon
Sentinel Three
Lost Arrow Nine)
Cool—wearing gloves
Flicker Call out in Cook’s
Heard tiny birds’ peep crossing footbridge over Creek
3rd Raven Call
Acorn Woodpecker Call Laugh
Blue Jay call
Noisy Traffic
Wispy overcast clouds and blue barely
Pic Half Dome
2nd Blue Jay Call
Grey Squirrel call
7:30 am
On Oak Grove Path opposite schoolyard
(Falls Noon
HD 4
Sent. 8)
Small flock small birds high atop oak pic
1st Acorn Woodpecker several laughing
2 ACWP pecking
7:45 am
Visitor Center
Humming machine sound from Center
(Indian Canyon noon
Falls ten
HD five)
1st Blue Jay and second! Pics
Little Peeps call
Cold and sleepy
1st Raven and 2nd
G. Squirrel call
Yellow rump warbler tried for pic
Upper Falls in sunlight
8:17 am
Grey Squirrel
Ahwahnee Meadow at Broken Oak
(HD noon
IC Nine
Glacier Point two)
Flicker call
Raven call
Sun coming up over Half Dome’s shoulder
Phoebe? Junco? Flew off oak
8:45 Awhahnee
GP Wall noon
HD 9
Trees in way!)
Raven squeaky wings
Tiki stop
Squeaky call scree scree (from small bird)???
??Bandtail pigeon overhead and found perched atop pine pic
Flicker call on way
Ground Squirrel
8:50 am
Three Arch Bridge Northside
(IC noon
LA 9
GPW 3
HD 2)
Noisy dump truck!!
Little bird peeps
Ouzels! 2 clips
Jays call
Hanq hanq hanq call don’t know bird
Bandtail Pigeons flocks flying over pics
South to North hundreds!
Perch in the pines and disappear!
Robin call
Coyotes calling over in Stoneman Meadow
More Ouzel clips
9:25 am
Sugarpine Bridge south side end by sign
(HD noon
Royal Arches 10
GP 2)
All through walk a veryvery slight breeze
Jays calling
Suns been up
Dumpsters still noisy
Frog croaking
Flicker call
Chainsaws in Curry
Tiny birds too fast!
Pigeons about
10:05 am
Tenaya Creek Bridge to Mirror Lake
(HD 12
Washington Column 10:30
GP 4)
Why red stain on stones in Tenaya Creek??
Ravens call
Jays call
G. Squirrel call
10:30
Clark Bridge (by Stables)
(Falls 12
GP 9
HD 3)
Down WP call
Raven
Grey Squirrels
1 Ouzel pic
10:45 am
Stoneman Meadow
(North Dome 12
Falls 10
GP Rockfall 6
Raven flying
Three very noisy steamshovels (sewer)
Chainsaws Lower Pines campground
Sky full of contrails
Wispy clouds
10:56 am
Stoneman Bridge
(ND 12
GP 6
F 9
HD 2:30)
2 Juncos
1 Flicker pic
Whiteheaded Woodpecker
Fish ripples in Merced
11:10
Dogwood Woods between Stoneman Bridge and A. Meadow
Lots of Robins
Woodpecker???
Jays calling
Hawk calling!!
Robins’ Woods!! Tens of Robins pics
Flicker call
11:45 am
A. Meadow at North Side
(Panorama Wall 12
Falls 6
HD 9:30)
Flicker call
Raven at Picnic Tables
Robin call
On way
California sisters
Bear plop
Flock of Robin size birds??
Warming took gloves off
12:15 pm
Back at Visitor Center
Same bench by Time Capsule (small boulder with plaque)
Jays calling
On way
Picked up sandwich and elixir at Degnan’s
Alice said Hi! driving by
Feel like back in familiar turf where I usually walkabout
1:05
Duck Harbor behind Deer House Garage
(Sentinel 10
Falls 1
HD 6)
Raven clocking clocking
Littletiny birds peeping??
1 Brown Creeper clip
2 Grey Squirrels
somekinda moth landed nearby maybe got pic (did)
Flicker call
Frog croak
1:40 am
Back at Lower Falls Shuttle Stop Bench
Traffic noisy still but not the bangety bang dump trucks!
Warm now and hazy sky
Still sleepy!
2:05 pm
Back at Last Chance
On way
Took pics of Backyard trees light all soft from clouds
No birds in them!
But photog friend Christr running me down on bicycle from behind
Really sleepy!!
5:05 pm
At Creek’s End on farside of Merced with photog friend Armand (Armand took some great pics of Chapel with sun lighting up the Oak behind...leaves all gold)
Mountain Chicadee call
On way
Redbreasted Woodpecker at CAD Beach
Ouzel
Flock of tinier than Robins birds
5:36 pm
Owl Woods
(Falls 12
Cathedrals 9
Half Dome 3
Sentinel 6)
Raven call
Downy Woodpecker call??
2 Flicker calls
Frog croaking
Walking back 6:30 pm or so
Ouzel singing clip from Chapel Bridge
Half Dome backlit by pink clouds pic
Can’t see in dark
Rustling leaves!!
(“I think it’s the Bears!”
I tell a work friend walking up…her name I’ve forgotten…but often see…and oddly she was first person I saw walking by in morning!)
Mama Bear and Cub in Deer House Oaks…they move to the Picnic Benches…make scratching Cedar bark noises…flash pic (all that show is eyes reflection!)
And finally at Lower Falls mini Meadow right where the Path goes to the Lower Falls
Mama Doe and Two Fawns contentedly browsing flash pics

End

Next all day walkabout will be Feb 2…Ground Hog Day (the movie has been on the TV while transcribing this!!)

“It’s still just once a year, isn’t it”

And a note: On this day, Oct. 27, News report of Star with planets near Orion…like an early Solar System…closest planets found yet)

6:00 am