Diving Ouzel

Paddled out through Cook's to the Post Office...needless to say, another late start....took the Bridge route as the WeedWackers were right out back....at the Leaning Twin Cottonwood Snags there were a lot of birds....one of those mixed species flocks...small group...Robins...pair of Flickers...Kinglets?...Downy Woodpecker...pair of Brown Creepers...a first to see two together!...and Mountain Chickadees...tried for pics and clips but everything Illusive!...was leaving and a Chickadee posed in the Willow Shrub...long clip and pic...and that was tonight's post, I thought...until I got way over at the Merced between Happy Isles and Mirror Lake stop...and found the Mushrooms...and heard Ouzel...when I went to find Ouzel all I could see was the rushing water and stones...until Ouzel hopped up on the round stone..just like in the clip!...very cool...I was on the use path on the West side of the Merced between Happy Isles and the Stables...there was another mixed group, Robins and Flickers....and this is a kinda neat trail...it's out and away enough and near enough the water to be attractive to the critters...will revisit it now and then...hopped on the Shuttle at the Stables...and hopped off at Day Use to go back to A. Meadow where ALL the Deer were....lots of Photogs too!....took a souvenir pan clip...then thought, why not hook up the minidigi?...and just as I finished with the rigmarole...I'm peering at the lcd screen...everything jiggling as it does with the long reach....and the Bucks begin butting anlers!...a little unglued, I tried to keep them in view...and focused...with the hope I could take my hands away so the contraption wouldn't jiggle!...long lenses have that drawback!!....anyway, I did the best I could with the minidigi...and switched off to the 12x...and got some good clips!...I uploaded them in their own post...see Bucks...but as of this moment it's in the Google cue I guess...as not visible yet...took days for the other clips with this circumstance to go up...so it may be awhile....it was a good day for pics and clips!...and cold and cloudy....rain tomorrow, they say....oh...Western Bluebirds were on the Boardwalk from the Artist's Grove to the Road...and I set up...in plain sight, I'd say....and a bicycler rode right by me and through the Bluebirds...scattering them...I have to try for that one again tomorrow...was really close to getting good clip!!...Mountain Chicadee clip and pic for sometime..