Bobcat Meadow

Had Breakfast and started some laundry....and paddled out to Creek's End...thought I heard something large...not Bear large...but bigger than a Squirrel...clawing up a Cedar near the Cattail Pond....but couldn't locate...suspected Bobcat as a Grey Squirrel carcass was in the Backyard being eaten by Ravens....went back to the Cabin and started the dryer...geared up and started the walkabout proper!...Deer at the Road Crossing to Lower Falls...no pic...Tourists were amongst them...didn't want to intrude...after crossing the Creek Footbridge, I came upon a Tourist in a motorized wheel chair...the kind with the little wheels...and he was gazing into the Trees at Lower Falls Stop....his Family too...who had cameras out...I slowed to a stop....didn't want to intrude again!...but one of the Tourists saw I had the tripod...and pointed...and said 'Bobcat'...oh...music to my ears!....so I got out the new camera..joined them....and got a pic of Bobcat looking up under the split rail fence...something in a Tree had Bobcat's attention...we watched a bit...then Bobcat picked up and walked across the Road to Flicker Grove...I thanked the Family...all smiles and thumbs up!...and paddled across the Road in pursuit of Bobcat....I pursued Bobcat all day!...last pic up is after sundown....it was a kinda Bobcat Double Header...in the first 'game'...Bobcat hunted in Flicker Grove...and scored a gopher or mouse...a plump one!...clip....Bobcat made two other hunts...but no luck...then Bobcat went out into Cook's Meadow...henceforth Bobcat Meadow!...pic with Half Dome in background...by now I've left the tripod and didgiscope...and even the 12x dangling from the tripod...behind!....all my effort was with the new camera...and good thing...Bobcat moved quickly out into the open...and went through the Hummocks to the edge of the Lily Pad Pond...OH!...'If I can get to the Boardwalk Bridge!, I thought...the Pond would force Bobcat to go to the Bridge...I was thinking....so I swung wide and got to the Boardwalk Bridge in time...and Bobcat walked along the Pond Edge right towards me...pics!....with the sun behind too!...and Bobcat went right UNDER the Bridge beneath my feet....I was able to get a couple pics on the other side...and then Bobcat walked to the Appletree by the Snag Cottonwoods....and along the River to Sentinel Bridge...pic above with dark trees....I'm going through this quick....but it all took maybe an hour...at Sentinel Bridge I lost contact...and it's a bit of a puzzle where Bobcat went...up the steps I think...but snow pile was blocking my view...on the other side of the Road I looked and looked...Ouzel singing in the Merced...picked up and went to check mail...and get lunch...tuna, chips, Hershey's and elixir....and thought to go to the Long Fallen Ponderosa...but when I got there, a photog with a monopod and long lens was sighting in on what I thought was Bobcat...but it was Coyote way over by the Picnic Tables...we were by the Woodpecker Tree...I didn't want to intrude...and set up behind with the didgi...long away clip...and when the other photog picked up, I beckoned him over to see the screen...we got to talking...and turns out, Jeff's his name, used to work at Last Chance too...and was visiting from Sierra Summit...he showed me his Coyote pic...and I one upped with my Bobcat!....I took him along out to see if Owl was Home...but no luck...and out to Creek's End to see if Coyote went that way...old Bear track there...and then he said it was time to find his car...which took us roundabout to Swinging Bridge and then Back to Sentinel Bridge...where it was...took some doing to find it!...we had a fine time trading critter and Valley stories...the gear Jeff's got is pretty neat..a Canon 30d with a 2.8 70 2oo telephoto...and a manfroto monopod that extends automatically when you squeeze a kinda handle...that lens can have a 2x or 1.5 extender...which gives it a longer reach...and with the crop feature of the chip sensor...well...it's a very good lens!...back at Sentinel Bridge, I more than thought to have lunch at the Long Fallen Ponderosa...and perched there and watched the evening light on Bobcat Meadow...I saw a bird fly into the Elm...was probably Flicker, but thought maybe Hawk...and finished eating, I walked out that way...the Redwings were singing...the Elm just shrouded in shade, and I saw Bobcat again!...going along the Tree line....I followed Bobcat for what must have been another hour or more...until the light was gone...see pic...Bobcat looked to be ready to curl up next to the Old Fallen Tree....the Bobcat's Leap clip is the best of a half dozen clips I made of Bobcat hunting...it was in the evening game not far from the Oak Branch That Arcs Over Halfdome...I may a have been under it!...all the clips are really cool!...I picked up about where I took clip of Appletree Bear eating the grasses last Summer...just up stream from Sentinel Bridge....so I can add to my Bobcat Walk movie!...and come to think of it, I can add the clip by the Grinding Stone Boulder and the Growl clip to the beginning...I have Bobcat walking now from Camp 4 to just upstream from Sentinel Bridge!!...a couple more years and we'll get to Siberia!!...a beautiful sunny blue day that just seemed to go on forever....cool with a little breeze...