Sandpiper And Owls

Out aways on the walk, I heard what I thought was a Ground Squirrel piping...thought maybe it was giving warning...thought maybe Bobcat was about!...but when I found the sound, after working through thick Woods, I found the sound maker was a little Sandpiper!....pics and clips....could only capture a little bit of Sandpiper piping, but the preening is cool too....I picked up...work time approaching...and with the tripod over my shoulder, I happened to look down...and right at my feet was fresh bird plop....I rolled my eyes up to the bill of my cap, and thought, 'it couldn't be'...but on looking up...there they were...right above me!...I angled out...and took some pics and clips....at times like this, I tend to get frozen in one place, least a lot of movement about looking for better angles, might startle Owl... Owls!... I picked up...very happy!...and was walking away, and made one backward glance...and they had both straightened up, and were looking right at me...finding a clear sighting, I took some handheld pics...but no clip...I'm starting to get the hang of manual exposure and focus on the 20x....it has a little dial around the navigation control...when I got back to the Cabin, Grey Squirrel was on the roof right above my windows...pic and clip...two tourists joined in with their 3x....then one posed in front of the Cabin with Grey in background...a fortunate walkabout!.....there was Thunder and Dark Clouds over the Falls...felt a bit exposed with the metal tripod!...it has rubber feet....but I of course set it in muddy soil!....more Bear reports...one related on the Shuttle (there was an early walkabout too, but no pics) sounded like the large Bear I saw the other evening...half sunny, half cloudy, warm....the darkest clouds moved...right over head!....a heavy rain fell later for just a little while while at work...dont know where Mama Owl was...hidden from sight maybe...more likely out hunting, I'd say!..oh!...taken me awhile, but I've thought up names for them...Mama Owl has always been Sentinel Owl...the Young Owls...from left to right...Cottonwood and Aspen...