Monday, June 1, 2009

Cottonwood, Aspen, Sentinel




There's some more Owls pics and clips to go with these!....I was able to go Tree to Tree with Owl for almost two hours last evening...fell asleep during the upload...so this report a little late...after an early morning Shuttle to Siberia for Breakfast, stop on the way back at Post Office (rotary paper cutter came), I geared up....taking the new Rail Bracket for the Scope...I figured out how to make it work with the straight scope...it came with the attachment on it for angled eyepiece scopes...just took it off...and everything fine!...I paddled over to Lower Falls...and along the Rocky Slope...through Camp 4 across the Road and into the Scorched Woods...hereabouts I can get out into Two Top Pine Meadow without crossing water....and went to the Burned Log and sat...and waitedwaited for a long time...quiet...but very pleasant...Rain Shower Clouds overhead..and cool...Violet Green Swallows came by....keep trying for flight pic...I fiddled with the scope and bracket...getting the hang of how to use it...it has a feature where one can swing the mounted camera back, and look normally through the eye piece....very use full feature for locating and focusing..and was soon to prove invaluable!!....I picked up and and walked along the water, looking for the Mallards I'd seen...and found my first Spring Mallard family...Mama and Ducklings swimming about in likely the most scenic duckpond anywhere!...came up on Deer...and made the first pic try with the didgi on the rail bracket...it has a lot of adjustments...and things to tighten...which made me think it would be awkward...but it all worked together...and with that in mind, I thought I better go looksee for Owl!...I paddled across Swinging Bridge and along the Path...Grey Squirrel close up clip...and to the Use Trail...I'd brought along the sandals so to wade across the water in the Meadow...sat down, put the sandals on, and sprayed myself all over with mosquito repellent...I'd repeat this several times in the next two hours!...I moved slow toward the Two Ponderosas...and found Mama Owl's silhouette...I took my time setting up...too much time!...as she soared down to the ground...but I kept her in sight when she came up to perch in another Tree....actually a low snag...then a Tree...which was the first set of pics and clips of too many to relate!...the new scope...and the rail bracket...have raised the level of the clips...I finally lost Mama Owl after several hunting swoop downs and ups...and continued on to the Ponderosas...planning to come back along the River..and maybe....just maybe...see the Young Owls...across from Creek's End, I glimpsed Mama...and while searching, one of the Young Owls came from somewhere and landed atop a short Snag...and perched there for a long while...and I took a good set of clips and pics...good isn't the word...it's the best critter clip I have!....I had to work a lot setting the tripod in a location to avoid the branches...and warding off the mosquitoes!...but Owl was just curious...and sleepy...and listening to Mama Owl being beset by Blue Jays...I was curious to see Mama Owl too!...and set the 3x to record while I went over to the River near the Burned Snag where all the commotion was...I took some shaky clips with the 20x...and then went back and got the digi...returned...set up...and got like...the best critter clip I have!....the one up is just part...the rest are porthole clips...but they show the dive bombing Blue Jays...they're very bold!!....to do these clips...I reached a new angle for Young Owl...and setting up I found the second Young Owl...so I had all three, Sentinel, Cottonwood and Aspen...all within view...each in their own remarkable setting...many pics and clips...finally, Mama Owl flew off away from
Blue Jays, but they followed right along to a Cottonwood out in the Meadow, where Mama Owl perched...unfortunately, behind a branch, but wonderfully, framed by Half Dome with sun setting...and the Big Puffy Double A Clouds!....pics and clips now, were...like the best critter pics and clips I have!....the light was fading, and I thought to get a clip of Sentinel Owl...with Sentinel in the Background...I worked around over to the Two Ponderosas, and was able to get a few pics...dark, blurry, but filled with Imagination...and while doing near to the last clip, one of the Young Owls flew to the Cottonwood and perched beside Mama...this clip is very low light noisy blurry...but.... it's like the best critter clip I have!!!....the evening was a Wonder....I think Owl was so active because of the cooling and darkening cloud cover....a fine walkabout evening...the other clips and pics for sometime soon....

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