Owl Woods

After Breakfast, I sat on the bunk awhile trying to figure out some more how to attach the waterproof camera to the spotting scope...I have one of those little gorilla pods...flexible legged mini tripods...and that almost works, wrapping the legs around the scope behind the eyepiece...but there wasn't quite enough reach...so close!...tried rubber bands with it too...and a small camera attachment of some sort...I have things in the junk drawer I dont know from what!...and that almost worked, together with the gorilla pod and the bands...all together it was beginning to look like a fine chindogu...then I tried a narrow mounting plate that came with the little flash for the 12x....a metal strip with a slot, and two knurled knobs with threaded bolts...one that can slide in the middle slot...it's just four inches long or so...I put the camera on it...and used the second knob as a spacer under the eyepiece...cinched it all up with a couple rubber bands...and that worked!.....so pleased that I immediately walked out to the Three Dogwoods...but no birds about...then out to Creek's End..quiet..all I had was the scope and tripod...and anxious to find a critter to sight it all on...and finally in Owl Woods happened on Mama Doe and Two Fawns....and after they finally settled down in the grasses, was able to try the new rig, and it works!...clips for sometime....very pleased, I went back and got all the gear, and with like three hours of daylight, paddled out on the big inside loop...at the Tiki Temple, clip of Ground Squirrel on top of cement pipes....for sometime....through Owl Woods to Swinging Bridge...pics of Mama and Fawns still resting..and one more Doe...wanted to go across Swinging Bridge and look for Hawk in the Chapel Meadow Tree Line...the lighting there now is so terrific!...but now they're working on that Bridge...and have it liked sealed off...diverted..and miffed!...I walked out into Two Top Meadow...to the Broken Cottonwood..neat clip of Flicker..for sometime...diverted by tourists, and wanting to cross the River, I took the boots and socks off...rolled pants up to my knees...but Merced is deeper now than that...and didn't want wet pants...hmmph...I really wanted to look for Hawk...but settled for going back to Owl Woods...two Ouzels chasing one another came by while I was at the shore...and Kingfisher called like right in my ear while putting my socks back on, but gone when I looked up....in the Woods, I got diverted here and there by tourists walking through...and then heard Hawk across the River in Chapel Meadow...went to the shore at Half Stump...and looked longingly across...evenings off this time of year are precious...and one place I like to spend them is in Chapel Meadow with the evening sunlight!...anyway...Owl time approached, and I went into the Woods and sat awhile and listenedlistened...heard Blue Jays scolding at Creek's End...and located them across from the Three Cedars hopping about a Cottonwood's top...Blue Jays sure looked like they had Owl in sight...but no luck...until I turned around, and glimpsed Owl across the little Meadow there...where the Bears played!...Owl was posed in a Ponderosa...got knockdown clip with the digi...for sometime....light was fading, so put the 20x on the tripod...got the beginning of the clip up, Owl flying off...at that point, I thought I'd seen as much of Owl I was going to see...though I could hear CottonwoodAndAspen calling deeper in the Woods...Sentinel, I believe, the Owl I'd seen....so I walked over to Creek's End where Kingfisher, that I'd been hearing, teased my by fling by!...a memory clip!...anyway, I thought to make a try to find CottonwoodAndAspen from their calls, and back at the little Meadow, I sighted Sentinel again, back perched on the Ponderosa...I was a minute or so into taking this part of the clip with the 20x, when I realized Sentinel was eating....Owl caught something on that foray from the Ponderosa....the clip fades in and out because the camera's auto exposure and focus is trying to keep sharp, but cant in the dim light...this often happens, but this time it's almost like it's animated by Owl...which makes for a neat clip, I'd say...though kinda long...as this account!....I did locate AspenOrCottonwood, and got one last very dim clip of the evening, mostly notable for Owl's call...for sometime....picked up and dropped off the tripod at the Cabin...still loaded down with the gear, I went to dinner at Last Chance...were there was a gathering of the bloggers!...and pleasant conversation....sunny warm blue...and a fine long afternoon, inspite of the diversions!!...will post pic of the rig for the digi...bit pleased with that too!!...report of Coyote eating...'just the back legs showing'...of an unfortunate
Ground Squirrel....scenics were everywhere today...just three posted up...

Link of the Day
I read about this site in Audobon Magazine...
http://birdingbabylon.blogspot.com/