Cottonwood Beach

Paddled out after Breakfast...around eleven...back to the Creek...heard Hawk over by Chapel Meadow...but quiet when I got to Chapel Bridge...oh!...Kingfisher flew by going up Creek just before Stepping Stones...waited awhile....but no luck...Hawk quiet too at Chapel Bridge...but Black Phoebe there again...crossed the Bridge and went down to the shore so Sun would be behind..and waitedwaited...but Phoebe went to Blue Jay's Bush...and then away...sighted friend sitting farfar away on Owl Log...pic...dont know but they have seen and heard Owl more than I have!...waited for Phoebe to maybe return, or Hawk's call, or Kingfisher....and Mixed Flock showed up!...Mountain Blue Birds, Juncos, Yellow Rump Warbler...and Fox Sparrow...pic of a living one this time!...Flock went down to the Beach for bathing and sunning...not unlike the tourists!...far away pics...and wished I'd taken the 20x with the video along...with that in mind, after Flock left, went back to the Cabin for the rest of the Gear...and felt better prepared!...hopped on the Bike and peddled back to Chapel Bridge...and around to Swinging Bridge almost...thought I sighted Hawk...but two Ravens...Ravens have fooled me into thinking they were Hawk a lot lately!...Raven pics, but blurry...been taking a lot of blurry pics of late!!...anyway....peddled back the way I came...oh!...went out the Boardwalk to see the Yellowjacket Nest...had hoped to digiscope the Wasps....but the Nest has fallen...pic up....peddled back the way I came...through Bobcat Meadow and to the Post Office...book came I want to post up review of with the Baiji book review...for sometime soon!...parked the Bike...picked up late lunch...egg salad, hershys, crangrape and chips...walked out to the Road and along through the Oaks...some of the orange perforated plastic fencing up around Oaks that have become mostly snags...and that's likely it's purpose...prep for dangerous tree removal...found a seat near the Elm...was eating the sandwich...and the Mixed Flock reappeared...lots of Blue Birds...pic of Yellow Rump, and clip...picked up after they left, and after lunch!... nearing the Deer House heard Hawk somewhere over in the Backyard...hurried from Lower Falls Shuttle stop across the Road through the Deer House Oaks across the Stepping Stones and...at the Dirt Road, a Tiki Temple utility truck was bouncing along...and no more Hawk calls..hmmph...was very close...Hawk almost overhead...continued out to Ozone Beach...time not late enough for Owl prowl...and enough light, so went to the Broken Cottonwood in Two Top Pine Meadow, thinking the Blue Birds might be about....seen them there before in the evening...but when I got there it was quiet...and saw the last light leave Two Top Pine...scenic pics...returned back the way I came to Owl Woods...at Ozone, sighted Buck, along with half a dozen other photogs, who were here and thereabout all day...sometimes feel I'm fighting for a seat on the rollercoaster...hmmph...anyway...with one tourist ahead, and a photog or two behind...paddled through Owl Woods...but quiet...Creek's End seating filled up!...so diverted to the Cattail Pond...and along the Dirt Roads all the way to the Swath, were I stood on the Rip Rap and listened...last pink light leaving Half Dome...and quietquiet...a kind of desultory day...especially when I frightened a friend showing them the Yellowjacket Nest pieces I snagged...'take that away!'...they were busy on phone, so I couldn't explain.... put it all back in my pack, and had to leave!...the Nest is like the thinnest of paper...and whatever was inside, Wasps and whatnot, completely gone...but for a desultory day, there were some charming scenes...the Little Birds at Cottonwood Beach, the fallen Nest, and seeing Buck with the thick antlers again...scenes that are charming as they relate to earlier reports...especially the little Fox Sparrow!...sunny cool blue...

Editing note: I routinely go over a post the night I post, finding spelling errors and such...peddling should be pedaling and pedaled...and of course any grammer teacher would and should shoot me!...but I escaped school, and errors hearabout abound and remain a subconscious teasing....