Out and about early...sunlight halfway down Upper Falls...about seven thirty!....started out the Path to Last Chance for Breakfast...Robins calling talking...and heard Hawk back at the Cabin...retraced my steps....and looked about the Backyard....sounded like Cedar...no luck, and thought to make the Inside Loop, so back to Creek's End...heard Brown Creeper at Creek's End....Kinglet calls too...and Junco...and Ouzel...went out the Diversion Channel to Ozone Beach...more Robins....and to Breakfast...went back to the Path and to the Cabin for gear...by the Utility Pole beside the Path near the Cabin,, a dozen or so Robins turning over fallen Oak Leaves...a half dozen or so Blue Jays too...sometimes they dash at one another!...otherwise Blue Jay and Robin looked to get along in the same pursuit--whatever is under the Oak Leaves!..took a nap until noontime, and geared up and went out to Bobcat Meadow by the Elm....sat a long while, not sure where to go...by the Elm, more Robins...and Acorn Woodpeckers about....there were tourists and cars everywhere!...and the Post Office closed....forgot a piece of gear...bandana...so paddled over to the Village to purchase one.....picked up lunch to take along...egg salad, cran grape, hershys...and paddled back to the Meadow...sighted Blue Birds in the Hummock Ponds...deliberated a bit...and decided to brave the Hummocks...was heading into the sunlight, and the Blue Birds kept going further ahead....finally I just sat awhile...took two scenics...for sometime!...angled around the Elm, where some Blue Birds were perching, set up the digi, and made half a dozen desultory efforts...there were a lot of Blue Birds...but few would stay perched...lots of dizzy clips with blurry Blue Birds!...did get one clear short one, and a couple pics, for sometime...stumbled through the Hummocks back to the Boardwalk, and round to the Artist's Grove...where there were more Blue Birds, and another effort...tourists walking by, especially with pooches, made things problematic!!...sometimes they'd push the Bluebird Flock my way....there's something of an art to anticipating what critters will do when tourists happen along!...oh!...back at the Village beside the Road, Three Does resting...pic of just one....Acorn Woodpecker at the Woodpecker Tree...missed digi pic...could have kept trying, but went ahead and crossed Chapel Bridge...sighted Duck upstream from the Bridge...not sure which, but with binocs saw Duck was female Merganser!!...digi was set up, so sighted in...clips for sometime...happy to see Merganser!!...was soon surrounded by curious photogs..."it's a digital camera attached to a spotting scope, a digiscope"....picked up, footsteps make the Bridge bounce, and paddled up the south side of the River aways...more Merganser clips...and the Bluebirds were congregating on the opposite bank by the L Snag...tried for clips, but too far away...continued along the River downstream, past the Bridge all the way to Creek's End... quiet along the River...dont know where Merganser got to....turned at the Cottonwood Grove, and as I neared the Big Oak by CAD Beach, more Blue Birds...got a good clip...Flock moved over to the Boardwalk...just in time to scatter from approaching tourists....I walked between everyone, and continued along the River past the Boardwalks to a favorite lunch sit spot on the Bank...just around the Bend a bit, where I can look back at Cloud's Rest...and ate lunch...two Fish jumps startled enough to frighten....couldn't figure out what was making the noise so close!...I think they were Fish jumps!....hugged the River all the way around to Swinging Bridge...getting late, and I wanted to get to the Broken Cottonwood in Two Top Pine Meadow...Bluebirds are often there in late evening...when Bluebirds are around!...quiet in Chapel Meadow...at Swinging Bridge, sunlight splashing on leafless Young Cottonwood upstream, with a darkdark background, and reflection in the River...pic, which I like...for sometime!....another photog on the Bridge cued me to the Tree, and I had the best angle...which I think they picked up on, and the photog behind, the photog behind the photog behind!...photogs all over...I thought Horsetail Falls gathering was over...hmmph!...anyway, made it to the Broken Cottonwood for about five minutes of sunlight on the Snag Branches...good place for Little Bird pics...but no luck...sat awhile in the fading light...two tourists came by from along the River, photog came by from the Path, chasing a pic of the the light behind the Three Brothers Wall...it was a great day for scenics!....and then...and then I heard Pileated Woodpecker...I'd heard one call back by the Bridge, but now I heard two calls from the Scorched Forest...and the calls repeated....and I sighted two Pileateds fly to Two Top Pine!....oh!...I want to be over there, I thought, but was where I was...couldn't sight, and picked up...some light still on the Cottonwoods, and I sighted Bluebirds flying to perch high in the Branches, what I had expected...and joining the Bluebirds, was one Pileated from Two Top!...very cool...clip with 20x....and then I heard a loud hollow taptap from a newly broken Cottonwood...and sighted the second Pileated...was able to sight the digi from where I was...scenic pic up....and took some clips...didn't know that in one, until review, I captured the arrival of the first Pileated...but did notice while in the 'tunnel' (eyes right up to the lcd screen!) a second bill while doing the clips...and so was able to take clips of both...have more clips than those up!...was very fortunate...and it was very Providential for the Two to be on the Cottonwood in the Terrific Light!...while doing the clips, the Bluebirds and a DownyOrHairy Woodpecker were overhead..tried for clip, but elevation too steep...and went back to the Pileateds....one by one the Pileateds flew off upriver, calling....have the makings of a very good long clip!...picked up, and on the Path, sighted the Bluebirds perched, and got silhouette clips...light gone...one last pic of the Bluebirds with Upper Falls background...for sometime....nearing the Rooms along the Path, lots of Robins calling and talking and flying about...how many Robins and Bluejays did I see today?...lots and lots!...and they broke the quiet spell over the Valley...that and the warmwarmtshirtwarm....sunny blueblue with sometimes hazy clouds....weather....wore the fiberfill coat all day, but only needed it in the early morning and late evening....report the Poppies are budding along the Lower Merced...tried to keep count of the Birds...sorta...recollect hearing Northern Flicker call...and of course, Ravens everywhere...and another Ouzel by Swinging Bridge...a fine day!...oh, while doing the Pair clips, I heard yet another Pileated call over by Swinging Bridge.... Three Pileateds!...and email pics report from Andrew and Cathy in Texas...(my nephew's family)...their kids playing in the Snow...very cool...it was seventy today in the Meadow...sighted another Turtleback Butterfly...
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