Townsend's Solitaire

Pic of Grey Bird is from yesterday...checked Law's, and web google images, and it looks to be a Townsend's Solitaire, and a first sighting for me...so posted Solitaire up again!...very cool...yesterday I walked about Bobcat Meadow, and to the Fallen Cedar at Lunch...same as today!....sunny magnificent blue, bit windy in the morning, quiet, and at Lunch today, windy with puff clouds, so quiet...cool too...at Lunch, Male Merganser came flying high around Ozone Bend, and around the next Bend upstream...and then came back and landed on the Merced at that Bend, which needs a name......five minutes of time left, and hoped Merganser would float right by...but no luck...minute late getting back...report of Blond Bear again at Lower Falls...and Bear with 'orange tag' at Four Mile Trail Head...

Juncos

"Do you have some vacation time?"

"Yeah...some....wait...lots in fact!"

"Feel like cleaning Birds?"

quote
Although a California-based organization, the Oiled Wildlife Care Network is currently advising officials on scene in Louisiana and has deployed the director, Dr. Mike Ziccardi, to assist with the wildlife response activities.

While volunteers are not being requested at this time, if you are interested in obtaining volunteer information, please call 1-866-448-5816. Two ways to track the event are to visit the Deepwater Horizon site and the OWCN blog, which will be updated frequently.
http://www.owcn.org/

unquote

Yellow Rump Warbler

Sleepy and hungry from yesterday...so out for an early Breakfast...and back for a snooze...had a little time on the way to work...Acorn Woodpecker in the Backyard Cedars...pic...White Headed Woodpecker Pair...no pics...mixed flock of Little Birds on the Path...Chicadee...pic for sometime...Creeper..farawaypic....Juncos...Little Bird I couldn't identify...blurry pic.... DownyOrHairy Woodpecker....pic...and the Yellow Rump...and then it started RainSnowing...sat in Last Chance and reviewed the pics...cloudy rainysnowy cool...report of 'Big Blond Bear' at Lower Falls in the morning....

Rainy Day Pileated Woodpecker

Shuttled over to the Village...just to check mail, but bought some new Summer Boots...back at the Cabin, put them on, geared up, and started out to Vernal Falls...checked Bobcat Meadow on the way..took the Shuttle from Sentinel Parking to Pines Stop....thought I sighted, well, maybe Owl in an Oak Hollow back in Stoneman Meadow...I just did this last week!...and checked again...but just fooled again by the shape of the Tree...hmmph....Mallard about...flew right towards and by me...wish I'd had had the camera out...it had been my thought!...picked up, and walked out along the Rocky Slope, and nearing the Fen, sighted Grosbeak...pic...and from same place, Pileated Woodpecker, and at the same time, Brown Furry Tail...wanted to pursue the Tail, but would lose Pileated, which was in between...an often time dilemma...content with Pileated clip....a fine hike up about two thirds of the Mule Trail, where one can see Nevada Falls, and then go down to Vernal Falls...pics and clips...heard a Bird thereabout I couldn't locate...recorded call...for sometime....visited all the view sights along the way...and was just coming away from looking over Vernal from the Railing, and kinda daydreaming about the Dark Clouds and the Blackwall of Granite looming over the Big Steps, where I was headed, going up the Granite Slope..and...down I went...taking a fall on Slippery Wet Granite happens so fast!...no injury, though I noted a bump below my elbow tonight!...Wet Granite places, like the Silver Strand, and Boulders at Bridalviel, are just treacherous for the tourists, who have no experience with trail hazards...continued down the Big Steps, just one of my favorite places in Rain and Dusk with Vernal Roaring and Misting and Windy and...it's all a marvel...I clambered down the Big Steps very carefully, but when I reached the Steps End, two young tourists, English I think, came running up from behind...paused a moment to talkabout...and then off they went...I hikebout slowly, I know my limitations!....crossed Vernal Bridge, and down the Asphalt Path, which I dislike, it's an intrusion, and hurts my knees, but, in the Gloaming, with the Dark Sky and Rain and Black Stone, it kinda fit, with its wet asphalt black sheen...hmmph....Search and Rescue gathered at Happy Isles, all wearing Green Glow Sticks...gearing up for training hike...cloudy grey sprinkles to heavy rain at dusk...a patch of blue over Nevada, but just for a moment, cool...Rainy Day scenics, pics and clips, for sometime....chilibreadbowl for dinner at Last Resort...oh...snacked, sitting on the Fir Roots by the Waterwheel, watching the Merced cascading under the Footbridge...animal crackers and hersheys...

Deer Chase

Paddled out through Bobcat Meadow on the way to the Village on an errand....Hummingbird at the Apple Tree by the Woodpecker Tree...pic...thought to stop and get more pics and clips, and thought again to do that on the way back...same thought about Brown Creeper's Home in the Artist's Grove, where I thought yesterday to return and waitandwatch...but the errand needed doing...and once done, I was tired and hot and my stomach felt woosey...so Shuttled back to the Cabin for a snooze...woke up feeling better, and cooler outdoors, so returned to where I thought to be earlier!...but no Hummingbird or Brown Creeper about...sat awhile by the Brown Creeper Home...think it's their Home...and ate a snack...friend came by, and I related the history of how I acquired my cameras, and their use....it's become quite a lecture!...friend is still back in the film age...anyway...picked up, and paddled myself across Chapel Bridge...the green canoe paddler was thereabout earlier...walked out through the Meadow on the Use Path, and usually this time of year, I encounter a Pond when I nearly reach the Boardwalks...and there was hardly any water thereabout...which reminded me that last Monday it was dry thereabout...and then I saw Two Mallards glide to a landing on the other side of the Road ahead...'That's curious,' I thought....there's no Ponds there...but when I was diverted out the Boardwalk to the Road (had wanted to continue along the Merced...but photog in front..)...I heard like a Warterfall in the Forest over thataway...the Occasional Creek that comes down the left side of Sentinel is running...and when I looked across the Road, I could see water running along side the Road...and it was filling a large Pond in the Meadow thereabout, where the Mallards had gone...well, this all seemed a bit of a mystery, and I crossed the Road and followed the Creek upstream...and discovered that a Black Oak fallen over had made a debris damn and diverted the Creek from its usual channel!...oh..if I was Sherlock Holmes, I would have figured this out when I saw the Mallards!...anyway, back at the Road, I related my observation to a Park Service worker, who was pretty nonchalant about it all...butbut..Chapel Meadow is dry!...and not getting it's usual Ponds..hmmph!...anyway...continued, and sat awhile at the Broken Cottonwood in Two Top Pine Meadow...there are Mallards flying about everywhere!...with the light fading, walked back along the River to Ozone Beach...Deer thereabout...clip...wanted to continue along the River to Creek's End...but River has inundated Ozone Beach..so walked along the Path a bit, and then back through the Woods to Creek's End...River is almost up to the Trunks of the Ponderosa and Lodgepole on Lodgepole Point!...looked across the Creek from the Swath...Deer over by the Deer House...and back to the Cabin....sunnybluehot in the morning...cooler with puff clouds dark underneath in the evening....paddled out around ten tonight to Lower Falls to see if the Moonbow was showing...and it was!...best I've seen...in fact, the only one I've seen with just my eyes...which is the only way I could, as too much mist to take pics...photogs about, but not a great many...would have liked to stand on the View Bridge awhile and just watch...but was getting cold and wet...and already sleepy!...so back to the Cabin...maybe I can figure out how to do a time exposure with the waterproof...and try for a pic tomorrow!

Brown Creeper

After Breakfast, paddled over to Bobcat Meadow...sat awhile at the Deer House...Robin about...moved a bit, and sat awhile in the shade of a Ponderosa near the Lilypad Pond...Mallard Flyover....thought to go sit awhile in the Artist's Grove..oh...all this sitting is to Sky Gaze, and maybe see Hawk in the Cerulean Blue...no luck, but at the Artist's Grove, the Brown Creepers took all my attention...I think I found Brown Creepers' Home!...see clip...will go waitandwatch tomorrow....time today, and looped back to the Cabin....sunny blue warm, forget to mention, but most days, the ghostly breeze for wind...at Lunch, sat by the Fallen Cedar, and a pair of Blackbirds were about...looking for nest making twigs I think......Merced is higher by a foot at least....Swifts or Swallows about...splashing into the River to catch Bugs...time...and on the Use Path back, an Oriole pair...I think!...oh!....on the way to work, the Path Hummingbird about...pics for sometime..and yesterday, at Chapel Bridge...a fisherman in waders right out in the middle of the Merced...first day of Trout Season!...which reminds me of the big splash near the Cottonwoods past Chapel Bridge before Sun Up on the walk last week...made me jump too!!...and I forgot the Spider....on the Path to work, a Bug with Red Wings flew by, right by my face...thought Lady Bug...and watched the Bug fly right into a Wooden Fence...and straight into a Spider's Web...and no sooner than I leaned over to peer, a Black Widow scrambled out on the filaments and dispatched the Bug...which I need to identify...not a Lady Bug...poor Bug...and I got a blurry clip with the waterproof, which is kinda scary to contemplate!...for the Bugs postup sometime....

Fawns And Elm

Out and about late...skipped Breakfast, but still only a little time...took all the gear....at Flicker Grove, glimpse of a glimpse of Hawk soaring over Bobcat Meadow....when I reached the Elm, with no luck, sighted Three Does and Three Fawns under the Elm...pics...and decided to sit awhile...thereabout a good vantage to watch the Sky over the Meadow...no luck the while there, but clips and pics of the Fawns...more lucky than not...sunny blueblue warmwarm...some different Little Birds at Lunch...late Lunch, and low light...and too late tonight to try and enhance the pics to identify....Yellow Feathers on the Little Birds...remembered the thought to be Red-tail Feather...and it looks to be one!...last three evenings, there's a group of Does and Fawns across the Merced from the Fallen Cedar.....Swifts or Swallows above the Meadow...

Blackbirds

Early Breakfast, more work on taxes, a snooze...and time for work!...did hear Brown Creepers about the Cabin...Kinglets too...sunnyblueblue warm....sat by the Fallen Cedar at Lunch...Merced has gone down almost a foot...pic of Sentinel's slope...and the Blackbirds foraging on the small debris floating amidst the Fallen Cottonwood...report of Three Hawks in Bobcat Meadow...oh...friend brought in a Feather to identify..and I forgot it at work...looked to be Redtail Tail Feather...haven't found a resource to identify feathers...brb...PBS has show on about Service Dogs...good show...oh...Wolfie lost her wristwatch, and I gave her my little Owl Watch...which is a hit amongst her friends...l let them know where I got it...search Owl Watch on ebay...I'll have to get a supply of them...they make nice gifts...oh...the Feathers search...brb....searched: feathers wiki, and there this link:http:

//www.lab.fws.gov/featheratlas/

Hawk And Coyote

Late Breakfast...just a croissant and coffee...and just enough to time for one go round of Bobcat Meadow...oh...heard the Path Hummingbird on the way to Breakfast....anyway...at Flicker Grove, sighted Hawk, Redtail, soar over to an Oak and Perch and Preen...difficult pics...same lighting as Monday!...looked down to try and set a better exposure...and Hawk flew off somewhere...one has an empty feeling in ones stomach when a critter is there one moment, and then gone!...imagine it meant nothing for dinner a long time ago!...paddled around the Meadow, but no luck...Juncos, Robins, Flickers, Blackbirds, Redwings, Mallards, Ravens....when I crossed the Road at Lower Falls on return, sighted Coyote crossing the Road about in front of the Cabin....pics...pic of tourists taking Coyote pic, wish I could post: husband has tiny point and shoot on monopod, a tall one, as camera is right at eye level..wife beside has map open, and has just looked up...and Coyote is in front walking to a space between the parked cars...oh..one has to see it...a smile and laugh!....cloudy grey warm....at Lunch, soon as I rounded the Rooms, heard what I think is Pygmy Owl call...one mellow tone slowly spaced....went out into the Woods, with the call right ahead..and Owl must have seen me, and was quiet...closest I've gotten to this call!...continued out to the Merced, and back along the Shore...Does and One Fawn on the other side of the River....top pics are...in order...all from Monday...Mallards...mystery bird...think it's Buzz Bird...Path Hummingbird...and the Yellow Bird which most closely looks like a Goldfinch in Laws (really like his paintings, he includes really subtle features of the Birds)...oh!!....Wolfie showed up yesterday at Last Chance, right in Season..."Did you see..."...her first words....and I interrupted..."Yes, I saw the Ring Tail Cat!!"...but no pics, I admitted...report of mild winter in Klamath Falls...Lakes low...

Rim

After late Breakfast, worked on taxes...most time spent going through the dishevelment for documents!...cloudy grey drizzly cool snowslushrain...good weather to be indoors!....at Lunch, lots of Robins about the Use Path to the Merced Shore....and just took some pics to remember that this Lunch's signature was Robins...but when reviewing, Robin has like two spears in the dark spots on chest...I'm guessing Robin is Male, and the spears are for mating, but searches are bringing up nothing....took some Snowy Rim pics too...the other signature of today!....

Link of the Day: (maybe of the year!)

http://www.usanpn.org/about/phenology

quote

Phenology is derived from the Greek word phaino, meaning to show or appear. It is the study of recurring plant and animal life cycle events, or phenophases, such as leafing and flowering, maturation of agricultural plants, emergence of insects, and migration of birds.

unquote

yes...Tree in the Door, Fauna and Flora....

and abc televsion did a bit...see this clip!

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=6915079

Hummocks

Artist pic from yesterday...over to Last Chance for late Breakfast....bit rainy...on the way back to the Cabin, a bit snowy!...curled up and snoozed....around two, paddled over to the Village, with the loop through Bobcat Meadow...Mallards about amongst the Hummocks...pics...picked up lunch: tuna, mixed crackers in a bag, orange juice, hersheys...which I haven't eaten yet!...was diverted...hopped on the Shuttle, and even though almost four, thought to go up to Vernal Falls...but at Stoneman Meadow, thought I saw Big Wings...hopped off at Pines stop, but no luck walking past the Meadow....hopped on the Shuttle again, and back to Camp 4 stop.....thought to go out to Two Top Pine Meadow, was hungry!, and sit and eat...but then thought to go to the Fallen Cedar....I'm keeping a sort of running account of thereabout!....Merced is up to the level of the little erosion bench I sit on, and further on the Hummocks are an island....oh!...way faraway pic of Redtail circling over Bobcat Meadow...and sighted too what looked to be three or four Buzz Birds....anyway, thought to go to Creek's End and around back to the Cabin...and at Creek's End, found Coyote's Track....very fresh!...and Does and Fawns resting in the Diversion Channel...reached the little Meadow by the Three Cedars, and startled Big Wings...followed flight into the Woods...but just a glimpse...wanted to follow the Coyote Track...but really wanted to follow Big Wings....and sighted Owl perched high deep in the Woods...clips and pics, but all back lit in low light....didn't want to disturb Owl, but wanted better light, so made a wide roundabout, and was able to sight Owl from the other side of the Ponderosa...and Owl was very sound asleep....pic and clip...picked up quietly, and back to the Cabin...a bit drizzly on the way to Last Chance for dinner...and a bit snowy on the way back to the Cabin!....Winter again, snowrain, cool, cloudy, an occasional patch of blue....report of Falcon circling and hunting over one of the Meadows...but reporter couldn't recall which one!....oh!...while doing the Owl clips, Coyote was howling over by the River...thought to go looksee, but seeing Owl was special....oh!...I set the new camera to auto...thought to get a better exposure of the Mallards....and in the low light, the flash popped up...'clickityclank!'...as it does, and woke Mallards up!....Male flew off, but a bit further on, I turned to see Mallard fly back...

Link of the Day: (an artist with the camera...thanks to Edie's blog for the heads up!)

http://www.artinnaturephotography.com/wordpress/

and link to photog's Owl article:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1771