Creek Fawn

Shuttled over to the Village...Mama Doe resting in the Creek upcreek from the Footbridge...took note of tourists with cameras out, and thought on return to check to see if One Fawn was about too...and was!...downcreek on the other side of the Creek Bridge...pics and clip....forgot mail on Bench, and paddled back to the Village...mail okay, and again Shuttled to Lower Falls...this time Young Buck was under the Bridge...too dark pics...continued out to Creek's End and made the Inside Loop....DownyOrHairy Woodpecker at Cottonwood Bend on opposite Shore....saw DorH Woodpecker too at Breakfast outside the Big Windows...sunny hothotblue, no breeze until later....napped until late afternoon...watched Bones repeats....geared up and paddled out to Two Top Pine Meadow, and sat awhile on the Burnt Log....after short while, sighted Hawk fly from and to the edge of the Burnt Forest....the newer camera has higher iso exposure settings, and tried 3200, which resulted in very noisy/grainy pic...but Hawk looks to be Cedar....thought to try to get closer, but had the digiscope with, I thought, but while putting it together realized I left parts in the Cabin...a common goof!...anyway, Hawk flew further along the Tree Line....picked up and followed...just as I got to Two Top, which has a climbing rope attached which should be removed!, Hawk flew off deep into the Burnt Forest...followed, but no luck....started to take the Diversion Channel back to the Cabin, and startled Mama Doe and One Fawn...set the newer camera to 6400, and pic, while blurry from motion, has okay exposure...this shows promise for Owl pics--Owl sits very still!....talkabout at dinner with friends, catching up on Critter stories....very cool....

trip report: second time looking for the Elkhorn Slough Wildlife Refuge, I found it okay several miles up the turn off at the Coast, and after another turn....Slough reminds me a bit of the Newport Beach Back Bay, but not so developed....stopped in the Nature Center to get oriented...learned of the Barn Owls in the Barn, and was advised to wash my boots in the step in pans filled with cleanser...some kinda plant bug a concern....paddled down the Paths towards the Barn, and sighted two Hawks right away...was kinda anxious to see Hawk!...and voice from behind advised Peregrine Falcon was to my right...far away Hawk pics, but Falcon too far for pic...voice belonged to a docent who was very helpful, and reported digiscoping Condors at the Pinnacles....almost thought to divert thataway, yet again!...found Gopher Snake--docent identified....Barn Owl was home with Babies maybe, but barely discernible through the digiscope that I set on Hay Bales....paddled out to the View Dock...Shore Birds too far away, but lots of them...Buzz Birds too...often could hear Red Shoulder Hawk, and tried to follow...sighted Kestrel, but too far away too!....started back, but still could hear Red Shoulder, and followed sorta inland to a valley like low place, with Home on a Bluff in the distance...and there I saw Red Shoulder, Red Tail, and Buzz Birds..sometimes all together....startled Deer...bounded away too quick for pic...like at Point Lobos, one has to stay on the Paths...made me appreciate hereabout where I often go off trail Tree to Tree, bounding away!...but I found both Point Lobos and Elkhorn Slough to be charming places, and for returns sometime!.....time, and left off with promise to come back for the Winter Bird arrivals...talked with couple about the Hawk migration at Marin and Hawk Hill...'flocks of Kites'...and almost diverted thataway, again!...but time, and back to the Valley....with much delay--my first traffic jam in awhile, from Gilroy to San Luis Rey Reservoir about!--fender benders and roadside brush fires...hmmph...