Merced Wildlife Refuge

Coming back to the Cabin after Breakfast, sighted Coyote on the Path in the Backyard...far away pics...tried to follow...reached the Creek Bridge, and sat awhile...Mallard flyover...blurry pics... still time, but back to the Cabin-watched TV a bit until work...it's hot and quiet and fatiguing!...sunny hothot blue....at Lunch: sat awhile by the Fallen Cedar...Little Yellow Bird in the Willow...no luck for pic....Song Sparrow call, Raven, Blue Jay, Acorns, Ouzel pair flyby, singing....and Pileated call!..I think...too loud it seemed for Flicker....

Pics up are from visit two Mondays back to Merced Wildlife Refuge....I was the only one there in the afternoon, save for maintenance crew releasing water....just getting ready for the Winter arrival....sighted Rabbit when I first arrived and parked..Kestrel too....a few Birds in the far distance seen from a small Observation Deck...hopped in Silver and drove slow along the RoadPath...pull outs here and there...at the first one, glimpsed a Kangaroo Mouse...would really like to have gotten pic!...now and then could see Hawks, and Long Necked Wading Birds....parked at Bitten Marsh...think that's what it was called...RoadPath makes a loop around the Refuge...sighted Redshoulder Hawk perched...and went Tree to Tree to Tree...but Hawk far away..it's very hard to get close in open fields!...and the lighting is impossible!...anyway..a little further on the Dirt Road was bordered by Cottonwoods,which made an updraft in the Wind, and Two Redtail Hawks were soaring...think they're Redtails...the Dark Morphs I see in the illustrations...One Redtail perched on a Telephone Pole, and was calling...actually left the Dirt Road and went into the Trees for pic...a not to do thing I imagine!....anyway...back at the entrance, sighted Kestrel again perched on Power Pole with Prey...pic, but like nearly all the pics, badly backlit...time to go is on cloudy day, or early morning, and when there is water, and the migration arrives...Refuge is near enough that trips to Merced will include it...this trip was just a quick looksee....sighted Two more Rabbits, and a herd of Ground Squirrels crossing the Dirt Road...