Hawk And Ravens

Out and about before Sunrise with all the gear...across the Creek from the Swath, Fog all across Bobcat Meadow...and Fog over the Merced at Creek's End...pics....thought to make this morning the Bird Count Walk (6am--Oct. 30 yesteryear)....Acorn Woodpecker, Song Sparrow, Mallard, and Pygmy Owl (?), the first calls I heard....made the Inside Loop....the Fallen Cedar is still in place, but swung more in line with the River....Young Buck back at Cottonwood Bend...clip....continued out to Two Top Pine Meadow...Fog thereabout too...pics...hungry and sleepy...Breakfast at Last Chance, and to the Cabin to nap...Bird Count for later...and Tioga for another time too...out and about again at Noon....paddled over to the Village around by Lower Falls and through Bobcat Meadow....Black Phoebe on the Woodpecker Tree...pic and clip....checked mail...wanted to get lunch in the Village, but too crowded!..Shuttled back to Last Chance...picked up lunch...roast beef, chocolate cookie, gator aid....and paddled out to Two Top Pine Meadow, and sat a long while on the Burnt Log....Mallards...pic and clip...Blue Birds about, but far away on the Snag Willows....water in the Grasses between me and Blue Birds...thought to get close for pics, and was starting to unlace one Boot, and all the Blue Birds flew in a flock towards the Tree Line by the River...Hawk?...looked up, and Hawk was being chased by Two Ravens....pics....cool...sat awhile longer...ate lunch...quiet...and paddled back along the River all the way to Creek's End...Ouzel thereabout...pic...back at the Cabin, watched basketball on tv....and then back out with all the gear at Dusk...heard hoo hoos from Sentinel...and almost sighted Sentinel perched, but Sentinel flew off low through the Trees upcreek...tried to follow, but no luck, and no calls to locate...bit disappointed...I had diverted from Tioga in hope of seeing the hoo hoos...light gone, and on return, when I reached the Swath, heard hoo hooo again, and close by....located Sentinel in Tall Ponderosa by the RipRap....pic and clip....Sentinel flew across the Creek...quiet....while returning along the Dirt Road, heard Pygmy Owl (?) call....and earlier in the morning I heard a call I couldn't recognize, but wondered it if was Fledgling Pygmy Owl...brb....well...I searched for call on web...and not sure, but pretty sure call is Pygmy Owl, though not sure at all what the strange call was!...oh...when I went to sit on the Burnt Log, sighted Praying Mantis next to the Log...see clip...oh!!..and in the Buck clip, right at the end, one can hear just once the strange morning call!