Where Blue Birds Fly

After Breakfast, Shuttled over to the Village....Old Tinted Photo from ebay came...Vernal Falls back when the Two Top Pine was still standing (just a Tall Snag now)....paddled back through Bobcat Meadow...sat awhile at the Oak With Branch That Arcs Over Halfdome...quiet...Acorn Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, Blue Jay that calls like Red Shoulder Hawk, Mountain Chickadee call at Creek Bridge...sunny blueblue cool...friend at Post Office said they saw Horsetail Falls Firefall last night, so rolled out to El Cap...parking pull out I wanted occupied (this just past Bridalveil parking)....walked back with all the gear, and found a place to set up at the base of the Road Bank near the Merced...waitedwaited, but shadows covered over Horsetail...still got some nice pics and clips...thereabout, Two Nuthatches, and Ouzel Pair--Ouzels singing on way back to Silver....a quiet day, I'd say!, which is okay--been rolling about a bit much!!...and hectic at work...pics up from Carrizo Plain--over the Rainbow...oh!...visited the Art Show at the Museum...saw Sandy's Milkweed Pic, and talked a bit with Mitch, the volunteer host, who is very cool......Hawks might be Ferrugenous Hawks...

Western Grebe

Or Clark's Grebe!...pics from El Capitan Beach last Tuesday morning...after I parked, I gathered the gear, and paddled along the Beach...sighted Grebes...in digiclip up, another Water Bird swims by....Black Phoebe pair about...looked to have nest in the Low Cliffs...Cormorant fly by...pic...Birds singing in the Brush, but couldn't sight...Tide was in, or would have tide pooled in a small Rocky area...lots to do plans for the day, and so time...continued on 101 with Moro Bay in mind, but saw sign for 166, Bakersfield 122 miles...I had thought going North on the Coast would put me a little closer to Bakersfield, but as it seems, I was on the circumference of a circle with Bakersfield in the middle...so decided to take 166 East....cool Road...starts out passing a Reservoir Lake, but couldn't see any visitor area....now and then all morning , I'd see Hawk, once maybe Falcon, once maybe even Bigger Wings trying to reach a road killed critter next to traffic, but there was no way to stop on 101, and 166, while a country road, had no pull outs, or even passing lanes...rolled many miles sandwiched between eighteen wheelers...lamenting this, I passed the sign: Corrizo Plain National Monument 2 Miles, and U Turned around to looksee....two miles along the Road, I reached a Visitors Sign....it explained the 58 Mile Old narrow Road, much of it Graded Dirt, that goes through the Plain and links to 58, which would take me to Bakersfield....a real SomedaySomewhere Road!....report for sometime...Today: after Breakfast, was dressed warm, and sitting on the Bunk, and, tilted over and took a nap...and feel remiss, as it was a knockdown blueblue after snow fall morning....tomorrowmorrow....

Hummock

After Breakfast, paddled out to Bobcat Meadow...quiet, Hummocks Snow covered, Ponds frozen pretty much....scenic pics...lots of photogs about...puff clouds and blue sky, some light snow in the afternoon, clear tonight, and cold!....report of Bobcat by the Post Office yesterday--'saw Bobcat four times!'...and another report today of Bobcat out in Bobcat Meadow, with pics, 'eight feet away', that I look forward to seeing!...short post tonight--time taken up with trying to id new birds seen on weekend trip!...and I need to find out what Plants Hummocks are!!

El Cap Beach Bandtail Pigeon

After Breakfast, Shuttled over to the Village, checked mail--mail box has become a depository for conservation groups and such requesting donations!, and near my box is is the junk mail 'box'..hmmph...anyway, paddled back to Bobcat Meadow....had sighted a track by the Creek Bridge from the Shuttle, and plodded through the newest snowfall to looksee--Grey Squirrel hops....Snowplow had just cleared the Path, and I continued out to Chapel Bridge...scenic pics....sighted Mallard fly over, up the Merced, and bank over to the Hummocks, and settle down by the Elm...checked time--time enough, and followed...Mallard wasn't there, but sighted Two Mallards land at the Hummock Ponds, and heard greeting calls from Mallards already there (apparently, only Female Mallards quack)....when I reached the Oaks of Flicker Grove by the Ponds, sighted Six Mallards....Mallards looked to be settling in for a nap, but the Snow, and Thin Ice on the Pond, was disturbing....pics and clips....One Mallard would paddle out onto the Pond, breaking the Ice, leading....I have clip of this for sometime...cloudy, cold to cool, snow to snowrain to snow, clear tonight, cold, maybe a foot of wet snow....Bandtail Pigeon pic taken at El Capitan Beach....Tuesday morning, from Santa Barbara, I took 101 north, and while still along the Coast, I wanted to stop...sighted El Cap Beach, and pulled up to the Kiosk, which looked open, but no one about...I waited a moment, and looked for maybe the self service permit dispenser, but with no luck, and then a pick up truck pulled up behind...I had thought to just get out and look for the permit thing, but didn't want to be in the way, but didn't know where to park, so pulled ahead to park in one spot visible, which had a red curb bumper...and of course the park maintenance worker in the pick up climbed out, and 'whatcha doin?'...'visiting'...'oh'...and I saw the permit thing....'you can't park there, that's a red bumper'....and I saw the parking spots in front of the permit thing...'I'll move'.....which I did, and bought a ten dollar permit from the permit thing which is like hidden with no signage to indicate where it is!....anywayanyway, I sat awhile under the Oaks on a picnic bench thereabout, saw two Pigeons or Doves hidden high in the Branches, got the newer camera, and went out into the Road for vantage...worker returned to gather permit thing's payments, and checked my dash, where I had been careful to set the permit!....I was fifteen minutes early--gate opens at eight--and felt like the time was running on the twenty minute parking in the permit spot....another worker, or ranger opened the gate, five to eight, and I asked the first, 'Is there day use parking beyond the gate?'...I can be subtle....pics from the Beach for sometime...reviewing the Pigeon or Dove pics, I was happy to see Bandtail Pigeons....didn't know Bandtail range all the way to the Coast...very cool...miss seeing Bandtails hereabout lately....

Antelope Squirrel

Pic up is an Antelope Squirrel, I think, from Carrizo Plain rollabout....Critter, I saw several scurrying farfar away and into Burrows, didn't look to have a Tail... Squirrel's profile looks to be the Antelope Squirrel's though, but I'm having trouble matching the coloration with pics on web...looking for pics and id, I find that a Solar Panel Power facility is being approved, like tomorrow!, for the Plain, which, I'm guessing, includes more than just the Monument, where such thing should be excluded, I think!....I kinda cringe when I see pics of solar power facilities--everything living is gone from such areas...it's just dirt, and the facility....anyway, slept in, went to work--and that was it today!...cool to cold, overcast--tonight, sparkly tiny Snow Flakes like glitter in the Grounds Lights started to fall on the walk back to the Cabin after work...

Long Billed Curlew

Back to the Valley from Bakersfield just in time for work...sunny hazy, puff clouds in the mountains, warm...orchards starting to bloom...thirty five per cent, tv news reports. and that crop of Almonds may be lost in the cold Storm forecast...short post!...too much to review and organize tonight!...Curlew pic from Bolsa Chica...

Carrizo Plain Hawk

Oh!, another long day!....early Morning, gathered the gear and rolled out 101, and not far North of Santa Barbara, sighted El Capitan Beach--a visit and looksee...and that's kinda how the whole day went along Ventura Freeway, to 166, across the Carrizo Plain, and 58 to Bakersfield....it wasn't what I thought and planed for, Morro Bay, but if I had known I would venture through the Carrizo Plain, it would have been!!...a very cool place...Wild Flowers not blooming yet, but that time is a definite sometime return visit!!....and too for sometime, pics, clips, and report of the long day....cerulean blue with puff clouds, sorta cool, and clear....Sierra are most always clear, save for fire season, but the last two days in the flat lands, it was just as clear!!....Hawk pic just before I reached 58 on the Carrizo Road...

Wild Turkeys

Rolling down the hill, sighted Wild Turkeys in the Mid Pines County Park Parking Lot (asked friend how big this Park is, and 'that's it'), pulled into pullout, u turn, parked in the Lot, and chased about after Turkeys!...some cool clips for sometime....after Breakfast at Happy Burger (Mariposa) managed to, with some creative braking, roll pretty much nonstop, except for food and such, all the way to Hwy. 39--99 to 5 to 405....this would be in Orange County, my home--Garden Grove....going the other way, from Magic Mountain to the top of the Grapevine, it was bumpertobumper(the north going lane I observed going south!) which, after business errand finished, diverted me from 405 to Ventura Freeway on trying to return as far as Bakersfield...or something...for a bit there I was hitting too many bumpitybumps, and was honked at--too sleepy!...and so end up where I am about now, somewhere in Santa Barbara!!...seemed like everytime I took an off ramp, there were no motels, or ones there looked uninviting..oh..what a long rollabout!!!...anywayanyway, tomorrowmorrow, a visit to Moro Bay, and then inland to Bakersfied and visit with family....cerulean blue day, with a few puffy clouds--could see all the Mountains surrounding Bakersfield, and at Bolsa Chica Wildlife Refuge, could see Catalina, and Long Beach Skyline distinctly, and I dont think I have everever seen so many cars--it's been nearly 15 years since I really rolled around my Old Home Roads!.....it's latelate, and for sometime, report and pics of Bolsa Chica (had but an hour to walkabout), and Turkey clips!

Hummocks

After Breakfast, tried to push and prod the Melted Frozen Snow off Silver...friend has trick, put a good coat of wax on car...I was having no luck, and thought to just drive around a bit to warm up the bottom of the Snow Pack on the Hood...rolled out to Bobcat Meadow and parked in the Sun too...felt remiss taking up tourist parking!....paddled over to the Village...checked mail...no smog test this year!...just registration fee....paddled back...Hundred Blue Jays, Acorn Woodpeckers, Ravens...Hummock Ponds at the Meadow mostly frozen...pics up...Green Hummock Stems coming up....Green Grasses too--food for Deer...snow is melting fast, sunny blueblue, warm....hopped back in Silver, and rolled around to Siberia and back...quiet...and Back at the Cabin, Sunshine and engine heat worked--IceSnow came right off....but gotta remember to knock the Snow off at first opportunity!...140 is RO, but will still be a caution early tomorrow, departure time settled on!!....Big Moon tonight shining tonight through the Pines and Clouds above the Glacier Wall....

Rocky Slope

After Breakfast, paddled over to Rocky Slope...scenic pics....around about Camp 4....maybe half a dozen Tents, Snow over a foot deep on the Tables...pics....and across the Road and half across the Burnt Forest....Snow drifts thereabout up above my knees....and that all wore me out...continued on Snowplowed Pavement and the Path out to Two Top Pine Meadow...pics for sometime....and returned along the Merced...scenic pics....along the way: Ravens, Blue Jays, Acorn Woodpecker call, Little Bird call...quiet....and when I neared the Cabin, Deer in the Backyard--Doe right in front of Silver....pics and clips...Siberia Mama Doe and Two Fawns, and Cabin or Last Chance Mama Doe and Fawn, and one more Doe....same Deer at Lower Falls yesterday...all night fluffy flakes, cloudy sunny until late afternoon, and more tiny flakes, clear tonight, warm cool, below freezing late night, which is a concern for Sunday long trip to Southern California for weekend...not quite sure when to leave...Road might be best after work, best meaning not icy slippery, and that would be an all night drive....an early morning departure would mean icy road too, and maybe tule fog in the big valley too...it's a business errand, but I would like to go along the Coast on way back...just thinking aloud!!

Lower Falls Deer

After Breakfast, paddled over to the Village...on the way, at Lower Falls, Deer were about--Two Bucks, Siberia Mama Doe and Two Fawns, Cabin, or Last Chance, Mama Doe and One Fawn, and another Doe...pics and clips!....Hundred Blue Jays, Robin call--all I noted!...was looking for Bobcat!, but no luck...snowrain day, cool, snowflakes after dark....problem with clicking on pic to enlarge them has re occurred....posted explanation on Mast....problem is with Microsoft's Security Program, and only shows up with Internet Explorer browsers...it's kindof an absurdity....brb....

quote

Problem: When a picture in the blog is clicked to enlarge, and when the action happens to send the user to 3.bp.blogspot.com/ , a flag that says This website has been reported as unsafe is posted by Microsoft.

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger/thread?tid=1c8b5078eb08c10a&hl=en

unquote

Lower Falls Bobcat

After Breakfast, Shuttled over to the Village, and just as I stepped off, heard the Shuttle Driver say, 'there's a Bobcat'...oh!...paddled up to the front of the Shuttle, and asked 'where?'....took me awhile to sight Bobcat...first pic up....wanted to get in front, but Ravens came over on attack, and Bobcat trotted over behind the Club House, somewhere!...lost sight, but there was a trail, and followed best I could, all the way to the Hummocks in Bobcat Meadow!!...where I found a second track...but no Bobcat, and in the open Meadow, this was a bit of a puzzle...left off, checked mail, saw even more tracks on the return....but when I did head back to the Cabin through the Oak Grove, sighted Bobcat under a Pine at the Intersection...and was able to follow Bobcat into the Oaks by Owls Old Snag Oak....and thereabout was joined by friend, and photogs began to gather, and cars began to stop and looksee, and, I just sat on the Split Rail Fence awhile after some farfar away pics, and watched....and wait for a notion where Bobcat was headed....a guess was the Lower Falls stop, and I trotted out to the Road, and down the Road, and found a place at the Split Rail Fences to kneel, and wait, wait for the photogs to herd Bobcat my way!....a trick I've learned from previous jams!!....and I got some pics when Bobcat came my way...Bobat will come very close, and not be disturbed...I lost sight, but regained it when I saw the photogs by the Creek Footbridge...Bobcat was just the other side of the Fence, and crouched completely flat, listening. I think....I left off, Bobcat needs to catch food, and is engaged in serious pursuit...tourist find it remarkable that Bobcat can shut out their observing, talking, walking, and clicityclic cameras!.....oh, but Cats are good at this!!....light snowfall off and on all day into the night, and through tomorrow, forecast says....I set the newer camera to Tv, iso 800, with 1250 shuttler speed, and the auto exposure grabbed f stops between 7 and 10....the auto focus missed some of the closest opportunities, and the Fences were in the way, and sometimes running down the Road is a lot of fun hereabout!!

Snow Trees

Opened the Door, and it was Snowing, and after Breakfast, paddled out to Bobcat Meadow--just the waterproof camera with....pics and clips...quiet...at the Village, Grey Squirrel, and Black Bird on a Boulder resting while I waited at the Shuttle Stop...Shuttled back to the Cabin and checked a note left on the Door the night before...thought it was package delivery note, and so the errand trip to the Village, but it was a 'come to work at three thirty note'(hours being trimmed)--should open notes!...anyway, I had more time, and made the Inside Loop counterclockwise...more pics and clips!....at the very end of the walkabout, in the Backyard by the Fig Tree, happened on Three Does and Three Fawns...Siberia Mama Doe and Two Fawns, and either Cabin Fawn, or Last Chance Fawn--I think!...anywayanyway, a fine walkabout, no one about, and Snow falling sometime, and clearing sometime, and clips for sometime!!...took one more Snow Tree pic after work...order of pics (not order I took them!) Artists' Grove, Backyard, Ozone Cottonwoods (fallen log is where I sit at Lunch), Flicker Grove Oaks, and Lower Falls, and Tree in the Door!

Rainbow Pool Hawk

Monday morning, gathered the gear, and rolled down the Hill to Oakhurst for new tires for Silver...wobbled a bit...no...just plain wobbled! on the way, but new tires fixed the wobble on the way back...thanks to Big O Tires!...anyway, lots of daylight left, and no storm, and rolled over to Groveland for a long planed, but often diverted, overnight visit with friends....much fun, and on rollabouts, saw the neighborhood....one visit was to Rainbow Pool...thereabout, Ranger was releasing Raccoon accidentally trapped while trying to catch Feral Cats...pic....and nearing thereabout, Hawk, Redtail on Snag beside Road...friends are familiar with my routine! and found a pull out....pics...but missed some good Redtail pics when card filled up....lots of souvenir clips and pics....and scenics on return to the Valley....pretty day with clouds from the edges of the storms which are crossing up North....rolling by Bobcat Meadow, sighted Mallards...dropped off gear at the Cabin, returned, and sighted Three Mallards at the Hummocks...pic...still some light, and thought to go see Horsetail Falls, but it's been awhile since I made the Inside Loop to Creek's End...paddled out to Ozone Beach, quiet, and walked along the Merced to the Creek...thereabout, Two Male Mergansers, and One Female Merganser came by flying furiously down river....I wondered if Mergansers were going all the way to Mariposa to the Pond by the Fair Grounds...on the Monday morning rollback, I sighted Ducks there, pulled over, walked back for faraway pics, and thought Mergansers, but reviewing pics tonight, I see Ducks were Golden Eyes, and I now have pics, farfar aways, of Male and Female Golden Eyes...very cool!....this morning, I was out and about early to try and find the Owls near my friends' house, but no luck...but lots of other Birds....Canada Geese, Robins, Starlings, Rosy Finches, Hummingbird, Blue Heron, Acorn Woodpeckers, Egret, Stellar Jay, Scrub Jay, and some calls I couldn't id....saw Buzzbirds over Oakhurst....more visits to Groveland for sometime soon...lots to see in and around the Canyons of the Tuolumne!!

Nine Mallards

After Breakfast, paddled out to the Hummocks...quiet, Mallards somewhere...and over to under the Oaks by the Elms to sit awhile...quiet too!...Hundred Blue Jays, Acorn Woodpeckers, Phoebe, and Robin call...made the Loop around Bobcat Meadow...Mountain Chickadee call at the Creek Footbridge....sunny blueblue warm, a few hazy clouds...at Lunch: found the Mallards' 'where'...all Nine Mallards by the opposite Bank at Ozone Beach....pic up...Ravens overhead, Phoebe call...quiet...on the morning walk, overheard tourists talk about Cat sizes by Lower Falls, and they likely had seen Bobcat thereabout...report of Two Coyotes at the West End of Two Top Pine Meadow....

Robin

Took along mini donuts and orange juice to the Hummocks...snacked...quiet...no Mallards about!....continued under the Oaks by the Road..Acorn Woodpeckers and Hundred Blue Jays about....Black Phoebe perched atop the Small Volunteer Ponderosas that are taking over Bobcat Meadow...all the Meadows actually...Phoebe likes the Small Pines for perches....checked mail, reported waterproof camera found...and while waiting for the Shuttle to return, heard Nuthatch call...oh...and White Headed Woodpecker on a Cedar next to the Cabin when I stepped outside...sunny blueblue warmer....at Lunch: sat awhile at the Ozone Beach Cottonwoods...heard call I thought was DownyOrHairy Woodpecker back in the Alders...short pipings...but then I heard a melody--Robin!...very cool..first Robin sighting of the New Year...maybe it's Spring now, but small Storm forecast for Monday...'felt like a hint of spring'--tv weather newscaster.....'one degree away of record'....75/76...Fresno I think....but 3,000 foot snow level next Monday....62 hereabout today...