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....