Yellow Rump Warbler

After late Breakfast, Shuttled over to the Village...errand for laundry soap and trash bags--inspection tomorrow...Yellow-rumped Warblers about (sighted more Yellow Rumps along the Path, and in the Backyard by the Cabin on evening walk)...pics up...bottom pic is Female Yellow Rump...I think...Shuttled back...sunny blueblue a few wispy white clouds, warm...napped in the afternoon, fussed with the Cabin...pizza to go in the evening, and sat awhile at Sandpiper Beach on Ozone Boulder...Violet Green Swallows (lots!), Sandpipers, Junco, Robin, Song Sparrows, Redwing, Mallard, Grosbeak, Raven, and earlier behind the Cabin, Yellow Rumps, Flicker, and Yellow Warbler, all together on the Dirt Road...Yellow Warbler earlier too in the Village....morning walk back to Creek's End too...quiet...Sandpipers about...

no pics today

at Lunch: Grosbeak right outside Last Chance...tried for pics...well, wait...maybe I have one....nope..all blurry, or too far away...anyway, sat awhile at Sandpiper Beach on Ozone Boulder...Sandpipers, Song Sparrows, Juncos, Redwing, Blackbird, Raven, Mallard, Flicker call, and when I returned, Yellow Rump Warblers in the Oaks right outside the Doorway...tried for pics...no luck....oh...and Four Deer at Cottonwood Bend....and Blue Jay on Nest under the Eaves...second Nest I found looks abandoned...

Grey Squirrel

After Breakfast, Shuttled over to the Village...bit early for mail, so sat awhile waiting thereabout...quiet...mail came, and picked up new one terabite external drive, and Shuttled back...hopped off at Camp 4 Stop...quiet along the Path back to the Cabin...and a nap before long shift at work...dont know but a terabite of tourists were about!!...sunny blue with puff clouds along the rims in the morning, and rainy afternoon, warm...at Lunch: sat awhile in the Woods under the Ponderosa...Robin pic when I stepped out of Last Chance...Grosbeak chirping, Flicker call, Sandpiper call, Song Sparrow call, Raven call, Mallard call, and Grey Squirrel gathering nesting material...pic and clip up...oh...Brown Creeper call at the Cabin Cedar in the Morning...

no pics today

Well...I did take pics at Lunch: At Sandpiper Beach: Wood Pee Wee, Mallard Pair (clips too), Black Headed Grosbeak, Blackbird, Song Sparrow...but pics all farfar away, or blurry...Sandpipers, Violet Green Swallows, about too....overcast day, warm...

no pics today

sunny blueblue today, warm....at Lunch: paddled over to the Cabin to retrieve my forgotten meal card (and consequently left my keys on the bunk, and so locked out after work!...hmmph), and returned along the Path...Junco, Yellow Rump Warbler (tried for pics), Grosbeak call, Two Female Mallards at the Ponds beside the Path...while thereabout, sighted way over at Sandpiper Beach, Bird, I thought maybe, skipping across the Merced...only a few minutes of time left, but paddled over to looksee...Fisherman using a bobber....Sandpipers, Song Sparrow, Violet Green Swallows, Robin, Flicker....Glacier Point Road will be open starting noon Friday...looking forward to walkabouts along the Rim....with Silver, I can rollabout and explore places that I couldn't before...

Pond And Slough

pic and clips up from Yesterday....Today: overcast and windy on the way to work, later, at lunch, rain clouds coming over, but I don't think it's going to rain...at Lunch, sat awhile at Sandpiper Beach...Flicker, Sandpipers, Song Sparrow, Black Birds, Four Male Mallards, Ravens, Grosbeak call...Merced up to Ozone Boulder, but Sentinel Falls looked smaller than Yesterday (pic up)...

Bear Scratching

Out and about in the late Afternoon....paddled out to the Burnt Forest...Dove again beside the Path....Dove flew off before I could set up....Forest quiet, and continued out to Two Top Pine Meadow, and sat awhile at the Burnt Log....lots and lots of Violet Green Swallows....Mallards and Mallardlings about in the Ponds....pics and clips...Deer on the far side of the Meadow...One Doe very pregnant....picked up, and sat awhile by the Slough...Acorn Woodpecker, Yellow Rump Warbler, Swallows, and Female Merganser!...clips for sometime....on return, Dove again beside the Path....set up, few seconds of clip, and battery gone...hmmph...pics(stills), and clip, of Bear yesterday...Tree in the way, and clip requires imagination!!...sunny blueblue warm....found second Blue Jay Nest beside the Path...first is under the Eaves of Last Chance...Nests are hard to find...

Sandpiper Beach

Out and about in the late Afternoon...sat awhile in the Backyard by the Brush Piles....had noticed Little Birds about returning from Lunch, but quiet...picked up, and continued to Ozone Beach, which is henceforth, Sandpiper Beach...Sandpipers about!...set the tripod up in front of the Ozone Boulder, where I sat, and lots of pics and clips of Sandpipers....continued to the Burnt Forest...Dove beside the Path...clip for sometime..still from clip up...and nearing Two Top Pine Meadow from the Forest, sighted Bear using a Small Pine for a Back Scratchier...hd clip!...for sometime...and some avi clips too...watched Bear a long while, and Bear crossed the Road and visited the New Indian Village...henceforth, Bear Village!...pic up...more pics and clips for sometime...returned along Rocky Slope...quiet...sunny blue puff clouds, and cool, maybe storm coming...Deer in the Meadow sighted Bear, and went pronging...far away in clip...Violet Green Swallows in background too...

Link: Smithsonian online Nature's Best photo contest, and previous winners, in both magazines, and online...wonderful pics!!

Deer House Coyote

Coyote pics and clip from last Monday....today: slept in, and watched BB Playoff at Lunch...hmmmph....Bear report from Midpines near Whitlock Road....sunny cloudy warm...

no pics today

Slept in...again...actually, 11 am is like 6am for me...what happens when one works a kinda swing shift!...so up and about at 11 is a normal sorta morning, but sometimes I like like ten hours of sleep!...an indulgence I suppose, but I read here and there, that a good nights sleep is a good thing!...anyway...overcast, clear a bit later, warm...at Lunch: sat awhile at the Ozone Boulder...Merced a little higher....think I'm hearing Wood Pee Wee calls...Raven, Robin, Sandpiper, Song Sparrow....

no pics today

Slept in...sunny blueblue, a few puffy clouds, warm...at Lunch: sat awhile at the Ozone Cottonwoods...Merced well within it's Banks...dont know but maybe high water has snuck by...anyway....Sandpipers, Acorn Woodpeckers, Robin, Raven, Flicker, Mallards, Song Sparrow, Little Birds...report of Bear beside the Road to Happy Isles....lots of Juncos were about after the Rain, but Juncos are off somewhere, likely to the High Country, I imagine!...oh..wait...friend reported Pileated Woodpecker beside the Road to Happy Isles...Bear, another report, was in the Campgrounds thereabout....another friend has a pic of Tanager on a blooming Redbud Branch...wonderful pic!

no pics today

Slept in...sunny blueblue with puff clouds...at Lunch: sat awhile under the Ponderosa at the Lunch Sit Log....quiet, I think... bit frazzled from work, and wasn't that attentive...DownyOrHairy Woodpecker call...Robin call, maybe Grosbeak call....Mosquito got my attention....they're back...

Oh, a Mosquito

Biting my folded bent knee

Irreverently!

Osprey Eating Fish

After early morning shopping in Merced, rolled back up the hill on Osprey Road....sighted Big Wings in the distance over the top of the Cobble Stone Berms along the Merced near Snelling...Osprey!..and Osprey Nest!...pulled over, and with all the gear, scrambled up the Berm, where I had a fine view of Osprey Pair....pics and clips up...light snowfall in the Valley overnight..cloudy in Town, and rainy on return to the Valley....

Green Tailed Towhee

After Breakfast, Shuttled over to the Village...looked for Little Birds, which were about, but no Green Tailed Towhee...Shuttled back, and hopped off at Last Chance...often I walk through the Trees past the Rooms, and to the Path, and again past the Trees, to the Cabin...and thereabout by the Path, the Backyard is really like any backyard, with old piles of Brush and Construction Wood...I've often sighted Birds hereabout, and this morning Juncos were puttering around, and amongst Juncos was Green Tailed Towhee!!....for a long while, I tried for pics, but Towhee hopped about a lot in the Grasses, Brush, and Woodpile...there was one nearby Little Snag Branch, and the thought Towhee might perch, and Providence smiled...pics..and clip...returned to the Cabin and napped, and tv....drizzly grey rainy, cool, almost cold tonight...after Dinner, paddled out to Ozone Beach....Juncos and White Crowned Sparrow puttering about the Ozone Boulder Mud Flats...Merced is back within its Banks from cool weather...Little Yellow Birds in the Willow...continued out to Two Top Pine Meadow...Clouds moving around the Cathedrals...scenic pics, but blurry--forgot to reset auto focus...returned along the Path...more Juncos, and White Crowned Sparrows...Robins, and Flicker....Dogwood Flowers everywhere!

Link: Green Tailed Towhee

Ground Squirrel

Out and about early, and after Breakfast, joined the Bird Walk at the Art Center....and with twelve or so like minded tourists, paddled quickly back to Lower Falls to see....Frazzle...which was gone!....a little bit was about in the morning, but the Frazzle Video on line has garnered enough attention that now Frazzle is a must see...I guess, or something (oh!, our Bird Walk guide narrates the Frazil Video, which explains everything...;)...anyway...group did pause along the way to sight: Cowbird, Juncos, Black Headed Grosbeak, Robin, Mountain Chickadee, Acorn Woodpecker, Yellow Rump Warbler, McGillivray's Warbler, Northern Flicker, Raven, Blue Jay...group missed Blackthroated Grey Warbler I sighted briefly, and most all missed a new bird for me, Green Tailed Towhee...we were standing all looking up at Trees, and Roof of Ad. Building, even some Ad. Building staff with binocs.... Little Birds about, and while sighting Yellow Rump through binocs, Bird with OrangeBrown Topknot came into view...I asked one of the staff-- 'Green Tailed Towhee'...I just missed getting pic, and later, when we were all in the Creek Delta where Muir had his Hang Nest, the Volunteer Guide sighted another Towhee, and I just missed another pic!....oh..Ouzel was about the Creek thereabout, and Deer in the Schoolyard...when we got to the Tiki Palace, one could hear Warbler, or some Bird I missed name.......anyway, I thought to wait, before a stop, and then the Tiki Palace was closed for maintenance...and, hnmmph...returned to the Cabin...only a half hour of the walk left, and group was on way to Bobcat Meadow to see Redwings...not enough time to catch up...so...so took a nap!....after afternoon Lunch, started to paddle out to Two Top Pine Meadow, but at Ozone Beach, found I forgot the tripod to camera connector, and returned to the Cabin, and diverted to Bobcat Meadow...Little Birds by the Deer House, and while sighting Yellow Rumps by the Path, I startled a tourist couple with stroller approaching from behind with 'Stop!'...Coyote emerged from the Trees crossing the Path right in front...pic and clip for sometime..''What?...".."Coyote", I told the tourist, who took a souvenir clip....I picked up quick and tried to get in front of Coyote....and came very close to getting clip of Coyote crossing over the Creek on the Twin Fallen Cedars...as it is, a short clip of Coyote just reaching the Far Shore...for sometime...Critters crossing the Cedars, perched or sitting and such, is one of the motifs hereabout...anyway...looped back around to the Path and over Chapel Bridge, and made the Outside Loop--long way to Two Top....at the Meadow, Two Does and Two Fawns, think they were Fawns, at the Broken Cottonwood...tourists trying to pet Deer...'Dont touch the Deer!'....Mountain Bluebirds about....scenic pics...Mallards...crossed to the Burnt Forest.......back at Path, sighted Four Bucks, which were sighted, and joined by Meadow Deer that gamboled to the Trees by the Merced...tried to get ahead, which took me to Ozone Beach...Three Mallards preening...clip....backtracked looking for Deer...Deer, now all together, were by the Path..clip for sometime...continued out through the Woods to Creek's End...quiet...and to the Cabin to drop off gear, and to Dinner....grey cloudy light sprinkles cool, snow on the rims. report more rainsnow tomorrow....Little Birds frequent the Visitor Center complex, and I will maybe try tomorrowmorrow for pic of Towhee!...oh!...Ground Squirrel was beside the Path at Flicker Grove...very cool...see clip!....apparently, Frazzle doesn't come, necessarily, from the disintegration of the Snow Cone at the Base of the Falls...I've thought High Country Snow melt makes the Frazzle...a curio...

SnowRainy Day Dogwoods

Slept in--rainy out...and light snow flurries in the afternoon, cool...at Lunch: couldn't hardly wait to go outside from work and try for a pic of the Fluff Snowflakes falling and the Dogwoods...and at Lunch, Snow turned to Rain, and then RainSnow...sat just a short while at Ozone Beach...Robin, Sandpiper, Raven, Mallard, Song Sparrow....Merced Water Level hoovers around the Ozone Boulders...cool weather slowing the melting of Snow....on return, went Tree to Tree about Last Chance taking Dogwood Flower pics....and back at work, watched more Fluff Snow fall outside through the Big Windows....

Elm

Pic up is on the cover of the Valley Guide this month, and was taken by my friend, Armand...myself, no pics today...slept in...sunny, but mostly overcast, warm...at Lunch: sat awhile by the Merced at Ozone Beach...Sandpipers, Mallard, Robin, Phoebe, Blackbirds (Blackbirds yesterday too!), Song Sparrow, Raven, Flicker call....

Friend at work reported seeing that Ground Squirrels, adults, are immune to Rattlesnake bite...looked about, and found this clip of Rattlesnake and Ground Squirrel on youTube...

Mama Mallard And Seven

Blogger was off line last night...pic and clip up from Lunch....while sitting by the Merced at Ozone Beach, which is under Water, heard Mallard quacking and sighted Mama Mallard with Seven Mallardlings paddling up River towards the Cottonwoods...clip...rested newer camera on my knee, which worked!....anyway, slept in this morning (yesterday too!)...sunny blueblue, grey clouds in the afrernoon, puff clouds tonight, and three quarter Moon....ar Lunch: sat next to the River same as yesterday...Deer at Cottonwood Bend (third day in a row!), Mallards, Robins, Sandpiper, Song Sparrow, Black Phoebe, Yellow Rump, Blue Jay, Raven....poked my head into the River Plan meeting at Last Chance...WaterBug pic on the screen, like the ones Ouzel catches...very intent audience, many with laptops open on their laps....I think one could participate online....yes...called a 'webinar'....

Here's a bit on a 'boom' in the Sky, maybe a meteor, in Virginia, which reminds me of the boom yesterday from a clear Blue Sky as I left the Cabin for work...thought it was Rockslide, but couldn't see any Dust...today there was distant Thunder beyond Half Dome during Lunch...

no pics today

Slept in...sunny blueblue hot, puff clouds...at Lunch: sat awhile at the Lunch Sit Log....Four Deer at Cottonwood Bend...Two Deer in the Woods...DownyOrHairy Woodpecker, Flicker call, Mallards, Robins, Song Sparrows, Blue Jays, Robins...report of Bear yesterday evening at Two Top Pine Meadow, near edge of the Burnt Forest...

Canyon Flowers

Out and about early for a roll down the hill to Town....diverted at the start to try and get a clip of the Dawn Chorus...poked the waterproof camera at Sentinel in the Backyard, and at the Hummock Ponds in Bobcat Meadow, along with Half Dome and the Falls...Birds hard to hear, and, I haven't compared clip yet with previous early May Choruses in old posts, but Chorus seemed a bit subdued...to do this right, I have to sit by the Deer House, looking out towards Half Dome, and listen carefully from first Bird call....the usual Robin contingent seems about, but not so many Redwings, and very few Black Headed Grosbeaks....it's been such a Long Winter and Cool Spring (both very cool though!!), that I think Birds have stayed down the hill....but way down the hill, at Merced Wildlife Refuge, where I rolled after visit to Town, Birds have flown off for parts unknown!...or at least parts very far away!...and most of all the Water is gone now..pic up is Carrizo Plain like!....anyway...made one desultory roll around thereabout, with just a few farfar away pics...on return, sighted Hawk in Eucalyptus Tree...pic up...settings wrong so noisy....Egrets were still in the Field on 59, but roadworkers made a looksee problematic....continued back through Town, reconnected with 59 via Olive Street (just past walmart) and out to Osprey Road!...Snelling is cool, but thereabout one passes on either side of the Road, Gravel Piles from the gold rush days dredging (at Copperopolis, the odd Bluffs (I asked) are remnants of the mining thereabout)....sat awhile at the Fishermans Parking at Merced Falls...Canada Geese on the Far Shore...One Mama Goose with Goslings?--Little Geese!.....Mergansers Pair...glimpsed Hawk, and Osprey...Ospreys on the Bridge Nest, and T Nest....glimpsed Lizard..and beside the Road nearing Snelling, a RO Wild Pig...happened on Pig when I pulled over to sight Two Faraway Hawks perched together...this often happens when I pull over, that by the Roadside is some poor RunOver Critter.....hmmph...almost smacked into Airborne Hawk in front of the Windshield on Sandy Mush...maybe Kestrel....anyway, snacked--hotdog and gator aid, and back up the hill....Hawk dutifully on Nest at Buzzard Cliff Pond....pics too blurry....Oaks are thick with Leaves now, so couldn't sight other Nests...Grasses mostly turned golden....and hot blueblue breezy day...Flowers all along the Merced River Canyon, but Poppies missing...saw a few by the River--pics up......back in the Valley by four, but a longlong day!, and after snack at Last Chance, sighted Ravens--see pic!....Dawn Chorus Day is something the Brits do once a year, on the first Sunday in May....think it may have gotten diverted a bit by the wedding!

Link: youTube Dawn Chorus

Ground Squirrel

Early Breakfast, and all the gear with, but kinda drizzly, so postponed a walkabout until the afternoon, and napped...and in the afternoon, a little less drizzly, and Shuttled to the Village...Ground Squirrel pic....and Shuttled out to Happy Isles...paddled along the Pony Path...lunch: tuna, fritos, crangrape, hersheys, at the Giant Rock...Ouzel call, Mallard Pair along the way...continued to Mirror Lake...pics of Dogwoods all along the way.....getting late, and Shuttled back...Ten Deer at the A Meadow, Five Deer at the Intersection by the Oak Grove....maybe Male Merganser at Stoneman Bridge--all seen from Shuttle...cloudy drizzly cool...

Phoebe Nest

After late Breakfast. paddled back to the Creek on the Dirt Road....thought to check the Cattail Pond, and just as I came around the corner of the Tiki Temple thereabout, Black Phoebe Pair flew up....One Phoebe stayed behind to keep an eye on me while I took pics of Phoebe's Nest under the Eaves....continued to the RipRap at the Swath and sat awhile...lots of Yellow Rump Warblers in the Alders, Tanager Pair chasing in the Cedars across the Creek, Juncos calling tik tik tik, Mallard call....overcast, clearing, then Storm clouds in the evening, but no rain, warm....at Lunch: sat awhile at the Lunch Sit Log...Mallards flying about, Song Sparrows, Ravens, Robins, Blue Jays, and more Yellow Rump Warblers...pic up, view out to Glacier Wall through the Woods....in the morning, Ground Squirrels courting beside the Path...and calls of Violet Green Swallows overhead, I think...couldn't sight...but Swallows were over Bobcat Meadow last visit, which was awhile ago!...tomorrowmorrow a whole day to paddle about!

White Dogwood Flower

Over cast in the morning, cleared a bit in the afternoon, and later looked to be a storm coming in the evening....I slept in again, and at Lunch, paddled out to Two Top Pine Meadow...Nuthatch calls in the morning on the way to work...yesterday too...Mallards flying about...Merced is up to the top of Ozone Boulder...pic up of Dogwood near the Path....

Link: Muir's Journals online

Green Dogwood Flower

Slept in, no pics, no walk today...sunny blueblue hot...at Lunch: sat awhile at the Lunch Sit Log in Owl Woods...Mallards flying about...Robin, Raven, Sandpiper, Phoebe, Flicker call....pic up from a few days ago...a few White Dogwood Flowers now, but very small...and the Petals are kinda dry....oh...last night a bit of Wind, and on the walk to the Cabin after work, Spray in the Air from the Falls.....


The Falls thundering
Wind, and Spray reaching my face
By the Cabin's door