Bandtail Pigeons, Pileated Woodpecker, and Robin

I saw Bandtail Pigeons, I think, flying in Flocks along Glacier Wall, while making the Outside Loop counterclockwise...pics up...when I started out from the Cabin, I heard Pileated Woodpecker in the Backyard...sighted Pileated in the Ponderosa Snag, and too, sighted Robins in the Dogwoods...after some effort, walking under Branches and through Briers, I found a place to set up under the Dogwoods by the Fence...everytime the workmen started into hammering and firing off the nail gun, Robins would fly off...thought was, Pileated might come to the Dogwoods, and in a few moments of quiet, this happened!...hd clips, but Pileated most always hidden by Leaves...time to time, tried for Robin clips and pics, but not much luck...Light faded around four thirty, and I started the Loop...quiet..Mallard at Swinging Bridge, Mallard at Chapel Bridge, and at Last Light, while sitting at Owl Log at Creek's End, Female Mallard plopped in the Merced while I was reviewing the Pileated pics and clips...noisy Mallard too, quacking while I walked back to the Cabin in the gloaming...a fine walk in the 'amazing light'--tourist's comment by CAD Beach...Leaves have fallen off the Cottonwoods...it's an odd Fall, Leaf Changing wise...had hoped to hear Owl, but no luck...Owl has been quite over a week now...sunny blueblue warm...report of Bobcat right in front of the Cabin this morning...report of Eagle, 'every morning' just downhill from Hornitos...Tioga is open, and I've resisted rollabouts thataway...trying to save money a bit so I can go somewhere on vacation...butbut, sure to be another Blueblue Day tomorrow, so the tug thataway is strong!...and Tioga for sure will be closed if Storm en route brings a lot of Snow...oh...now news weather says a light Storm...hmmph...Acron Woodpecker was pestering Pileated--almost got flight pic...and Ouzel at Cottonwood Bend, actually, Ouzels, here and there, all along the River from Chapel Bridge to Swinging Bridge...Phoebe at Cottonwood Bend too....and DownyOrHairy Woodpeckers in Backyard.....Blue Jays, Ravens....,maybe Wren call...

no pics today

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...quiet...Raven, Robin, Acorn Woodpecker, Flicker, and Ouzel singing, hopping about the Fallen Cottonwoods...faraway pics....sunny blueblue warm, storm forecast for Thursday...friend reported White Headed Woodpecker, near Three Arch Bridge, I think....this two days ago....

Bat Evening

At Lunch: Sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...Ouzels, Robin, Acorn Woodpecker, Bats, and Pygmy Owl call!, which was very cool...sunny blueblue warm...regarding why Ground Squirrels are so fat in the Fall...it's going to take awhile before I buttonhole someone hereabout who might know, but I did a web search, 'why are Ground Squirrels so fat...'...and it brought up some things of interest...Belding Ground Squirrels in Alaska put on muscle mass to prepare for the cold Winter, fat too, but the muscle metabilizes in a certain way to provide warmth to the Heart....Squirrels put on fat regardless of how much they eat, it's all time related, so even if they are not eating much, they still put on fat in the Fall....hmmph...I've never seen a Ground Squirrel not eating much!...and this: Male Ground Squirrels successful in battles with other Males, and with mating with Females, grow bigger....I think that may be common to a lot of species...and there were more things, a search of Ground Squirrel in general turns up a lot a things!

no pics today

At Lunch: sat awhile, kinda late, like six pm, under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...quiet...Robin, Ouzel, Raven Pair flyover, I think, Acorn Woodpecker...a thin crescent Moon, and One Bat skimming, and somtimes just barely touching the still River, making ripples..tried for pics...well, I can put one up, but one cant see Bat!...brb...one clip does show Bat, but Bat is so small, like a Knat....Bats have a charming way of flying, bit like a Butterfly....sunny blueblue warm....

no pics today

At Lunch: set out for Ozone Beach, but tourists about, so diverted to the Cabin...needed to do errand there anyway--gift  pic for friend leaving the Valley...Deer in the Snow...sunny blueblue warm, cool in the morning...friend reported Bobcat by the Rooms and was happy to get good pics....

no pics today

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...quiet...Robin, Raven, Ouzel...sometimes I hear Little Birds, and think, Phoebe, Kinglet, Song Sparrow, or ?, just never sure, and usually just one or two Little Birds calling....sunny blue warm, though a lot of tourists bundled up, rain looking clouds in the evening....Audubon Xmas Bird count magazine came, spent time browsing and wondering....I shouldn't be surprised that a lot of Birds I haven't seen yet....National Wildlife Refuge book came too...very cursory, and deserving I guess of being panned...there is so much more on the web, that any such book nowadays seems a bit paltry!

Ground Squirrel, Robin, Hawk, and Cat

After afternoon snack at Last Chance, shuttled over to the Village...Ground Squirrel pics while waiting for Shuttle...collected mail, visited Art Center--Valley residents art show in works...paddled from the Village to Siberia...checked the Dogwoods on the way for Seeds...Backyard Dogwoods haven't many Seeds, along with being enclosed by workmens' Fence!, so, desperate to find Dogwoods with Seeds and Birds...Robins, a lot!, in the Dogwoods on Path between the A Meadow and Stoneman Bridge...tried for pics, but Road in the way, and all in Shade...must try here again in Morning Light, and in Siberia too...Robins in the hundreds about!...retrieved the Bike, and peddled out to Happy Isles, around to Mirror Lake on the Pony Path, and back to Three Arch Bridge, where I heard Blue Jays scolding, and sighted Hawk, Redtail, I think...Tree to Tree with Hawk took me back to the Robin Dogwoods...continued back to Bobcat Meadow, and made the Outside Loop during Last Light...quiet, but scenic!..sat awhile at Ozone Beach..quiet...oh, Mallards, lots, at Stoneman Bridge...maybe Pileated call along Road to Happy Isles...Cat by the A Meadow...thereabout Mama Doe and One Fawn, and Two Point Buck and Doe bounding about...sunny blueblue hazy warm...

very cool clip (thanks to hiking friend!) here:
http://www.youtube.com/v/xHkq1edcbk4?version=3%20%20%20%20

Hawk

Well, there's a clip that goes with the pics, Hawk preening, and it's a far away crop...for sometime!(upload too slow)...after Breakfast, snoozed until late afternoon (was up 'till four am playing wow--Halloween quests)...and it's late now--fell asleep during world series!...hmmph...anyway, made the Outside Loop counterclockwise, and starting out into Coop's Meadow (with memories of Coop on just such a Fall Day!), sighted White Chest Feathers of Hawk, Redtail...pics up...took the far away clip, and watched a long while, and then thought to move closer...but Hawk flew up, and I'd set the camera for such event, and was able to get far away flight pic...Hawk resettled near the Merced, and I thought to continue, but Hawk flew across to the River to Two Top Pine Meadow, and, oh!, I had to follow, Tree to Tree--Hawk may have gone to Two Top Pine...reached the Meadow, and Hawk flew up from the Lone Cottonwood near Two Top, and over to the Burnt Forest...left off, and continued the Loop...Maple is in color, but all in shade when I reached the Chapel...continued around to Lower Falls, and made the Inside Loop clockwise...quiet...Two Male Mallards by the Fallen Cedar...earlier, Female Mallard at Swinging Bridge...Robin, Bluebirds, Raven, Flicker, Acorn Woodpecker, along the way...sunny blue hazy, cool in morning, warm...week old report of Pileated in Siberia, and Hawk by the A Rooms...very cool to see Hawk in the Magnificent Fall Light!!

no pics today

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...quiet...Robin, Flicker, Raven, and on return, sighted Mama Doe and One Fawn browsing by the Rooms...sunny blueblue warm...off to the badlands of wow to slay dragons...and tilt at windmills!

no pics today

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach....Robin, Raven, Blue Jay, maybe Phoebe...quiet...sunnybluebluewarm...now and then I see Trout break the River's suface, oh, and Crickets...it's reallyreally quiet!...but pleasant in the evening, and the Fall Sunlight is always terrific in the Valley...pic up from other day sitting in the Woods....my eyes are often drawn to this sorta corridor....

Ground Squirrel

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...quiet...Blue Jay, Robin, Phoebe, Three Mallards fly over...sunny blueblue warm...pic up from on way to work...Ground Squirrel stretched out in the Sun watching the tourists...'oh!, he's in the Sunlight!'...tourists for a moment saw how I see, and other photogs taking pics, the play of Light...

no pics today

At Lunch: Log under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach occupied by four seated tourists, happily in their Nature Moments, I'd say, so I diverted over to the Lunch Sit Log in Owl Woods, which has rolled down the Little Slope under the Ponderosa, this from Hign Water, and so sat awile on the Forest Duff, resting against the Ponderosa...did take one pic of the Woods, for sometime...sunny blueblue hot....Robin, Flicker, Raven, Blue Jay, and Grey Squirrel...quiet...

Two Fawns

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...Ouzel, Ravens, Robin, and just before return, Mama Doe and Two Female Fawns...sunny blue warm...yesterday, near Dark, Two Chickarees at North Pines Campground...too dark for pic...pic of Grey Squirrel on Short Cedar Snag on way to work...and scattered Pine Cone Seeds around the Cabin Cedar...look to be the work of Chickaree...Anltered Buck grazing on the Chinquapin by the Cabin when I returned from work...tried for pic...didn't have waterproof with, ahd telephoto lens on newer camera doesn't work too well with flash!...wished for pic...Buck had Many Point Antlers..

no pics today

Oh, I did take a few pics on a peddleabout over to the Backpackers Camp towards Evening....friend on their mountain bike tagged along as far as the Village, so I was distracted with talk, and called sister with cameraphone while waiting at the Camp to maybe here Owl, and distracted there too--pleasantly so!...did take a few scenics from the Bridges and Meadows....rolling about in Silver I've gotten out of touch with the Valley, sorta hard to explain...parked the Bike in Siberia after dinner, and returned on the Shuttle after dark, and recollected coming back late from hikes and riding the Shuttle...Shuttles remind me of the Caterpillar Ride at the Carnival when I was a kid...Ride Car was like a Long Caterpillar, that once started, closed over with a Roof, the Caterpillars Skin, and everyone was in the dark...Shuttles approach with their lights, red, green, amber, silver, shining through the Trees...one clambers aboard, and the interior lights go off--dark like the Caterpillar!...no luck at the Camp...old Tiki has been replaced with three new Tikis, just like the ones along Road to Mirror Lake...Earth moving machines about that removed the old Tiki Pipes, and the Camp Ground kinda dug up...hmmph...sunny blueblue warm...Robins, lots, at the A Meadow...Doe there, and Two Point Buck on the A Meadow Lawn...pic up an afterthought...Cabin has Tree, a Ponderosa, on left, like hereabout, which is, I gather, is Good Dragon  feng shui...and the Stump Bench is still at the Old Post Office in Siberia....

Owl

Early part of the Day taken up with trying to trim the cameraphone bill...trimmed texting, and tethering, and tried to trim the homephone too, and by some quirk of things got added service there and lower price, though now 'am locked into a contract for a year, and two years on cameraphone...and it is all very confusing, and long waits on hold, and it all reminds me of buying a car...one hears 'you need this and this and this..' and one capitulates because one needs the car!!...one of the problems with the cameraphones is they are small computers, and one is familiar with all the things computers do that a one fee Internet connection provides, though one needs a phone to have the connect, unless using wi fi places, which I'm tempted to do, but all my web efforts, and computers, are tethered to the home phone, so, so...one needs phones!!...anyway, paddled out in the evening to Two Top Pine Meadow, sat awhile by the Merced at the Slough, and soaked my toes, and proceeded with the mundane maintenance of toe nail clipping...I've often done this on trails when boots and toenails are in conflict, and it's become a kinda ritual routine...mundane ritual maintenance of one sort of another gobbles up a lot of time...thereabout on the Sand: Mallard floatby, clip, Flicker, Blue Birds calling, DownyOrHairy Woodpecker, Ravens...quiet...paddled back to Owl Woods, and Providence smiled...Owl pics and clip--Owl's ritual flight preparation...trimmed take-off from clip...like old times, I thought, hearing, then sighting Owl, and good fortune....sunny blueblue warm...

Local Flora here:  http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_consort.pl (web catalog of Valley Museum's collection)

I imagine somehwhere there is a Local Fauna collection...

no pics today

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...Robin, Blue Jay, Flicker, Ouzel...quiet...oh..Crickets...sunny blue hazy warm...report from White Mountains, and East Side...hot in places, in places cold and icesnow...Bald Eagle, Red Tail, Golden Eagle, Sharpshinned a maybe....Tioga is open, so can go East on weekend tomorrow...kinda worn out with all the driving about...just did a down and back to Merced Friday before work..still in sleep debt from that day, along with playing wow!...so..so...if I can level up tonight, quickly (my mage at 49 and a half), maybe a rollabout tomorrow!

Antlered Buck

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...quiet...Crickets, Cottonwood Leaves falling and rustling, Robin, Flicker, Blue Jay scolding overhead, Ouzel bobbing on the Far Side of the River, Raven flyover...and Antlered Buck hesitant to cross the River, and finally deciding to cross at the Bend Shingles....when it's this quiet in the Valley, one tends to latch on to every small sighting....sunny blue hazy warm....oh...Maple Leaves beginning to turn on the Slopes of Sentinel...'unseasonably warm' tv weather report says....

Book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1589793838?qid=1318744232&ref_=sr_1_2&s=books&sr=1-2

America's Wildlife Refuges, A Complete Guide...

Book was touted in email , and is on sale at amazon, and, I didn't hesitate a moment to one clic!!

Well...hmmph...read amazon's reviews, and many carps...this book a second edition, shortened from first....butbut, any book nowadays is just a source for google searches, and google maps...oh, and one can pick up a national map of refuges atfthe refuges!!!....I should add that to the reviews!, but have become completly blase about quarrels, political, environmental--even sports...hmmph...and I am completely mystified at what key turn my curser into pac man....if i go back sometime to edit, letters just get gobbled..nd now it's stopped!...no...just lost an a!!

Black Oyster Catcher

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...Robin, Blue Jay, Acorn Woodpecker, Raven....calls mostly, think I saw Robin...sunny blue hazyclouds, warm....pic up I posted yesteday, and from 17 mile....Black Oystercatcher, I think, and new bird, for me...cool...I may have seen Oystercatchers at Bodega Bay...farfar away pics from that journey I haven't ideed...

Two Mergansers

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...Robin, Blue Jay, Ouzel, and Two Mergansers on a floatby...pic up...sunny blueblue warm...report of Hawk call in the morning by the Rooms...

Oreo

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach..one hooo hooo hooooo...Two Ouzels about....Robin, Raven, and Pileated call, I think, farfar away, by Swinging Bridge, I think!....sunny blueblue warm...pics up from Monday rolloutandback...I didn't take many pics...sat in the passenger seat most all along 17 mile...got cold on the one looksee for pics...Bird with Orange Bill, from 17 mile, I may not have sighted before...need to id!...Cow, Burrow, Dove, at the Garlic Store on Bloomfield in Gilroy, Kite at Moss Landing...

Otter

Returned to the Valley around one pm...errands to do...forgot to get gas last Tuesday, which is problematic, as no gas stations in Valley, and of late, the nearest station on 140 has been closed...fortunately, was able to get some gas in Village...returned to the Cabin, and forgot to get mail, so sat and waited at Last Chance for Shuttle to return to Post Office, which arrived full, and left same, without me--full Shuttle!...hmmph...thought Summer was over...so diverted and walked to the Village and fortunate to sight Two Mama Does with Two Fawns each....apparently, my Two Fawn pics are  Four Fawns: Two Fawns at the Mini Meadow, looked to be Does, and Two Fawns at the Oak Groves, Fawns with Antler Buds...sighted Two Antlered Bucks resting in Village...Two Does too at the Mini Meadow...more Valley Deer than I've seen in awhile!....pics for sometime....pic up from Moss Landing yesterday, a journey in the tradition of Mr. Toad!...and I wasn't driving....very glad to be back in the Valley!

Monterey

Well, played wow until five am last night, dragons still have the upper hand, and around nine I hear taptap on my window...friend with question, "on vacation, wanna go to Monterey?"..."huh, will I get to see Moss Landing Otters?"..."sure"..."brb"...and, a long day there and back...so...so, Otter pics for sometime, and pics from 17 mile drive...friend much dissappointed by drizzly weather, 17 mile being reason for journey...anyway, back in Merced tonight, waiting to return rental car tommorrow...report and pics for tomorrow too!

no pics today

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...quiet...Robin,  Blue Jay, Flicker, Ravens chasing....sunny blueblue warm....off to slay dragons in the badlands of wow, though right now they have the upper hand!!

Sandhill Cranes

At Breakfast, sighted Four Young Antlered Bucks at Ozone Beach while making my first call on newest cameraphone....could have gone with a live broadcast, but needed to be in wifi range...on return to Cabin, sighted Fox Sparrow, I think--still studying pics for id....sunnybluebluewarm...at Lunch: sat awhile at Ozone Beach...Ouzel, Robin, Raven, Blue Jay, Flicker....forgot mention of Coyote sightings going back aways...twice at Night, on Tioga Road, sighted two Coyotes crossing Road--that's four all together, and usually around White Wolf to Crane Flat...last week Coyote at night in the Cabin Frontyard...and in morning by Pohono Bridge last Tuesday, Coyote crossing Road....pic up from MWR, and too farfar away, but difficult to get close to Cranes!!

Ring Necked Pheasant

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...quiet...Robins (lots!), Raven call, Flicker call, Fawn tracks in the Sand at my feet....sunny blueblue cool...Pheasant pic from MWR...sighted Pheasant just before Bitten Marsh, and Second Pheasant just beyond Marsh...new bird, for me...and very hard to get pic...Pheasant has a scurry and run, and looks to be very shy....

Greater White Fronted Geese

At Lunch: sat for just a moment beneath the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...Ouzel on Far Bank of the Merced....heard Owl, and thought to stay seated, needed a break, but paddled out the Diversion Channel to Creek's End...Owl quiet...One Doe...returned same way...Robins, Flicker, Black Birds, Ravens...day after storm weather, clouds moving along the walls, cool...pics up from MWR....I tried to reach the Refuge before First Light...a bit late...on review of pics, a new bird, for me, Greater White Fronted Goose...first pic, second, Ibis, third, Swallows, and last, Sandhill Cranes...news report of twenty one inches of Snow at Ostrander Lake...and that's lower than Tuolumne...so maybe Tioga Road closer for Season...sigh...well, lots to see to the West!!!

Rainy Day

I tried to upload pic of Half Dome shrouded in Clouds and dusted with Snow. First pic with newest camera. An iPhone. Took me awhile to learn to use my first computer. Mac Plus. Long live Apple.

Phoebe

Oh, a long Day...pic up from Merced Wildlife Refuge...more pics, and report, for tomorrow...Sandhill Cranes are back!!!

no pics today

Shuttled over to the Village for mail...Two Bucks beside the Road...thought to hike, expecting cool weather, but hot inspight of clouds coming, cooler this evening....tomorrow, a long day...visit down the hill to Town....Mama Doe and Three Fawns reported in Siberia...forget if I mentioned...three day old report too...played wow all afternoon...found a dungeon in the badlands, which look and feel much like Death Valley...took break for dinner...back now to wow...hmmph...

no pics today

At Lunch: sat for the time under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...quiet...Raven, Blue Jay...wondered were Robins are, and maybe saw Two Robins across the River...Doe on the Far Side....maybe saw Ouzel...sunny blue with puff clouds, not sure what the weather forecast is, foot of Snow above seven thousand feet Wednesday?...

Two Fawns

At Lunch: sat awhile under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...quiet...Two Ouzels, Acorn Woodpecker hammering on the Snag behind the Rooms...on return, sighted Mama Doe and Two Fawns (earlier, Young Antlered Buck in the Diversion Channel)...pic up....sunny hot blue, afternoon clouds rolling in...report Storm on the way....report of Bobcat behind Last Chance catching Ground Squirrel...are Fawns Bucks!?...looks like Antler Buds on Fawns...