Coyote

Meadow Hawk

http://youtu.be/fNGdZbotMbQ

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I follow maybe a half dozen other blogs, backyard blogs, I mean, wildlife things, and a couple are from the East, and here's link to recent post from Urban Hawks: http://urbanhawks.blogs.com/.... that might link the blog in general, but postup is the Sunday post before the  Storm about Pale Male, Redtail Hawk, which has recently hooked up with Pale Female!...anyway, let me check the other blog...brb...here, Nature Notes: http://myblognaturenotes.blogspot.com/
....now, where was I....not posting everyday, I get out of sorts with the text....trying to include everything over a stretch of days...weeks...things get jumbled...and my own memory book, which the blog is, too,  hasn't the same continuity....so, so, try to post up, in Grinnel's fashion, everyday, DavidDavid!....I keep in mind the blog is like field notes, like the sketch books of the topographer watercolorists, which got a leg up when paints could be put in tubes, much like the help the new digi cameras give backyard bloggers!...now, where was I!...Sunday is my Friday, and the routine has been to play wow all night beginning my weekend, and sleep in, in, on my Saturday!...so I trundled out around four, with the gear, and peddled over to the Village for mail, and the thought for some pics as it's Terrific Light time in the Valley...and while taking pic of Bobcat Meadow, see pic of Miwok sign, I glimpsed Big Wings, and after some faraway pics, thought, and confirmed, that's Hawk, Harrier!...Harrier went to the Grasses and stayed down over by the Deer House, so in a bit of a scurry, I peddled over to the Boardwalk by the Lily Pad Pond, and waitedwaited...and Harrier flew up and about and around for a good while!....very cool...I had the camera set best I could I think...shutter speed 1000, at 1600 and 800 iso, but pics blurry...Harrier is always moving!....but friend reports seeing Harrier yesterday too, so maybe tomorrowmorrow I can sight again, and try faster speed...as it is, the camera setting took Hawk, Redtail, pic over in Coop's Meadow, where I peddled too when I left off from Harrier...Harrier looked to fly over thataway, and I followed...Redtail pic a new favorite!....Coyote about thereabout, and sighted Redtail while waiting for Coyote to come closer, but no luck....peddled back to the Cabin and locked up the bike, which I best start parking in the Cabin!, and paddled back to the Woods to try and keep my Owl hearings and sighting streak going...have heard or seen Owl every Evening, and some Mornings, since last mention...screee screee...I am of a mind that it is Sentinel doing the scree screeing, and 'am looking about for source for adult GHOs going screee screee....but I dunno...anyway, sat awhile in the Woods with coffee and croisants, reviewing the days pics, and Last Light arrived, and no screee screee, until my leaving off at Ozone Beach, all dark now...screee......scree....very cool....and at Last Chance, I was having the first meal of the day, cheeseburger and chocolate cake, and a tourist, I thought, introduced themselves, and it was an author and guide who has written a very nice book: David Lucas, Sierra Nevada Birds...and a fine talkabout!!

Evening Moon Owl

 http://youtu.be/My_ZWoye1b4

go Giants!

Morning Coffee Deer

 http://youtu.be/RgItFeGQ05E

Rainy Day Owl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NR6LJaAewY&feature=youtu.be

go Giants!

Bobcat

http://youtu.be/jHc6qeQ6MoU Came around the corner of the Cabin while getting ready for work, and sighted Bobcat, and with no camera...scurried to the Cabin (Bobcats dont scurry!) for camera, and caught up just as Bobcat crouched, and snuck over to the Perfect Dogwood...see clip...very cool... At Lunch: heard Owl...screech screech...and same time, Hawk, Redshoulder, Cedar, I think, across the Merced...scree screee...waited on a Log in the Woods for Owl maybe flyout my way...almost...sighted Owl fly over to the River...seven out of nine evenings now I've heard or sighted Owl...heard Two Owls, both Young, screech screeech...and heard Two Young and sighted Mama Owl together one of the evenings....last evening sighted Hawk too...faraway clip...lots of Owl clips, but all faraways and dark...sunny blueblue cool...report from midweek lastweek from the Eastside: BarnOwl at Benton Springs, I think, and Snowshowers scenics....anyway, bit envious...cant get over there my own self until I'm sure Silver wont stall...garage herabout gave me list of computer codes...googled them, and read forum comments...used 'jeep stalls at low rpms' search...problem is iac valve...not sure what that looks like...but it gets gummed up, and fuel gets choked off...part of the smog stuff, I think...so, so...fix can be to just clean it with throttle cleaner...so might get cleaner
, and new air filter, and maybe new valve, and a chilton book on how to work on the engine, but I'm in a kinda anxious mood to go over to the East Side while Road is open!...hmmph...and I have to work a sixth day this weekend...hmmph...dont know but I've had a Summer full of diverted weekends!...sigh...but the Valley beckons as well...Colors and Light and Bobcat and Bear...will test drive Silver tomorrow, and go from there!

Owl Woods

http://youtu.be/9zEhagd76L4

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Half Stump Blue Heron

http://youtu.be/ttzSOjuiXn8

Sighted Mama Bear and Cub in the Oak Grove from the Shuttle (returning from leaving Silver at the Garage!)...hopped off, and joined the throng...Acorns are about this Fall, and so Bears too!...faraway pics and clips...continued to Last Chance for Late Afternoon snack (Breakfast actually!), and with coffee to Cottonwood Bend to sit awhile (wade a bit in the Merced--pleasantly cool for feets!)...Mallards paddled by...pics and clips...Hawks, Redtails, chasing one another fly over...blurry faraway pics...Hawks flew to the Woods too, and I thought to follow...Mama Doe and Two Fawns thereabout (sighted at Village too)...Fawn pic...couple weeks now since Fawns still had spots....at Creek's End, startled Great Blue Heron...and Heron flew to Half Stump!...very cool...and posed a long while...lots of pics, and clips, but light too low, and had to use high iso, and slow shutter...Woods quiet this Evening...but last four 'at Lunch' have  heard Owls call...thought maybe Hawks were Owls, and maybe Hawks I saw fly to Woods were maybe Owls...wishful imagining!...anyway, a fine day...cooler, sunny blueblue, clouds coming in...report of Bobcat at Church Bowl, with pics...Raccoons, Mama and Two, by Rooms last Night on return from work...a long while ago I was reading a magazine, forget title, but about critters, and a photo of Heron perched in Bayou captioned, 'Reading his book....' which I gather is a country folk expression thereabout....a large Pine, a pic accent, is gone way up by Upper Falls...for sometime comparison pics...

Young Owls' Call

http://youtu.be/PKquqFrPNnM

Owl

At Lunch: Tourists at the Sitawhile Log under the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach, with wine and cushions!, so diverted to Woods, and sighted Owl...scooched, seated, along the Gravel to get pic, then retreated and sat awhile on a Hummock...and listened....screech screech, at Last Light, which is when Half Dome goes grey for the evening after Alpin Glow....Owl must be fledgling, as I read that only Young GHOwls make raspy call...Owl flew up to Pine, and then out towards Cottonwood Bend...screech sceeech...very cool...curious to see, hear, if I have this Young Owl call right, if Mama and Papa Owl will join in, as once one Halloween about, five years back now!, I heard all three calls together, and have clip!, a reserved for sometime special clip!...sunny hothot blue...report of Bobcat in Village...and overheard mention of '55 degree' cool weather coming...

Cranes

Well, rolling back up the hill, Silver stopped running, so coasted over to the Road Shoulder of the opposite lane, no room on my side, and sat awhile...this not long after Sunset, and no traffic, so a quiet sit awhile in the Darkening Canyon beside the Merced listening to Pygmy Owls and the River!...hmmph...the engine trouble light came on returning from Merced Wildlife Refuge, pics up, but too late to return to repair shop...just got Silver back!...wobble all gone...nary a shake on 59, which is good test of suspensions!...and this has happened before--the little engine light...but there is no telling what it indicates...all the gauges were good, so thought was to go up the hill, and whatever repair needed could wait for sometime!...okay a ways unil Planada, where at stoplight, engine stopped...but restarted, and continued, until in Canyon where it happened while rolling...reminded me of vapor locks in old family cars...so waitedwaited, and engine started, and, with trepidation, made it back to Valley...Silver  coasted to spot by the Bear Box under the Cedars in the Backyard!!!...sigh...maybe garage hearabout can do repair...this is of course the most dread scenario of the rollabouts...narrow mountain roads with no shoulders and quit engine after dark....fortunately, there was a shoulder, and I had cell phone, triple a, and could have walked, a long dark walk, to motels in Canyon, or just stay put, help would come along...but I dont know what counsel to give myself, let alone others--Roads have their hazards!...not unlike Trails...cell phone and headlamp...forgot to have headlamp!...otherwise would have tinkered under Silver's hood...probably just as well...new cars are pretty tinkerproof...anyway, glad to see, and hear!!! the Sandhill Cranes!...sunny hothot blue...Refuge has Water now at the entrance, and the West End...Hawks too, Redshoulder, Kite, Kestrel, Redtail, sighted...faraway pics...had just the 300 zoom with and the old waterproof...

Alpaca

Well, I rolled down the hill, very early!, and left Silver with the mecahanic, who did a test roll, and returned very pale....'how'd'ja' get down the hill?'....apparently the front stablizer's mountings and bushings were just gone...which explains the 'clunk' every time I turned the steering wheel...anyway anyway, returned back up the hill in a rental, after a walkabout town...touched bases: razzari (left Silver), buses depot (one am daily bus goes north coast from sf to crescent city--a sometime thought), auto club (update membership), social security (too crowded, and security perplexed to see me geared up--camera pouches, binocs, camel back!...I dont collect ss, can, but not yet, thought was to check on procedures), jamabalaia (strawberry smoothy), barnes and noble (mocha, books), roundtable pizza (lunch special), enterprise (chevy malibu rental), and back to razzari to collect rest of gear--tripod, scope...had thought to take yarts like old times back to Valley, but yarts is on Winter schedule and would have had to spend Night in Mariposa...thought expense for motel room may as well be for car rental, which razzari discounted....everyone was very nice in Town...'cept for me when I heard warranty wouldn't cover repair, but that was somewhat feigned, as I anticipated as much...but one must protest now and then, even if half hearted!!...oh...and Applegate Zoo...pics up...sighted Hawk. Redshoulder thereabout, but too slow with camera...and on roll down, sighted Hawk, Redtail, on Power Pole with Morning Moon in background...made a u-Turn, 'clunk', but missed pic...sunny hothot blue...it was a hundred degrees hot, and the walkabout  maybe eight miles!...lots of Buzzbirds, Ravens, Scrub Jays...