Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Osprey Fishing

http://youtu.be/YU-9JmEt3wA











     
       
Rolled out from Mile 6 to Mile 10, and return...quiet quiet...cement cement and more cement...Domestic Cat at Mile 7 clip and pic...thought pic for post, but moved to sometime after pics and clips of Osprey fishing at Centennial Park...Two Ospreys about, One Osprey in the same Eucy of previous visit...I didn't see Osprey at first...and sat awhile under the Eucy, and looked up, and Osprey had been there all the while...I've attached the flexible camera mount to the bike, and was doing clip, see clip!, when Osprey dove on hearing White Pelicans and Cormorants make a commotion below...Pelicans with Cormorants escort were circling the Lake, which I guess is big enough to be considered a Lake!...missed getting a pic of Osprey's try...Osprey missed too...Osprey circled, joined by Second Osprey, then Perched again...flight pics up...note how far Osprey's Eye protrudes!...I stepped over the Chain that loops between the Posts (like an ocean pier), and sat next to the Water so as to have a clear view, and was taking Pelican pics again when I heard splash!...I had changed the camera settings, but still too slow at 2000/400, but maybe a little action blur okay!...Osprey took fish into the Eucys and hidden...I picked up, and finished the roll...Kestrel at Mile 6.5...the Eucys are in bloom, and Hummingbirds about, but couldn't get pic...too fast..too high!...cloudy warm...don't know what kind of Fish, but clearly Lake is Fish worthy after all!

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Kites

http://youtu.be/_KQ2dqlCW6w
       







Rolled out on the River Path at Mile 6...Hawk, Cooper's, on the Grass at the Moon Park...Hawk flew up to Tree nearby with thick foliage, and to the other Two Trees too, as I tried to follow, but left off with Hawk hidden in the foliage...Kite Pair perched on the Kite's Tree at the Golf Course, henceforth, Hawk's Course!...Redtail nearby in Eucy perched...and Small Hawk, no id, too, and Two Redtails soaring over the Course together, and another soaring over Path, and Kestrel, no pic, a bit further along...a gathering!...rolled as far as Seagull's Shell Drop Zone!...Seagulls very busy...pic up...on return, Kingfisher at Adam's Street Pond...faraway pic, but good sighting of Kingfisher diving!...on return, Kingfisher near Mile 4, just call...laughing...Kite Pair over River hovering, and returning to Perch...roll ends at Sergestrom Street, where I take surface streets back to Silver so to stay on right side of streets!, and thereabout sighted Hawk, Cooper's again I think, at near Last Light...see clip after Kites in clip...it's hard to describe...a flash of light can light up a room, and for a moment one can see in the dark, or a flash of emotion can make things stand out, and when I see Hawk, and Critters, in those moments, the surroundings and circumstances kinda light up...there is a light on behind Hawk on the industrial building wall, late evening, colors red and orange hewed, and just as I sighted Hawk with camera, Hawk picked up from the wire, flew along, and perched again...I was much pleased to keep Hawk framed and in focus for the short flight clip!...on returning to peddling, adjusting the camera bag straps, I looked back, another cyclist passing, and Hawk moved a little further down the wire-- Sun setting over the River's West Bank...the Banks are really Levies, and very high ones it looks when the River is dry...but I've seen the River when it is full, and the height is necessary!...the Paths are on top of the Levis, or parallel at their outside footings...sunny warm hazy...peddled along fairly well, conditioning improving!... oh...Kites can be seen lifting Tails in clip...looking for the why of that (Other agnostic behavior is communicated by bobbing the tail up and down. This display can occur more than a hundred times a day in some areas in response to trespassing by a variety of intruders (3))....and here a really neat link to Golden Gate Park that posts every day Birds sightings in the Park...I don't know how many Parks do this on the web...it was my intention from the start of the blog, and I've kept looking for self similar efforts...this the first official one on the web I've found...the Wildlife Refuges, and places like the Mono Lake visitor center, have registers or bulletin boards, where visitors can list Birds daily...the Valley has it's Xmas count, through Audubon, but nowhere any public place to note sighting for all to see...which is a great disappointment, as the tourists with their cameras and camera phones are getting great pics and clips and have a daily gathering of illustrated critter sightings...and the anecdotal surroundings and circumstances...

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Mile Zero

Seagull clip...
http://youtu.be/wzSJvSegmic

Kite clip...
http://youtu.be/pRfrtnPe4wM










       
Well, it was a kinda November Summer Day, and I took the opportunity around 1pm to roll out from Mile Six on the Bike all the way this time to Mile Zero...lots of pics and clips...Redtail and Merlin at Mile 4...Kites thereabout too..see clip! (Kite looked to catch small Bird...or Horned Toad Lizard..can't tell!)...Kingfisher at Mile 3 (and at 4 on return)...past Mile 2, Seagulls dropping Clams on the Path (see clip!)...at Coast Road 1, found a Hamburger Stand just East of the Bridge...very good BLT!...this area is very familiar from Beach ventures, and thought to go put toesies in the Ocean, which I haven't done yet since return, but all that will be major effort for neartime...stayed to the East Banks past the Preserve. which was just as well, as it is presently diversion route for West Path where dredging was in progress...on return sighted Osprey on very Tall Wooden Tower...first pic...and more with clip for sometime...Redtail with Moon at the Bluff which splits sections of the Preserve...Kite again further along at the Preserve...back to Silver by 5pm, and much tired and bottom sore!...3, 4,
hours on bike looks to be my limit!...15-20 miles...trying to gauge here how far I can go in a day bike riding!...I go very slow, partly because I go slow!, but too, to see Critters...a fine afternoon!:)_sunny warm blue...my Dragonmaw flight skills a bit rusty, and maybe I've improved my rep with the Kingfisher clan from neutral to friendly--Kingfisher only laughed once!..and posed a bit...
bike rider approaching after passing Kingfisher ahead on fence:
"A pretty little bird!"
"Yea, yea...Kingfisher..."

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Mile Ten







Geared up and rolled out in the Late Afternoon with the thought to reach the River...first a stop at the Donut Shot...seeing my gear, chit chat with Donut Shop owner about taking pics...explained I take pics of Birds...and then, while sitting outside, sighted Hawk, Cooper's, on Pole across street...showed pic, and owner reported seeing Big Wings eating Fish in the Pond thereabout behind Shop...Pond has the purpose of replenishing ground water, or something, known to all who can recall as Kids' Haven...I've been collecting pics of few Birds thereabout for sometime post...rolling along the Surface Streets is kinda problematic...distance to River about Two Miles due East...reached the River where GG Blvd. crosses, and thereabout the River Bottom Golf Course, which I had forgotten...continued as far as 17th, and return...Mile 10 is at the Golf Course...small, very small, patch of restored to Nature Ground, see Sign pic...sigh...cloudy warm...returning along surface streets After Dark, very problematic, and need to get bike head and tail lights...Orange County is a community of motor cars...

Monday, November 11, 2013

Kestrel

















 
 
 

In first pic, Kestrel of today's roll is perched on Wire above Light Pole where Kestrel was perched yesterday...during pics, Kestrel dropped down and snatched Grasshopper...this at beginning, Mile 6...at Mile 4, sighted Merlin nearabout where I sighted Merlin before...during pics, Merlin swooped over to the River, hereabout it returns to Sand and Plants, and snatched what looked to be Dragonfly...just a bit further along, sighted Kite on usual Perch, fourth sighing!...and a bit further, sighted Redtail defuring rodent, Rat?...and near end of roll, sighted Hawk, Redtail, on far side, swoop down from tall Electric Tower (missed that pic...),and catch and eat something while on Ground...further along from this sighting, fellow with his dogs scrambling down to path from upper bank..."See him perched?"..."Yes, I got pics.." "It's dinner time!"...Hawk being observed, Cooper's Hawk on Fence Pole...and indeed it had been dinner time for Hawks!...Duck(need id), Buffel Head, Morning Dove, pics along the way at Mile 3...and Kingfisher was about again...right beside Phoebe on Fence Post I was sighting, and I didn't notice...Kingfisher flew off laughing along the Cement Channel that parallels the River at Mile 3 on the East Bank...this Channel I think fills with Sea Water...sunny hazy clouds warm...I have short clips of all, but too much to post...maybe one...
http://youtu.be/2WO36GDnOiQ
:)