Towers Blue Heron

Last two pics are from Hidden Valley Nature Center...last Saturday (only day Center is open) I wrote the directions down in the River Trail book, took them along...91 to 15 to R. on 6th to L. on Califronia to R. on Arlington...it's a ways out there!...there's a five dollar fee, unless parking at the entrance, which I did, and geared up, and followed the other cyclists...downriver the Path only goes a little way, and upriver maybe a long ways...I was too fatigued after rolling downriver and back to Silver (Path thereabout ends at a Plant Nursery)...Path is hilly, and it was hot...and the River is lost in Trees and Brush and the Path skirts it on the Hillsides...rolled in Silver to the Visitor Center, thinking to just pay the five bucks for a looksee, but even just walking about made me feel a bit faint, so skipped that!...it was all quietquiet...Ground Squirrels at very start...one can see hereabout all the Mountains that are the source of the River...on a cooler day, I may try again to rollabout this section of Path...might need to get ten speed with low gears!... Heron pics are from Yesterday's rollabout...Mile 6 to 3 and return...it was cool, and cut the roll short least I get chilled with just t-shirt and thin long sleeve...Edge Hawks about, and Kite, Redtails in the Eucys, which have been trimmed, along with Trees at Moon Park, Cooper's Hawk, and unknown bird, to me....'bout size of Robin...clips of Heron, and flocking Bonaparte's Gulls for sometime...

Kingfisher And Osprey

Rolled out around Noon with the thought to take 91 to 215 East to where it crosses the Santa Ana River, and find a place to park and find the River Trail...google maps show it's there...but missed the 215 turn, and so continued on 91 to a crossover to make U, and happened on Martin Luther King Blvd., which seemed appropriate as Holiday today...made the U, and out 215, but no luck... really needed written down direction, but as I often do, I was just winging it...and found myself in Ontario somewhere and on 60, but came up on 71 back to Corona, and took 71 back to 91, and by now much hungry and freeway frazzled, but remembered Bagel and Coffee shop near Yorba Park, and turned off 91 on Gypsum Canyon, and along ? that parallels the Trail, and where I've been, and found the Bagel Shop...snacked, and felt...possible...so parked at Yorba Park, right where I'd been last visit, and geared up and rolled off from about mile 22 to 17 and return...when I had finished the last visit here, I felt a melancholy, thinking it not likely I'd be this way again, so pleased to revisit...rolling along I hoped to see Osprey like before, and instead sighted Kingfisher perched on Wire over the River...this on the roll out...and on return, at same Wire, found Osprey had joined Kingfisher on self same Wire...very cool!...pics up....clips for sometime...sunny warm Januarysummer...I don't know if I'll ever get to that remaining section of Bike Trail...it's there, somewhere, but it's a mind numbing freeway drive...one I've made many times on trips to Mountains or relatives in Fallbrook/Rainbow, and with those destinations the freeway was bearable, just, but I find myself when planning to find this section of Trail, that I'd just as soon repeat sections I've done, and closer to home...anyway...maybe if it Rains...this missing section is likely of more interest with Water...the Inland Valley really needs Water...always has....Cyclist asked me why I had cameras with...'Birds'...and shared some River Bird sightings, and was informed Gold was once in the River, and a wonder if some still about....

Bonaparte's Gull

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They are graceful in flight, more like terns.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonaparte's_Gull

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I thought Bonaparte's Gulls were Terns!...and a new bird, for me...Canvas Back Ducks might be new bird, for me, too...rolled from Mile 6 to Mile 0, and return...Cyclist was interested in why Edge Hawk, Redtail, wouldn't fly off..."Is it sick?"...and too they thought Hawk might be Owl...tried to explain...and further along pointed out Kite in Eucy, and Second Kite hovering over sandy brush river bottom..."beautiful!"...Cyclist was too!, with boyfriend in Utah...Kestrel a bit further along...and brush fire at Talbert stepped on quick by the firefighters...Ospreys at the Gulls' Shell Bombing Run (mob of Crows showed up to try and move in on Gulls' efforts!)....sat awhile thereabout and snacked--subway coldcuts and bottled water...Hawk, Coopers?, on return, and Redtail then too at the Grid...sighted like Four Redtails soaring...Ospreys have a Nest!...sunny blue smokey Januarysummer...haven't been out and about since New Years...took to my bunk to try and shake cold, which running up and down the basketball courts didn't help!...feel a bit like the direct tv add..."When you cable tv is cancelled..."...and have added hickups with gall stone to my unwanted bucket list!...got dehydrated trying to cut down on congestion and coughing...hmmph...feel better now, but need to get my conditioning back, again..

Reddish Heron

http://youtu.be/udbVfjAlw_4

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Foraging behavior distinctive: running, spinning, and flapping while literally chasing fish through shallow water.

p56 Sibley
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Reddish Heron sighted at the Bridge at Bolsa Chica...lots of photogs about, with lots of huge lenses!...everyone out for last day of 2013...I thought Heron Blue Heron, until Heron began chasing Fish...'that's different!"...very cool dance...see clip!...and new bird for me...sunny warm blue...Happy New Year!