Door in the Tree

Some deer video, and this woodpecker, a new butterfly, on a brief walkabout. I need to go to DMV to re register the bus as an operating vehicle...but it's so pretty this time of season I hate to lose a day off to riding about in the YARTS bus! See how I feel in morning...

Time for a walkabout after getting the Bus running briefly...some video of deer, and red and white headed woodpeckers, little birds at the Creeks end, and a water ouzel at the other end by the Bridge. A few dragonflies, and acorns falling.

Squirrels

Squirrels everywhere. After the dogwoods, they're after the seeds in the broad leaf maples. The ground squirrel is on the lodgepole pine's roots at the end of the Creek--he's looking out across the Merced.

Now, last night after I went off line, and opened the door to paddle to the can, I was surprise to hear what sounded like a cat snarling, and then across the road between the cars I could see what looked like a bear walking away. I didn't follow, Nature was calling!, but I wish I had, I'd like to know what it was, a bear, a mountain lion, a bobcat, or just an odd tourist!? Lesson is to always have my little 3x handy.

Some clouds came in, and cool today, moon hidden now behind broken clouds.

Acorn Deer

Heard the Hawk...I hear it most everyday, often close by work or the cabin...did a short walkabout...some video of deer...and some "art" pics...an acorn, green grass growing from a river stone, the bus going over the Creek Bridge..the Superinetendant's House back door...which was kinda neat as a squirrel sits on the stair rail post...I hadn't seen it while taking pic...and some video of small birds.

Dragonflies and black and dark brown butterflies are back...no ducks...or the tiger swallowtails. On the cold days the nights are quiet...but the crickets are back, but not nearly as loud.

These are what I call the "perfect" days...sunny and blue and just the right temperature with the trees beginning to change colors...and not so many people!

Friend says he sees a white crane over in Liedig Meadow, and hears the owl too.

DVD burner came from Amazon..hope it works.

The Creek continues to dry out.

I've noticed for a long time they put hawk calls in TV commercials..just thought I'd mention that!

Tile Frog

Felt kinda silly setting up the tripod, but once having used the tripod, thinking here of someone today I talked to today saying they were content with the handheld pics, like I was, I feel compelled to always use the tripod. But in this case all the tripod shots were for naught as there was a hair on the frogs leg I didn't see that pretty much ruined the pics!! Hazard of photographing critters in the shower. This time of year, Fall, these guys show up, liking the warmth and moisture. This a handheld shot.

Did a Creek walkabout, chased the Hawk again. In the morning before dawn I've been hearing an owl...maybe next time I'll chase it too!

Creek Heron

Walked out to where the Creek meets the Merced, and lamented that I would take a pic of Sentinel just to get a pic!...did that, and just then the Heron came flying along low over the Merced and landed across on the other side...this a still. Got video of the Heron in flight, but very tiny...third time I've seen it..second with pics...

Coyote

Blurry pic of coyote on it's way to cross the Creek footbridge, which is under repair.

Walkedabout with a friend today who got a new 12x too...saw the Hawk, some dear, woodpeckers...and away from the Creek over by the Post Office a bear was up in an Oak tree...and got video and pics. Very cool. On my own in the afternoon more deer by Curry and woodpeckers by Indian Canyon, which I cant figure how to go up...there should be old use trail there.

Oh, let me add the Fierce Bird...brb...this one by the Woodpecker Tree in Cooks Meadow.

Dogwood Seeds

The Robins and Squirrels are happily eating the Dogwood seeds...and I'm not sure how they came about, though I have enough pics I could trace them back to Spring when the Dogwoods' white "flowers" were blooming. The flowers are bracts, but I dont think the bracts turn into these seeds! Look like little fireworks when they turn dark red.

Heard the Hawk make one call from the Bus Stop, and saw a glimpse of it by the Cabin...later in the walkabout I followed the call in front of me, scanning the Tree Tops, then it was behind mefinally saw a glimpse as it flew over the Creek towards the Lower Falls Stop.

My Gear was turned into Lost and Found, and 'am grateful to the anonymous Finder.

Took video of Deer, Does with a Fawn, lazing in the ferns and grasses on the Superintendant's House bike path under the oaks.

And a telephoto pic of a trickle coming over the Falls top...a start for the Equinox!

Cold, but clearing up.

Forest Hawk Sighting

Well, I had a merry time chasing a red tail hawk on the walkabout...first I heard it's call, this at the Creek's end while taking pics of Sentinel...then decided to look for it, and just up the dry channel it was high atop a Ponderosa, right on top just like the one in Tuolumne. I got video, tiny, and recorded it's call, then it flew by me and I followed it to the tree it went too. From there it flew to another tree, me in tow, and I almost got a great pic, but slow to mount the camera on the tripod!, did get a hand held blurry, then it flew to another tree, and I got video, which this still is from. There was another one I heard too calling from the Bridge end of the Creek.

In the excitement I left some gear at the Creek end, and went back tonight with headlamp to look, but not there. Hope it gets turned in. Moon was coming up right over Sentinel, peeking through the clouds. Very pretty.

It's cold, and rained a bit, but no snow to speak of, maybe way up there, have to see if Half Dome is dusted tomorrow.

I hope the Hawk is the Creek Hawk...and I'll see it again.

Tiny Bird in Willow Branches

I went on the long walkabout..by the meadows control burned. From the bikepath I tried to get this pic of one of the tiny birds. I'll go study it in photoshop and maybe identify it. It's a still from video. Got video of whole flock of Dark Eyed Junkos, and one of the others, pecking the ground where it's been burned. This near Swinging Bridge. I thought the ground would be bare, but the grasses are layed down and charred. Saw a hawk way out over Leidig Meadow towards Three Brothers. Didn't have time to chase it, and had to hurry back for work...went via Creek but didn't take pics. Sunny today, tomorrow should be intersting weather. One branch of the Tree by the Chapel has it's leaves turning. It's Fall now.

Three Birds

The little birds were out after the rain. I'm not sure what they were feeding on. I'm gonna guess these are a Dark Eyed Junko, a Chipping Sparrow, and a Mountain Chickadee...left to right. Got some neat video of them. They were on the other side of the Creek on the bike path to Cook's meadow under the oaks.

Squirrels were out and about too...I should have given more time to the walkabout.

More rain maybe coming...have to check weather site.

Doe and Fawn

Got nice video of doe and fawn.

More smoke today from the control burn, and some dark clouds of approaching rain maybe. Cooler, and closed the window tonight...heatwave's over.

Illusive Bird's Name

It's a Northern Flicker. I thought it was a small hawk at first, it has a short piercing call like one. It landed in a cedar right behind the cabin early this morning, and I managed to get a blurry still...camera's batteries went dead, and the backups were dead too...forgot to charge them! All the pics blurred out because of this.

Later, the Creek was smokey from control burn across the Merced. Curious to see tomorrow what some of my favorite sit down and wait sites on that side have come too. It was right across form where the Creek meets the Merced.

The firemen do a good job. Lot of tourists canceled tour tickets though, can't see things through the smoke!

Small Brown Bird, Melospiza melodia

I have another of this one posted I think. I took pics and video of it where the Creek meets the Merced. There's a log there stuck in the gravelsand and I sat for awhile trying to photograph the dragon flies (got one blurry one!), and this bird came along, another of the illusive ones. There's something in the sand they like. This was before noon, but I went back in the evening and there were like six robins poking in the mud too, and this one again, so I have lots of robin and this one's pics today. Letmesee if I can find its name...A Song Sparrow? Melospiza melodia?

The Creek here, what's left of it, is about a foot across and an inch deep! Yes, this is all the water coming over the Falls...where it comes to the Merced. Makes the Robins pic kinda neat...

Creek View

I think I posted a view pic from here before...I sat down at the Great Turf for a bit, and walked the creek...not much stirring...took pic of helicopter by Sentinal, and in pic I found large bird...but way too blurry...thought I had a ufo....helicopeter looked to be searching, maybe for a lost hiker.

Duck Harbor

I tried to get this pic before, but an acorn fell from the tree with a plop splash, woke the duck up which proceeded to preen. This time acorns were falling too, but I got this pic, eye closed...next pic the eye is open! I call it Duck Harbor as there's always some ducks in this Creek pond...it's midway...where there's a Tiki outlet from I guess the Superintendent's House. Cool today, wore my hooded pullover. Heard a Hawk, saw the Illusive Bird fly off...seems to be grasshopper and dragonfly season the last couple weeks.

Blue Jay Feathers

It's tough to photograph the birds when they're surrounded by branches...I need to expand the bracket focus. I narrowed it in the hope I had the right focus and would get three pics of the critter's changing look, like the Raven pics. I really like that, and thought to frame them up as triptychs...

Bus gobbled up walkabout time...only about fifteen minutes by the creek. It's getting cooler, but still in my t-shirts, and window open at night. I'm sleeping better and dont feel so tired. I dont do well in the heat.

Backyard Bus

Well, there it is in all it's glory, right now in about the same condition as the Tiki Trash Cans!

I walked to the village to get a wrench, and took the camera but didn't take a single pic. Saw the Illusive Bird again.

Two Trees

Found time away from the Bus to walkabout the creek. Had video of a new butterfly, but it's blurry. Sat by the Twin Fallen Trees, waiting, but worktime arrived, and I took this pic....white alder trees I think...

Illusive Bird

This is second pic I've posted of this one, also blurry. They just fly off whenever I get near. Hopefully, sometime when I'm in a sit and wait spot, one will come by. It's a bit like fishing...

Under the Bridge

Long day in town, went to DMV, and found a body shop and a service garage...now a matter of getting the Bus down there!

Merced looks a bit like the Creek...lots of gravel beaches, and reflecting ponds.

This pic from a couple days ago...I did a little sequence of pics following the Creek from the Bridge to the Merced.

Reminded me of the entry tunnels to the Magic Kingdom...which in the seven years there I passed through many times.

Giant Crane Fly

It was on the sink, when I went to wash, shave and brush my teeth. Quite a pic, if I do say so...I even used the new tripod.

This isn't good, my backspace key is sticking!

Only a few minutes by the Creek...busy purchasing a used VW Bus, which will soon join the menagerie here at Tree in the Door! Presently it doesn't run, so it might sit awhile. Last one I had did so for six years, until my family tired of it to the point I had to give it away...it was just on blocks, a few weeds...

Photo buffs will note the shading in the corners, which I think is caused by the nature of the lens...vignetting?

Creek Butterfy

New tripod came and it weighs 9 pounds! Took it down to the creek to try it out, and took little video of butterfly, this a still.

I have three kinds of pics, pics, stills, and video. I crop the pics at 72 dpi. The stills are at low res too, so these upload quick. Problem I'm having with video is it's a higher res than blogger wants, and it takes some time to lower it and upload...I think that's what's happening! So, I'll try to make a lower dpi copy at my end.

Well, hooey, it uploads quick, but it's useless!

Blue Jay Talking

Well, the Hawk didn't make it...casualty of the long sequence of hot days...and this probably a harbinger of many summer to come. A tourist found it and said hardly weighed anything. Maybe it's not the one I photographed by the Creek. I know it's the one by the Cedar Tree. Report of one lost at El Portal too. These Hawks are the same kind as the one I photographed in Tuolumne.

On the walkabout I felt a bit disconsolate, and sat awhile at the Twin Fallen Trees. Blue Jay came by, talking to itself as always too, and left a smile...see video.... oh, it's too slow!!

a poem

The Creek Hawk

I could toll our memories,
But they are ours, and ours alone.

Chirp...chirp...Bird

This pic, a bit fuzzy, was taken in the shade, and I've had to lighten it up in photoshop. The yellow chest is brighter, and I've been chasing this bird and it's sound the last three days to no avail! But I did get a nice hand held video, but I hope to get better pics and video.

I'll try to upload the video...

Well, that worked! I'll have to go back to previous posts and add the videos.

The bird appears to be a Red Breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canandensis.

Yosemite Creek Hawk

Was running out of time on the walkabout, and on the other side of the Merced, took my shoes and socks off to wade across to the Creek outlet...ouch ouch ouch...Galen Clark feet I dont have...and got to the other side...reshod my feet...and started up the bank by the Tiki Temple Outlet...and there the Hawk was again!!

Got the best pics and video yet. Some question if it's a Goshawk, or Redtail Hawk. Everyone around and about the Lodge has been seeing it. Even flew into the Food Court windows I heard.

12x resolution is such I can zoom in on one of the Hawk's eyes in the pic and see the Creek reflected.

It seems healthy enough...hope it's not sick. Maybe the heat makes it perch near the ground.

Fish

There's some little fish in the algae, which is growing like it would in an unattended aquarium. Creek is mostly now a series of ponds, with gravel beaches between.

Creek Squirrel

After an afternoon in Tuolumne, I went and sat in the creek, same place, maybe same ducks!, and took video and pic of this squirrel snacking. I think the creek was an inch higher! Comical this is, as there are large sections completely dry.

Two Deer

Heard the hawk, and while filming a certhia americana, turned, and saw the heron fly off--this at the creek outlet. Later, at the bridge, I saw these two deer.

Duck on Creek

I saw ducks on the creek riding over the bridge in the bus back and forth to the post office...took my walk, saw one, and sat down with the camera on the tripod and got some video. I realized the creek has become a kindof pathway, and if I just sit in it, things will come by! Sure enough, while filming the duck, an ouzel landed right across from me...just 6 or 7 feet. Got great video of the ouzel preening and diving!

Bird on Twig

This is the little guy that flies up from the river's edge where the creek meets the Merced, and catches flying bugs...

This is cropped from very center of the photo...the tripod definitely helps!!

I've learned to use the the bracket focus, and the braket expossure, and I wondered how to do to both together...and discovered the M setting. Here I can use the navigation button to change F stops, and shutter speeds, and in movie mode...and with a little study I think I can get it to take quick sequence. I can bracket the old fashion way in this mode...M for Manual...

I...I'm a little slow to take so long to find this out!!