Halloween Owl

Photoshoped Cathedral Owl with moon pic of a few days ago...used magic wand, then selected similar, then delete...this on layer above moon pic layer....and I got lucky as the magic ants (the dotted line selection) didn't trim all away...leaving an outline which happens to be the same color of the moon, and so made akinda glow. I uploaded to Kodak Gallery and ordered a big print!!

Didn't get to the Creek today...too wooped from spending the night in Mariposa, the bus rides...and the root canal. Halloween seems to be my time for root canals!...as last year at just this time I went through the same thing.

Heard flickers in Mariposa, and in the early morning...an owl.

Confluence

I found the old pic at the Bancroft site...search Yosemite Creek Merced confluence...that's what Creek's End looked like in 1916...I think that date's right...and today I tried to find a spot to take a pic like it...and so to compare...a Then and Now....there's a coffee table book that does exactly this...it's kinda fun...lots of photogs find Ansel Adam's sites and stand in his shoes, so to speak.

I haven't got quite the same angle, and will have to work on this. And add if I find any other old Creek pics of Creek's End.

I thought for a moment a Hawk is in the old photo sitting on the tree in the river...but I think it's just a branch.

I'll just note one thing for now...all the trees in the old photo look to be oaks...now it's a mix of oaks, pines, maples, white alders...and aspens...I think there's some aspens...and maybe the river and creek have moved and that's the problem I'm having finding the angle.

At one time there was a diversion dam here, I've read...and maybe that accounts for the second, higher, channel that's dry right now. I'm not sure what a diversion dam would look like!!

Cathedral Owl

Well, I got that pic of the Owl looking down at me! Almost didn't...was sitting on the log at Creek's End after an afternoon of walkabouts...exciting day as there was a rain shower...and I had picked up in the failing light of dusk and was walking up Lodgepole Point and heard ...hooo hooo hoohoo hoo hooo....and I was off...and then heard screech....screech. This pic is of the Owl screeching...there were two!! Didn't find the other...too busy with clips and pics of this one...which I think is a juvenile Great Horned Owl as I just read they do the screech. Bested all the other pics of the day including a little bit of rainbow against Half Dome. Great pic day..tomorrow the dentist...really would like to stay in the Valley for more pics!!

Owl Beach Flicker

Flicker was across the Merced from Creek's End...I have a favorite log now there where I sit...I can look up towards Chapel Bridge, down toward the Half Stump in the Merced, and up the Creek...good long views, and through the trees on the opposite bank I can see the Chapel Meadow. The Flicker landed at Owl Beach (where I saw the Great Horned Owl), and I have clips of its call, and taking a bath. All long shots though, so soft.

The Heron flew by, and I could only watch, and landed by Chapel Bridge. So I sat on the log and waited for it to fly back...which it did, but I was too slow.

Then, this is cool, I heard a bagpipe playing at the Chapel, it's Sunday, and I thought to do a clip of the river while it played, and it started up playing Amazing Grace, and it made a sound track for the clip..a pan of the Merced at Creek's End.

On the walk back I got some good clips of a Golden Mantle eating a pine cone like an ear of corn...this by the Bridge.

A cool day with broken clouds...a rain shower while at work, and I wished I could go take pics of the sky then.

Path to the Creek

One of the paths anyway...I take different routes...when I went looking for my gear after dark I took off down one with my headlight and though a little confused was confident that I was making progress, after all it's only like 4o yards...but ahead I started to see a bunch of lights from buildings and thought, What the heck!...and to my chagrin I was back at the Cabin...I'd gone in a circle just like it's said to happen to people who are lost!

Overcast day with broken clouds and cool. Took backyard squirrel clips, and got pics, only one near good, of the Brown Creeper at the Post Office..on the Post Office actually!...think it's the creeper..have to check as it might be the bird that looks like one...

Oak Leaves on Duck Harbor

Clips of squirrels at the Deer House....made a loop to Lodgepole Point...not much stirring!...sat awhile and started back as work time approached...took this pic at Duck Harbor, all covered with leaves now...tops of the trees changing are becoming bare...more squirrel clips in the Cabin's Backyard..do the White Alders change?...they're all green still, and couple other trees I dont know name for...want to say mulberries....ferns are changing...bracken ferns I think. I think if I look up the Deer House history, I might find a diary or journal of someone who lived on that side of the Creek, which would be cool.

Village Hawk

Well, I'm getting error messages in the photo upload...this one is still of the Hawk at the Village today...I came out of the Post Office, my arms full of Amazon boxes, not heavy but big and awkward, and on the walk to the bus stop I saw tourists pointing and taking pics at something under the tree...and "swoop" the Hawk landed on the fallen oak leaves...I looked away to get the camera out of its bag and in that time it moved to a tree..where we all followed...like paparazzi...I just dropped my packages on the path!! Tough to get pics, too high up and lighting harsh...cloudy days are a photogs friend!

It sure looks like the Creek Hawk. The Hawk yesterday, with its red chest, might be a Coopers Hawk. The Creek Hawk is a Red Tail.

Back at the Creek, I took clip of a wedding group on a Nature hike peering at a Centipede on the Chapel Bridge Path...and then going to the Cabin a pic of a mushroom. If we ever get some rain, there will be lots of those.

Well, I got the pics up!

Tree to Tree to Tree to Tree to Tree

Chapel Hawk

I was sitting at Lodgepole Point and saw the Hawk fly low into the tree on the opposite bank of the Merced....off I went, wading again across the Merced!! I got across, but saw it fly out to a tree in the Chapel Meadow (it's called Liedig, I think...I'll have to check) which is turning green after the control burn, and out on the road was the tour bus tourists on their Falls stop...I dont know if they saw me come out of the trees in pursuit...and I headed across to the tree I thought it flew too, but couldn't see it...as I got close it flew out to a big cedar by the road...this is the third tree I saw it fly too...if I had pics from all of them I'd have seven!!...but here's five from the chase beginning with the big cedar, which was best pose...I just couldn't sneak in close enough.

Got Coyote clip afterwards, Coyote catching, and eating mouse or gopher, and earlier golden mantle clip...and almost a great brown creepers clip...I was taking video of one tree, and looked up and three were on the tree right next to me...but I was too slow.

A fine morning...as I walked by the Chapel, hurrying back to work, a service was beginning at the Chapel for one of the shuttle drivers who passed away...would have stopped in but had to go to work...so that was sad. I didn't know them well, but the shuttle drivers are a family who I often visit with riding the buses.

Duck and Ouzel

I went back to the Creek End this evening, and hoped for the Owl...and shared the evening with a Duck and Ouzel...and a cricket...the crickets are putting out a continuous song. Got video of the Ouzel singing...and some landscape pics.

It was warm, and many of the trees have peaked in their Fall colors...a little bit of wind thins them out now...the elm in Cook's is bare already.

Been telling everyone over lunch and breakfast, on the bus, about the Owl.

Sentinel Owl

quote (me in email)

"The edge of that dry Santa Ana weather was here in the Valley, but it just made everything more gorgeous. I was doing video of some deer crossing the Merced, which is very low, and a small hawk swooped in and picked a bird right out of the air, and then landed on the opposite bank. Now, I went to this spot (Creek's End) this evening in hopes of hearing the Owl again, and following its sound and getting a pic...and low and behold, the Owl swooped down and took over the Hawk's kill. I never saw exactly what it was, but the Owl walked about the bank, then flew up on a tree branch, and I was able to get video and pics!! I get so worked up chasing these birds! I walked out in the middle of the Merced, boots and all, and got one or two closer pics, then it took notice of me and flew aways into another tree. I crossed the Merced, and Indian walked as quiet as I could, and couldn't find it, until I looked straight up and it was above me looking straight down! Oh, I wish I could have gotten that pic! But I was too slow pointing the camera up on the tripod and trying to see it in the lcd screen. Ah, lost that one, but the others are cool.

end quote

Earlier I got some video of Hawks circling in Cook's Meadow, one with Sentinel in background.

Day started out though, watching news of So Cal under siege from the fires...Rainbow was my home awhile, and Orange County of course nearly all my life. Hearing the place names come over the news is very sad.

The Hawks and Owl just totally took over my attention though. I hope I dont get a cold. I walked about in the cold evening with wet legs, not feet, my boots were water proof, the Merced not deep enough to get in them, but my cuffs got wet and the dampness chilled my legs.

Oh, I wish I got that pic of the Owl looking down!!

Maple Flicker

Coming back from a short walkabout, caught a glimpse of the Hawk, then heard this Flicker. Slept through breakfast, and didn't have much time before work, but I'm off the next two days, free to walkabout the whole Valley with the Fall colors peaking.

Iron Squirrel

Squirrel is sitting on the iron tongue of a small water tank trailer...from by the Deer House...I didn't know what else to title the post!! A short walkabout...overcast late morning...it sprinkled again last nite......video of the Squirrel calling...beep...........beep.................beep.

Bit jealous of Bush getting to hold a screetch owl!

Obscure Bird

On my high country hikes I come back with "find the Marmot" pics...the Marmots are in them, but, like the Obscure Bird here, hard to see...find! I've thought to set these Creek pics aside in a collection...one way to save what are otherwise lost pics...

Very short walkabout...saw some bear plop...the usual plastic scraps, like bread bag closers....those little square things...

It's warm outside, and inside work the heat was up...so I was as fatigued as in Summer!

Fall Colors

Short walkabout after taking care of some business at the Post Office. Really nice day I could see outside from work. Got a obscure pic of a little yellow bird...call it the obscure bird. Have to keep my eye out for it and get a better one.

This group of trees in the Backyard was where I saw the Hawk fly up the other day.

Light Squirrel

On the walkabout I went and sat at the Creek end awhile...saw a Brown Creeper, third one,...and got a long shot pic...they blend in real well on the Cedar's...Junkos were about....the after rain clouds and mist swirling around Sentinel...crossed over and walkedabout the Deer House path...Blue Jays gathering acorns...they seem to bury them in the leaves....more Junkos....crossed back over and returned to the Cabin...Robins and more Blue Jays...and this pic of the Golden Mantle on the night path light...which made me think of the Bible passage...

quote

14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5 14-16

unquote

There was a Non Sequitor cartoon the other day...two old Viking armies lined up opposed to one another, and between them the opposing Kings on their knees admiring a Butterfly.

I'll find that link...though it likely wont last...brb...

http://news.yahoo.com/comics/uclickcomics/20071016/cx_nq_uc/nq20071016

"Guess who'll be called crazy!" says one of the soldiers standing!

Late Azalea

While waiting at the bustop in Mariposa to come back to the Valley, I was reading the Smithsonian with the Dumbo Squid on the cover...I'm gonna have to get a poster of this sometime...and there was a story in it about Thoreau and how assiduously he studied the flowers in his backyard, especially the timing of their blooms...

This pic from a couple days ago.

No walkabout today...all day on the bus and back, and walkabout time was after dental visit in Mariposa...road was wet a bit when I got home, so the Valley got a little rain.

Changing Leaves

There was some thought that because of the dry winter, and long hot summer, the leaves wouldn't do their thing this Fall...not to worry...made two walkabouts today, walked to Curry too...with stops at the Woodpecker Tree, which I may have to call now the Amazing Tree as a tourist peddling by said that while I was shooting video of the woodpeckers...in one pic I can count five...and there are as many as a dozen putting their acorns in the tree at one time...have to wonder if they keep track of whose is whose!

Crawdad

Sat for awhile at the Deer House just soaking up the sun, and looking out over Cook's Meadow. Tourist asked if anyone lived there, and I explained how it's been boarded up since the '97 flood...."But it's a nice place to sit!"

Saw a Hawk land in the Elm, and off for a chase, but it was long gone...took some close up pics of the Elm, walked back, sat again for awhile, then went to the Creek....thought the Jays were shouting at the Hawk, but just Jays being Jays!...video of a Deer, but a tourist walked into it...sought some solitude!... and looking down at the Merced bank saw the Crawdad. I've been keeping an eye out for these all along..they hide under things. Have never seen one yet in the Creek. Haven't seen once since I was a kid!

Flicker in Focus

Well, when I come back from the walkabout, the Flickers in the Dogwoods take off as soon as I approach the Cabin backyard, but they land sometimes on a Ponderosa Pine, and if I'm quick enough, I can get a pic...this another long distance one, but better!! It is like raining acorns over at the Deer House. Sunny and bright. The illusive bird is very pretty, and I'll have to just sit by the Dogwoods for awhile. There are Hawks all over, I see them circling and riding the thermals.

I managed to get some of my edited videos onto DVD...but the recording is jerky in parts...have to keep working to do it right somehow. The Hawk video is really haunting...I dont know if I've ever seen anything quite like it, and remembering what it was like to take it...well, it's no wonder I've become obsessed with the Hawks!!

I'll try to give some time one day to upload it to the blog. It's long and will take awhile to keep somekindof good resolution.

Forty Six

Forty Six was over by the Village...about half way between Lower Falls stop and the Village...this is a popular spot for all the critters...lots of acorns...and I think they feel safe as it's kinda sandwiched between all the facilities. Walking home after dark my headlamp picks up their eyes glowing during Fall and Winter. A headlamp is a good trick to look for critters at night.

Not much on the walkabout, which was short...a Western Azalea had some blooms...and it was cloudy with a few sprinkles...tonight it almost rained, but mostly heavy sprinkles. Not very cold.

Northern Flicker

A short walkabout...and a long distance shot of the Ilusive Bird! They look a bit like the Robins when they fly up, so in the chase, I'm often mistakenly after a Robin. This one was right in the backyard, where everyone is after the Dogwood seeds.

Sat for awhile at Duck Harbor...the Ducks haven't been back since the cold days. Today was a little cool. Tomorrow they say some rain.

Lost Arrow Hawk

Went for the walkabout and wasn't seeing much...sat at the Creek's end and saw a Hawk way over the Chapel Bridge...took pic of deer and the Creek with Lost Arrow in background...and on the way back flushed the Hawk right by the Cabin in some small trees...and then the chase!!...branch to branch to branch! The Blue Jays helped...they set up an alarm...and when I lost it, I'd go towards their warning calls. Great fun...would have continued but work time came...

Owl

Coyote came down the street this morning, and took video, got video of Brown Creeper too by the kitchen roof eaves (not a Creeper, but a Wren, not sure which....). Spent most of the day on hike up to Vernal and on way home on bus heard there was a bear with cubs at Sentinel...got off and walked there...but didn't see anything, and continued home by way of the Creek and there heard the owl...got some video and some pics...this a still...and a few ho ho hooos!! Pretty cool.

I dont see the Creek much in the late evening, it's kinda neat then.

Creek Bears

I was doing video of deer by the Great Turf, and saw two tourists looking at something at the Creek's end...it was these two bears, a mama and cub, going through bags of tourists' trash (tomorrow I'll have to go back and see what this trash was...). This was really neat, and a sight I would have missed if I'd made it to Merced in the Bus.

I did video from the Great Turf area, they were pretty far away, a good thing. I didn't want to get close. But I needed a better angle, and went to Lodgepole Point (the little peninsula on the east side of the Creek's end) and set up and got some good video and a couple pics. And then the cub started walking right towards me...with mama bear following...I held my ground till they crossed the Creek...and the little one started up the bank just below me...then pulled up the tripod and gave them their space. I went down to the bank of the Merced, thinking I could get out of the way over the river, just wet feet.. But they didn't come along, they had gone back over the Creek and up the dry second channel of the Merced. I walked out that way, careful not to come up on them, and saw them in some grasses, taking their nap. I thought to get more pics, but thought they might sleep all afternoon, so continued on...water ouzels chasing one another and calling took my attention...then I went back and they were still sleeping. I really wanted to get a good pic...(none were really good, okay, but not special)... especially of the cub sleeping by its mom. So I set up the tripod and waited, and two more tourists came, and of course were curious what I was photographing, so I showed them where they were...and the tourist made enough racket to make mama lift her head. So they got to see her, and were very pleased. And I got a little bit of video. And we left the bears undisturbed, as mama lay back down and went back to sleep. Much later I went back, and two more tourists were there admiring the roots of the lodgepole tree on Lodgepole Point. I got to explain to them that it was lodgepole, and that it was unusual at this altitude...probably more than they wanted to know!! But it's fun to tell people about the Creek. Didn't see the bears again.

Cedar Tree and Deer

I had to snap my fingers to get them to turn their ears!! I had been taking video and pics of the one on the right, and then packed up to move, and saw the one on the left, and set up again for this pic. It will be a favorite...I'm a little taken with symmetry!!...left upper corner is blocked out, but I can fix it, take another pic when it's not so sunny, and photoshop that part in.

Took video and pic of brown and black butterfly..this one in good shape, not nibbled on by the birds, and the Fall early sunlight shows the colors really well.

Think I'll call the boarded up Superintendent's House the Deer House...they're always about, browsing, or just hanging out..where the pic was taken.

Blurry Deer

Opened the door at daybreak, and there was a herd of deer looking in...didn't have the camera at hand, like I admonish myself to do, and went back to get it...and one stayed to pose...but it was too dark for the auto focus...and a blurry pic.

Coming back from breakfast, the Hawk was circling over the cabin...I spun around a bit too, shading my eyes against the sun...remembered the camera, which I did have, and got a little less blurry still, and some video...almost got video with the Falls in background, which would have been really cool.

Took video of deer by the Tiki Temple, exploring some of the ruins (old giant pipes). Sunny and blue and cool.

Acorn Squirrel

A short walkabout, squirrel video, and the illusive bird (Northern Flicker) perched and making it's call, which I've mistaken at times for the Hawk's. Cooled off, and some corn snow fell briefly in the Village. Took pic of Cathedrals with the trees in the crevices changing colors. Hands got cold holding the tripod...but it has soft rubber sleeves and that will help!

Sky Hawk

I was taking pic of woodpecker in a dead tree branch against the sky and moon, and saw the hawks, as many as three, gliding about...this a still from video I tried to get. There must be a way to lock the focus at infinity, then maybe I can get a good pic of flying birds.

Walked over to the Chapel elm, which was in all it's Fall glory and surrounded by photogs. Green grasses coming up in the controlled burn meadows. Woodpecker pics and video, and lots of the elm tree. Hard disc has filled up! Made room, but need to make more...maybe even need to buy a newer with bigger storage computer if I keep doing the videos!!

Robin in Dogwood

Saw the Hawk flying off over the Merced by the end of the Creek. A short walkabout, deer and this robin pics, some deer video...need to look closer at a does back...looked to be diseased. It was warm, forecast is for cooler weather tomorrow.

Two Yellow Butterflies

A still from video catches these two in flight. I use the pause and click click frame to frame to find a good still. For the web the resolution is fine.

Warm today, made a short long walkabout...deer about, some grey squirrels chasing, seed pods and thistles, and some video of a golden mantle squirrel, along with these butterflies.

Buzz Birds

Didn't get to the Creek today, took the YARTS bus to Merced. What a long day! This pic from yesterday.

quote
In my afternoon walk I would fain forget all my morning occupations, and my obligations to society. But it sometimes happens that I cannot easily shake off the village. The thought of some work will run in my head, and I am not where my body is; I am not of my senses.

Thorea

unquote

Saw a hawk from the bus, sitting atop a telephone pole, and two others gliding over the cattle ranch land...later in town there were turkey buzzards flying, it looked like, in the evening sky...I thought they might be crows or ravens but their heads looked featherless. Buzz Birds I called them as a kid on the road from Chicago to California...to the delight of my dad.