Two Top Pine Meadow Evening

no pics today....sunny blueblue hot, light breeze from the East, desert wind....at Lunch: sat awhile at Ozone Beach...warded off the Mosquitoes with spray...Black Phoebe on Phoebe's Willow....Sandpipers, Grosbeak, Song Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, Robins, Acorn, about....report of Bobcat sighted twice by Last Chance (Back Dock and Train Wreck Break Area) and each time catching Ground Squirrel....oh...forgot...pics and clip up, from yesterday, are an illustration of the common photo problem hereabout--foreground and background are seldom of the same brightness...and the camera cant expose for both simultaneously...a curio would be why our eyes can!...the curve of our eye accounts for our perception of depth of field, the other major photogs' angst!, but I'm not sure what gives us perception of exposure, the range I mean...brb...the subject of light and dark comes under the rubric of 'dynamic range', and here a good web page about it:

quote

The human eye can actually perceive a greater dynamic range than is ordinarily possible with a camera.

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/dynamic-range.htm

unquote

and here's another curio:

quote

"Colour vision is the faculty of the organism to distinguish lights of different spectral qualities."^[35] All organisms are restricted to a small range of electromagnetic spectrum; this varies from creature to creature, but is mainly between 400 and 700 nm^[36]. This is a rather small section of the electromagnetic spectrum, probably reflecting the submarine evolution of the organ: water blocks out all but two small windows of the EM spectrum, and there has been no evolutionary pressure among land animals to broaden this range.^[37]

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye}

^{I learned to use my peripheral vision playing basketball, and refereeing basketball--court vision. It's an arcane skill. Looking out at the scene, like Two Top Pine Meadow, I see a bit different, and my eyes will snap, unbidden, to any movement, somewhat like the reaction to a sudden noise. A tourist one evening asked me the prices of beverages, and I pointed to the sign near the ceiling, and mentioned in passing a small splash spot on it that I needed to clean. The tourist thought a moment, and payed me a compliment, "You have good acuity." And I was pleased, tourist was a retired lifeguard, and would know of such things... The Critters, I suspect, see 'peripherally' all the time, and see much better than we can imagine.}

The Slough

Friend walking by right out front when I opened the Door this morning, and reported Bear over at the Deer House, and Bear looking to cross the Creek....said thanks, and paddled back to the Creek...but no luck...to Breakfast, and afterwards to sleep...out again in late afternoon....peddled over to the Village....pregnant Doe resting behind the Art Activity Studio...pic...friend reported Bear in Tree in Bobcat Meadow...likely same Bear....renewed my YA membership....and bought a small painting...continued on the Path all the way to Happy Isles...walked the Bike along the Pony Path...White Headed Woodpecker Pair by the Backpackers Camp...clip.....hot dog, chips and bottled water at the Snack Stand, which hasn't been the same since the Rock Fall--no icees!....peddled back to Sentinel Bridge, and made the Outside Loop back to the Cabin...a quiet ride!...watched a Bones episode, then geared up, and paddled to Ozone Beach, and passed Phoebe on Phoebe's Willow on the way to Bear Forest, and out to Two Top Pine Meadow by the Burnt Log...Mallard Family by the Snag Willows, and Two Female Mallards and One Male Mallard at the Slough...Sandpiper, Blackbirds, Redwings, Song Sparrow and Grosbeak, thereabout too....clips and pics of Mallards.... and Mallardlings for sometime...picked up when the Sun left the top of Half Dome...while walking along the Pavement, Yearling Fawn came trotting out of the Forest...clip, but too dark...sunny blueblue hot, light breeze....and many Mosquitoes....oh...the sound missing from clips was problem at my end....refreshed the mp4 selection in the editor, and the sound returned....a mystery why it was gone in the first place!

Bear Forest

Out and about early with the Dawn Chorus....retrieved the Bike and peddled over to Maybe Bobcat's Oak...no luck, but friend was thereabout on way to work, and pointed out the Oak....'he was up there hissing at me".....peddled over to Ozone Beach...Three Mallards, and one Female thereabout...clip...continued to Two Top Pine Meadow...quiet...but sighted Bear over in the Scorched Forest, hence Bear Forest!...faraway pic and clip...peddled about the Forest a bit (large pavement area for the Buses)...Bear browsing at the edge of the Meadow, glimpsed through the Trees...back to Last Chance, parked the Bike, and to Breakfast, and to the Cabin, and to sleep....oh....plan was to hop on the Hiker's Bus...but it wont be going up until next week, maybe!....a disappointment...in mid afternoon, peddled over to check mail...and returned...watched Bones a bit...and napped a bit...near sunset, picked up some bug spray, and thought to try and sit awhile at Ozone....spray works, but the odor is so strong.... did sit awhile...Merced still high, water up to the Boulders...pic up...Phoebe on Phoebe's Willow....Mallards flyby...Sandpipers, Robin, Song Sparrow, Grosbeak, just a few Violet Greens, about....in Bear Forest, I heard a call I couldn't id...sounded a bit like Owl or Hawk at roost...another locale to check!...seeing Bobcat in the Oak looks to be a timing problem...just have to hope for luck when passing by thereabout...sunny blueblue hothot, with a few small puff clouds...

Path Bobcat

On the Path on the way to Breakfast, passed Blue Jay calling, and a bit further on, realized Blue Jay was scolding, looked back around and sighted Bobcat!....had the 20x with, and only got clips....Bobcat was lost to sight in the heavy Brush behind the Rooms, then came back in sight near a Doe....Bobcat crouched down, and then ran and jumped into the Bushes, and was lost to sight again, both my sight, and the Does!....at first I thought Bobcat was after Ground Squirrel, but at lunch, I talked to my neighbors, and they report the Doe behind the Cabin yesterday gave birth to a Fawn that afternoon....dont know if the Doe in the morning was Mama Doe, and if so, I'm hoping Bobcat didn't find the Fawn, but I couldn't get close to the Bushes to looksee, Bobcat disappeared into them right under a Room's Window....so a mystery, hopefully to be solved when I see Mama Doe and Fawn together....relating the Bobcat sighting at work, I was answered with reports of Bobcat prowling around outside Last Chance during Breakfast...and a remarkable report that Bobcat might have a Den in an Oak by the Creek!....sunny blueblue hot...at Lunch, I quick walked to the Cabin, listened to the Doe giving birth story, and hopped on the Bike to go look at the Den Oak...quiet...but it's a magnificent old Oak, mostly snag, with several hollows, so I'm hopeful that if I spend sometime observing earlyearly in the morning, I might see Bobcat thereabout....once on the Bike, I thought to go to Ozone Beach...Two Does were thereabout, each with a yearling Buck Fawn...pics...and Mallard Pair...pic...and the Merced is still high...oh, I hope the Fawn is okay, and not anywhere near where I saw Bobcat...and I wish I hadn't stayed so far back, I'd thought to anticipate Bobcat coming into the open, but could have done the same where Doe was standing alert, and diverted Bobcat....beyond the Doe, tourists taking pics of Doe, and all surprised to see Bobcat appear!....tourists were everywhere, going up and down stairs, in and out of rooms, walking and bicycling, all the while this drama unfolded.....riding the Bike, I realized I can cover a lot of ground in the lunch time!...and if I stay on the Bike, escape the Mosquitoes....forgot to bring it home, Bike's still 'tied' up to a Tree by Last Chance!

Puffball

Coming back to the Cabin after late Breakfast, happened on Doe in the Backyard.... Doe looks to be pregnant....thought to walk over to the Village to check mail....didn't get far, just to Lower Falls Stop, and turned back...just too crowded...almost work time....sunny blueblue with puff clouds, light breeze....at Lunch:...just as I crossed the Road, and on the Path between the Rooms, happened on Doe again....Doe was resting right below a Corner Room's Window...tourists inside looking out...a pic I would have like to have had!...but just a pic of Doe...continued onto Ozone Beach, and swatted Mosquitoes from there to Two Top Pine Meadow and return to work...Sandpiper, Robin, Grosbeak, Violet Green, Phoebe, about....Sculptured Puffball pic from yesterday by the Creek...Merced from Ozone Beach pic, and Creek's End pic up...

Origin of Nature Notes

quote

Topics included plants, wildlife, road and trail conditions, park regulations, safety cautions, historical notes, along with inspirational poems, illustrations and anecdotes.

unquote

Hereabout, is what might be called in pop music, a 'cover' of Nature Notes....and link to one of the many 'covers' on the web!

http://campbayou.blogspot.com/

for more sites, google search: nature notes...oh!...and this one reminds me a bit of "Life on the East Side", Robin's blog...because of the dogs of course!

http://myblognaturenotes.blogspot.com/

oh!!...and happened on this:

http://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Mile-Walk-Gulf-John-Muir/dp/0395901472

Path Bandtail Pigeon

After Breakfast, paddled over to Ozone Beach, and sat down to get low enough to take pics of the Swallowtails on the Flat...Merced still high...Buoys out for the rafters....Mosquitoes shortened the photo taking, and back to the Cabin for a nap with little time...on the way, went to Azalea Bluff...neighbors paddling Canoe in the Creek....kinda envied them that!...pic...sunny hazy cloudy humid....at Lunch: made a quickstep walk to Ozone...Phoebe on Phoebe's Willow...Robins, Acorn, Grosbeak about...continued along the River, and sighted the Merganserlings furiously fishing...very cool..and Merganserlings have grown!....couldn't sight all together, but looked like Six...while taking pics by the Ponderosa, With The View Of Half Dome, Roots, I was being eaten by Mosquitoes....continued to Two Top Pine Meadow...quiet...and Mosqutoes...and time...back along the Path, sighted Bandtail Pigeon perched beside the Path...in the open and low!...opposite of where Bandtail usually is!...pics...I'd thought to stay inside, both morning and evening, but glad to have gone out and about...Providence smiled!

Song Sparrow

Pic and clip up from Monday out in Two Top Pine Meadow....no pics today...tried to go back to the Creek at Lunch, but mosquitoes drove me back into the Cabin!....sunny cloudy hazy sultry humid, it rained a bit on the walk home after work...like Florida I thought...then thought of the Oil Spill...hmmph....report of forty wild turkey chics in Mariposa...and Coyote walkby Last Chance in the wee hours...'really big Coyote'....something wrong with the clips sound, like it isn't...dont know if google's' problem, or mine!

Mosquitoes

Slept in.....sunnyblueblue, hot....at Lunch: paddled down to Ozone Beach, coffee in hand, anticipating a pleasant sit awhile on the Boulder....hmmph...didn't anticipate the cloud of Mosquitos....pic up is the hanger ons that hung on all the way to Two Top Pine Meadow, where I sighted Doe, and was determined to get a pic, and waitedwaited for Doe to raise her head, while all the while the mosquitos were seeking to get through the thin line of defense of my pant's leg....retreated to Last Chance, and sat awhile with the remaining time....oh....the mosquitos present a dilemma....I could keep them at bay with bug spray, but I'm a bit leery of dosing myself too often....and it takes a head to toe dosing!...well...well...the lunch sits could become bikeabouts...have to think on that....dont know but the walkabouts may too....only escape when the mosquitoes are this thick is quick movement, especially near the Merced or in the Meadows....sigh...

Country Road

After Breakfast, hopped on the YARTS Bus to Mariposa, and the dentist, and the dread root canal....had two hours free before time, and paddled out Highway 49 at the end of Town (looking at the Moon rise while waiting for the return Bus later, I realized Mariposa is turned about from what I thought, the far end faces East!).....threaded along the Road side...not much room to walk...and somewhat grim...Two Coyote Pups, and one Grey Squirrel... carcasses--hit by cars....Buzzbirds overhead...pic..oh...Red headeded Bird back at the edge of Town...had thought to reach a Car For Sale Lot in Mormon Bar, but return time when I neared the Fairground...and thereabout a large Pond, fed by a Creek that parallels the Road...explored a bit...mystery Duck pic...missed pic of Quail with Chicks...only Mama Quail....Mallard family on the Pond too...and discovered by the Pond the Old Road, which was a much safer, and more pleasant route back to Town...Hawk flewby fast over head, and lotsandlots of Little Birds like Violet Green Swallows, but different, and cant id from tiny pics...Bird by Chain might be one, and I cant id either!...hmmph...anyway, when I got back, heard Hawk call, but couldn't locate...but nice to hear Hawk again!...time, and the work to be done, but only a filling...whew!...shopped in Town afterwards...Watkins photo book, and hiking shirt...and sat a long while at the Bus Stop recalling mutual friends in the Valley with friend waiting too...Bus was late, and the ride back un air conditioned...a long walk to the Car For Sale Lot is acquiring a stronger allure!...sunny hot blue...Mariposa is cool...I've sort of eschewed taking pics of the Birds in Town settings...telephone poles and barbed wire fences dont seem much in comparison to the jewel like settings of the Valley...but cropping the Bird by Chain pic, I realized many of the same dynamics that make the pics hereabout charming, were in play...I'll have to plan out some Town weekend walkabouts!!...but next weekend the Hiker's Bus should be going, and Tuolumne beckoning!....Rafting on the Merced in the Valley is to begin July 1....many are jumping the gun, and in overloaded rafts without floatation vests...the River looks calm enough, but is deep and so cold as to take ones breath away....

Skittish Doe

After veryvery late Breakfast, twoish!, chocolate croissant, orange juice, and a coffee I carried from Ozone Beach around the Outside Loop and tossed in a Tiki Can by Sentinel Parking, sat a long while on a Stone Stormdrain Culvert across the Road from the Boardwalk, and lookedandlooked at Glacier Wall...hoped to see Hawk...but no luck...some scenics...Pine and DoubleA Clouds posted up...the Wall is a wonder of Nooks and Crannies and Crags with Pines and other Flora, wind tossed today.....picked up egg salad, fritos, crangrape, in the Village, and continued out to Church Bowl, and up the Rocky Slope Trail back to the Creek Delta...sighted Doe there...blurry pic...and thought to sit and watch by the Creek, but Doe was gone somewhere in a moment I looked away...stayed seated anyway and snacked...stopped at the Cabin for a bit, gathered up all the Gear, and out along the Merced from Ozone Beach to the Broken Cottonwood...hundreds of Violet Green Swallows over Two Top Pine Meadow...Sandpiper in the Slough....stirred up Mallard family at the Cottonwood, and followed them over to the Willows (which are just snags), and sat awhile on the Burnt Log....Song Sparrow perched nearby and sang...clip for sometime...went back to the Slough, but Sandpiper elseware...thought to go along the River aways, and near the end of the Slough, sighted Doe out in the Meadow...was doing clip without much expectation, but Doe's ears were busy, and Doe finally stopped, and on alert...I should have looked up and looked in the direction Doe was looking, because when I did at the end of the clip, Doe having trotted off, I glimpsed the back of maybe Bear or Coyote over by the Cottonwood, which is in a Swale with the Ponds...picked up and went to looksee, but no luck...I'm not even sure if I saw Bear, so a bit of a mystery...wish I'd looked sooner!...paddled back to Ozone, and out to the Woods for near dark Owl Prowl...quiet...generally a quiet afternoon walkabout, critter wise--tourist wise, something else all together!....sunny blueblue warm breezy with hazy clouds in the West, and DoubleAs over the High Country...

Night LIght Fly

Paddled over to Ozone Beach after Breakfast, and sat awhile...Phoebe on Phoebe's Willow, Mallard Pair, Yellow Warbler, Grosbeak, Robin, about.....sunny blueblue warm...at Lunch: Phoebe on Phoebe's Willow, Yellow Warbler, Grosbeak, Robin, Mallard Pair, Sandpiper, Swallows, Song Sparrow about...saw Big Wings go to ground way across the Merced...didnt have time to watch, so didn't ready camera....Hawk, looked like Cooper, lifted off and flew fast around Cottonwood Bend....one Young Cottonwood over thereabout is leaning way over, undercut by High Water erosion...other than this Cottonwood, Bank Trees looked to have survived, even the Fallen Cedar and Cottonwoods...Mallard pic from Lunch, Moth and CraneFly like Fly from the other night on Cabin....lots of these Flies about in daytime....and the Bear Notice posted too from yesterday...

Two Little Yellow Birds

After early Breakfast, paddled down to Ozone Beach, sat awhile, and watched awhile Black Phoebe perched and fly catching atop Phoebe's Willow....and Two Little Yellow Birds were hopping about....Yellow Warblers, I think...manymany pics...one up best of the lot...just too far away...tomorrow I'll try to digi scope...back to the Cabin, and slept 'till work time...sunny blueblue warm....at Lunch: went back to Ozone Boulder, thinking maybe Warblers might be about, and another Little Yellow Bird was hopping about...I think it's another, and not sure which!...manymany pics, and the one up the best of the lot!...

Oil Spill: well, this morning on CNN was story about the Florida Manatees, and thereabout they expect the oil to come, and when it looks like the oil is within seventy two hours of reaching shore, they plan to round up Manatees and move them to safer waters...brb....here's story (the new laptop, with the new browser is loading very slowly and snagging--hope readers of hereabout have better luck!)

http://mw.cnn.com/primary/_h5FtOf-iFMabVJr323

but awhile back, I took note of mention that Manatees migrate...brb...this site has story of Manatee migration, which is usually up the East Coast...

http://www.savethemanatee.org/news.htm

curious to know if Manatees reported in Mississippi...Ospreys too...brb...here's story that Manatees make it to Mobile Bay, and story of one that went up the Mississippi...

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/05/scientists_worry_gulf_oil_spil.html

well, here's a Cornell report, with a list of species showing up with oil...

http://birdsredesign.wordpress.com/2010/06/20/louisiana-report-in-the-saltmarsh-slideshow/

a curio is why the relief well has to go down so deep, eighteen thousand feet....brb...well, here's an explanation of what's being done...but no hint why a relief well has to be so deep...dont know but a well drilled down next to the old one, maybe a few hundred feet, could accomplish the task...link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-06-14-oil-relief-well_N.htm

Glacier Wall Hawk

Shuttled over to the Village on an errand...Shuttled back to Lower Falls, hopped off, and walked the Outside Loop....near the Chapel, sighted Hawk soaring against Glacier Wall...can't tell from tiny pic which Hawk....but Hawk disappeared in an open area of Wall, and I'm thinking maybe landed thereabout...will go looksee tomorrow with scope!...sunny blueblue warm and breezy, and hazy clouds in the afternoon...at Lunch: perched awhile on Ozone Boulder...Merced a little bit lower....Sandpiper, Robin, Phoebe, Raven (way over by Sentinel), Blackbird, about....Doe by the Path on return in alert stance...curious Golden Retriever nearby....pic...

Oil Spill: a hindsight sorta thought popped into my thoughts--the Pelicans and their eggs should have been removed before the oil got to them...it needn't be a 'waiting game' trying to respond to Birds after they have been oiled...and another thought is to anticipate, and do something, about the Birds that make the Fall migrations....T Bone noted that fortunately most have passed through going North before the spill...well, a kind thought would be to do something before they come back, as no doubt the oil will still be about, and the spill incomprehensibly larger...just cover the spill with tarps held up on poles in the shallow marshes could be one thing to do....well, I did a search: 'relocate birds before oil' and it turns up the question being asked, and not being answered very well...here one example..see the comments...

http://magblog.audubon.org/oil-spill-answers-bird-conservation-expert-ground

and:

Preventing Exposure

Various techniques can be used to disperse uncontaminated animals from a problem area or to concentrate and hold them in clean areas. Efforts to discourage unoiled birds from contaminated areas must be done early in the spill; these can include scare devices such as propane exploders and cracker shells, hazing with motorized equipment, or relocation through baiting at an alternative feeding area. No attempt should be made to disperse oiled birds since this can lead to introduction of oiled animals into uncontaminated populations.

For priority species, unoiled animals can be relocated through capture in cannon nets, drop nets, rocket nets, and swim-in or walk-in traps, and rapidly transported to “safe” areas.

WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK

http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/wdb/pub/wmh/13_2_8.pdf

unquote

that was published in 1991....hmmph...

Willow

Paddled over to Ozone Beach after earlyearly Breakfast....Merced the same, still high....thought to get pics of Black Phoebe that frequents the Willows thereabout, and Hummingbird, Merganser, Yellow Warbler, Song Sparrow, Robin posed near or on the Willows too..pics (Warbler and Sparrow pics too blurry and obscured by branches)....back to the Cabin and snooze...Doe and Fawn, Fawn off by itself, on the Path...pics...sunny blueblue warm...at Lunch: paddled out to the Swath and sat a short while on the RipRap....Merganser floated by...last pic up...picked up and walked back on the Dirt Road..quiet...not much time to sit when I take this Lunch route!....

Blog of the Day:

http://bedsflorafauna.blogspot.com/2010/05/ahhhh.html