Pileated Pair And Hawk

After Breakfast...cheerios, milk, croissant... paddled about the backyard, coffee in hand...Juncos and Kinglets...just had the 20x and binocs...went out the Dirt Road behind the Rooms to Lower Falls...and heard Pileated Woodpecker out in the Delta...took awhile, but located Pileated drumming high on a Snag...while doing clip, second Pileated came around...spent the next hour going Tree to Tree with Pileated Pair!!...lots of clips in hd, so hard to upload...for sometime...glad to get clips and pics of both male and female Pileated Woodpeckers together!...pics were tough to get, most of the time sun light in background...and Pileateds are so animated, and blur the photos...batteries ran down, and backups were already run down...so back to the Cabin for rest of the Gear....but when I got back, the Delta was quiet...while following Pileated, sighted Acorn Woodpecker, and Northern Flicker...pics and clips...and heard Hawk...wanted to break away to go looksee for Hawk, but stayed....still time...so paddled out to Chapel Bridge, and around the Deer House across the Creek and to Creek's End...stood there awhile, and sighted Hawk high in the Cerulean Blue Sky...didn't do the focus well...but Red Tail Hawk looks to be the same with the missing feathers that I have pics of from Tuolumne, Gaylor Lake, and the Valley...coming back through Owl Woods, pics of Brown Creeper...but blurry too!...sunny cool and blue...report from reporter I forgot to report: "lots of Deer" about two days ago...didn't see any today....dont remember any yesterday either...

Backyard Little Birds

Paddled back to the Creek, quiet, Creek's End too...hopped across...through the Deer House Oaks to Lower Falls and through the Oak Grove to the Post Office...and quiet!...now, yesterday in the Rain, in just the short way to work, I heard and saw more birds than today...with the sky sunny and blue...paddled back from the Post Office through Bobcat Meadow...one of those orange perforated plastic fences up for some reason...all the way from Sentinel Bridge to Chapel Bridge...between the Path and the River...wondered how the Deer will move about...it's the season when they gambol...anyway...went behind the Deer House to the Creek, and just sat awhile...group of Ravens calling and chasing overhead..there are a lot of Ravens..and there's one Blue Jay that likes a leafless twig bush at Cottonwood Beach...if Blue Jay is there tomorrow, will looksee to see what the attraction is...stepped stone across the Creek...time...and at the Backyard, found the Little Birds...otherwise the whole walk was quiet...but scenic...all the Oaks have matched up with the same deep gold, and some snow on top of Half Dome...sunny cool blue...report of Buck out in Two Top Pine Meadow...

A page of interest to moviemovie makers:

http://www.yosemitefilmfestival.com/Submissions/FAQ/tabid/338/Default.aspx

Deer And Mallards

Clips up from yesterday...didn't get out today...cloudy and rainy, some Snow high on the Rims...report of Coyote crossing the Road by the Scorched Forest...counted the Mallards in the clip...twelve!...and I have a clip of Mallards from last year, same time about, Nov. 10....and same place ..Creek's End...link to last year's post: http://treeinthedoorvideo.blogspot.com/2008/11/rainy-day-mallards.html

report too that lots of Birds about, especially the Little Birds...so, I missed that...hmmph...tomorrow...

Ground Squirrel

I often pass the Ground Squirrels on way to Last Chance...and thought to set the 20x on the bench for clip...after Breakfast, Shuttled over to the Post Office...looked for Little Birds in the Indian Village..a few there and invisible...walked back to Lower Falls...Oaks are all gold.....mixed flock on the Apple Tree Path...tried for pics and clips...not much luck...Juncos and Yellow Rumps...happened on Does in view from the Creek Footbridge...clip...they have a routine, I think...they come from Rocky Slope...cross the Creek..make a right, and cross the Road...then to the Deer House...and across the Merced at Chapel Bridge..I've seen Deer do this several times....anyway, I left them milling about the Creek, and myself went to Chapel Bridge!...and out Lodgpole Point...sighted a group of Mallards, both male and female Mallards together, some on far side of Merced...three in the Creek...while taking clips, heard Hawk back at the Deer House..quiet when I got there......time for work, and crossed the Creek behind the Deer House...using stones to step on...and in a kinda hurry...book and mail in paper bag slipped from my hand and into the Creek...fished them out with a long stick...but everything wet...a quiet walkabout, but glad to see more Deer...four Does and one Fawn...and the Ducks...like ten of them...heard Kingfisher at Chapel Bridge...stood out on the Bridge and waitedwaited...if I ever do get a good pic of Kingfisher, from the Bridge will likely be the place....overcast, the sun just a sometime glow in the clouds, cool....report of Hawks by Housekeeping..."was across the Road from Housekeeping, and heard a Blue Jay..went to look, and a Hawk was in the tree...it flew about thirty feet to another tree, and the Blue Jay followed and landed on branch right below the Hawk...then the Hawk flew across to a tree in Housekeeping...and another Hawk flew down to the same tree, but the first Hawk flew off"....a Tree to Tree report, I'd say!!...

Hermit Thrush

Out and about a little after first daylight...back to Creek's End and along the Merced...oh...Mama Doe, Two Fawns, and two young Bucks in the Diversion Channel diverted me to the River!...and at Ozone Beach, early tourists, out for a walk too, diverted me back to Owl Woods, and to Breakfast!...and after Breakfast, went back to sleep...clip of the Deer....quiet otherwise, and cold enough for gloves....which I'll begin taking along...after the nap, and lunch, geared up and went along Rocky Slope...and found the Hermit Thrush at Camp 4...a new bird sighting for me!...continued to Rocky Point...construction thereabout on an Indian Round House...had wondered what was going on there, and now a sign up explains it...(will look about in a minute to see if story on web...it's here in pdf:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/upload/icc106-2.pdf )...crossed the Road at Rocky Point, and thought to check the Aspens...see if Beaver ever came back to chew down more Trees...and was surprised to find fresh Beaver work on an Aspen...looked about for tracks, as work looks like from just a day or so ago, but couldn't find any...tracks from maybe Duck, and Bear, and for sure lots of Deer, and lots of people!.....continued upriver...Kingfisher flew by going downstream...clip but Kingfisher too tiny...walked along the River to Swinging Bridge, and from there to Chapel Bridge...more pics of the Yellowjacket Nest...and clip of Mama Doe and One Fawn in Chapel Meadow....crossed Chapel Bridge..scenic pic at Cottonwood Beach...one back at CAD Beach too...and out Lodgepole Point...by now almost dark...and entirely quiet...walked out the Deer House Road and around Lower Falls back to the Cabin...along the whole walk, I saw and heard few Birds...Blue Jay, Robin, Kingfisher, Flicker, Junco, Raven, Kinglets, and the Hermit Thrush....lots of Squirrels at Camp 4...pics and clips...reason for it being so quiet:...cloudy overcast and cool...and it's November...when 'no birds sing'....

well..I looked about for news of the Miwok Roundhouse construction...sign up says it's "Phase One"...the series of 'phases' is making an Indian Village of sorts...this was in the Old Valley Plan, and I would think the Indian Village, along with everything else, is on hold until 2012....sign says it will be ready for public in September, 2010...which suggests it will be an attraction...well...it will be of course, if for no other than just nosey tourists, (and photogs!)....but it may be just an Indian thing, and off limits somehow...but one wonders here about restroom facilities and pavements...to say nothing of the rockfall hazards of Rocky Point...and disturbance to the Peregrins!!...and more traffic along Rocky Slope!....Bobcat will be perturbed!!...a tale or two will unfold about all this, I'm sure!!!...there's irony in the sign...natural materials the Indians used are being used, it touts..but moved and shaped with backhoes and chainsaws!....what they should maybe do, is put it in the middle of Camp 4.....a fine ruckous that would make!!...the Climbing Tribe already has laid claim thereabout!!

Pileated Woodpecker And Owl

Didn't get out and about until after noon!...Shuttled over to the Post Office...took only the 20x with monopod, and the binocs...expected to come right back, but at the Village, Shuttle was there, so hopped on and over to Siberia...just as I hopped off thereabout, I sighted Pileated Woodpecker...clips and pics!...closest I've been to Pileated...usually very shy bird!...earlier, with coffee and croissant, waiting at Last Chance Shuttle, sighted Mama Doe and Two Fawns by the Perfect Dogwood...diverted and sat awhile watching...clip...caught the Shuttle, and when at the Village, when coming out of the store, hands full, sighted Nuthatch, or maybe Creeper, on the Twin Ponderosas....would have been unique clip!...but too slow getting hands free...little birds were about too, but no luck...from Siberia, I walked back to the Village.....clip of Ravens on far side of A Meadow below the Chevrons Wall...clip of Mama Doe and One Fawn in the Meadow...at the Village, picked up egg salad, chips, and hersheys....continued over to the Deer House, and found a seat on the Deer House Log...think I was thereabout last Monday!...listened again and looked for Owl...but quiet...thought to go to Chapel Meadow..afternoon light terrific thereabout...went back to the Creek first, and when nearing Creek's End, sighted Big Wings lifting off the Shingle...looked like Hawk...from Lodgepole Point, hopped over the Creek with one long leap...well...a long as I can!...and looked about for Hawk...but no luck...continued along the River almost as far as Ozone Beach..but tourists there, and diverted back the way I came...and back to the Cabin to get the new camera and digi...oh!...at the Post Office, book I ordered came, about the extinction of the Yangtze River Dolphin...review for sometime soon...geared up with everything, and went back to Creek's End...experimented with both gorilla pods, the large and small one...attached the large one to the scope, and the small one to the large one, and used one rubber band to keep the waterproof camera snug against the scope eyepiece...and that works!!...digi clip of Flicker on snag across River with this set up...better report of this to come in a Gear Blog...for sometime...can't say soon!..as the Gear Blog has been just an idea for a long time!...anyway, when I took a seat at Owl Log, it was about four pm...fiddling with the digi...and just sitting...took awhile...and around five a Blue Jay flew overhead my way from across the River...noted how Blue Jya flaps a bit, then glides a bit, making for a kinda rolling flight...Acorn Woodpecker does this too, in an even more pronounced way...anyway...while contemplating this!, I heard Blue Jay begin scolding..very loudly...quickly stood up and went back up the Creek on the Shingle, but couldn't locate Owl...I knew it was Owl...there's no mistaking Blue Jay's Owl Scold!....disappointed, I went back to get all the gear at the Log...light almost gone...and I was going along the Creek's bank, just before the Tiki Outlet, and I saw Owl on an arching branch, close and at my own eye level, as the branch was lower down the bank...oh!...I wish there had been more light!..did get the clip and pics up....Owl flew off while taking pics with new camera...all blurry flight pics...but Owl didn't fly far, and I was able to take some more pics with the new camera...which, I think, did very well in the dim light, by very well, I mean taking any kind of pic at all!...the 20x was done, just too dark...and I've been wanting to get pic of Owl with the Fall foliage...and while the ones up are blurry..with a little imagination, they're fine!....I'm on the edge of deciding to get the newer higher iso dslr, and these low light circumstances are making it more and more the camera to want to have!...Owl flew off again, perched right above the Outlet...coming down the bank, I made too much noise, and Owl flew off across the Creek to the tall Oaks...on very quiet wings...in fact, they make no sound at all!!....I must have seen Owl for fifteen minutes, and just watched a lot through the binocs...very cool... Owl never looked my way much, except right at the first, and never when I was sighting the new camera...hazy overcast, sometime clearing for the terrific sunlight, warm....cold in the morning...Remember the Baiji....
Blog of the Day
(a long peddle, I'd say!)
http://www.eskis.org/z_bat/?albumid=5401537566617104049
http://frenchguyonabike.blogspot.com/2009/11/24-yosemite-national-park.html

Blue Jay And Ground Squirrel

Got out and about for just a little while...back to the Creek...Duck Harbor Oak pic.... and across to the Deer House Oaks....(had sandals on)....Blue Jay clip...fewer and fewer leaves on the Trees...hoped to pick out Owl...but no luck...back the way I came...time...and Ground Squirrel in the Backyard...pic and clip...sunny warm blue...but cold now at night and into the early morning...ice on the Falls Wall....

Blog of the Day

(King Kong, the third one..'Mr. Devlan, the tripod', is on again...it is a very odd movie, with extraordinary special effects, and the one scene, where Kong is watching the sunrise in the morning, reminded me that the ancient Egyptians revered Baboons because they watched sunrises...and so I did a search, and it came up with this site.)
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Eight of us went on an early morning hike up a different rock formation to photograph the sunrise (we left at 5am!). It was an interesting hike, with an excellent view. A troop of baboons even joined us to watch the sunrise (from a distance, of course).
http://www.darylgodkin.com/blog/

http://www.darylgodkin.com/blog/2008/05/16/namibia-day-14-back-to-windhoek/

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