Windmill Hawk

As one nears Merced on 140 there is a Windmill where once, from yarts Bus, I sighted Hawk, and eversince, have gazed thereabout on rollabouts, hopeful that Hawk would be there when I'm in Silver and can pull over and stop!...passing the Windmill Monday Morning, these were my thoughts, and 'wait!' ....'Hawk is there!!...checked traffic, made a uee, and farfar away pic...tried for clip, but Hawk flew off...pic still cool...that Day, visited Merced Wildlife Refuge...Hawk and Duck and Blue Heron pics...and visited Applegate Zoo...Bobcat pic, which is a new favorite...and gives me pause...for most part, one wants to take wildlife pics in the Wild, even if there is a Road crowded with tourists out of camera view...idea is the surroundings should at least look wild...but that's not true to Critters' circumstance, is it?....thought is now to keep a camera eye out for Critters in not just wild settings....anyway, Bucks and Merganserling pics from that afternoon back in Valley...or maybe that was Tuesday Evening!...Bucks by Road in Chapel Meadow...Merganserlings, with Mama Merganser, by Swinging Bridge...,pic of Bird that maybe is fledgling I haven't id...while in Merced I purchased a big tv...32 inch...not as big as some!...it's for playing wow, so I can see tiny text...butbut, I perused the blog with it, and 'am taken aback!...always thought folk would see blog as I see it on small computer screens, laptops and such...I dont particularly like oversize pics of Critters...I have a few...a Hawk pic bigger than Hawk dont quite seem right...but the big screens are here to stay, I'd say...will take getting used too...sunny blueblue hot...oh..some overcast today, and report of showers tomorrow...back on the Third I rolled over to the East Side...pics for sometime...inbetween too, some At Lunch pics...Does now and then, and Merganserlings Two, or Three, and Mallardlings Three, or Two!, at Ozone Beach...not seen big Duck Families this Summer, or Fawns yet with Does...Falls have dried up almost...at work, I tried to explain my routine to friend...'first thing I see when I go on line is the splash page with news blurbs, which I pretty much skip to go to my blog, and see the newsefeed of the blogs I follow'...I  mean, those favorite blogs come ahead of email, and facebook, and Valley web reports...friend said they do much the same, but check sports...I'd check sports if I could follow sports!...but working evenings, and a problematic cable hook up, which is completely south at the moment, I've kinda given up  sports, and news in general...hmmph...anyway anyway, blogs out there are important, or something, and I feel like a favorite cartoon on the funny pages has stopped when I see a blog just, stop!...kinda frustrating, as I dont want to send off missive, 'hey, what's up!'...and be intrusive...bloggers, sorta like novelists, have to be left to their own devices, I know...but, bloggers should have a care for the blog readers, which are growing for all the blogs I suspect, and  should give a headsup, brb, on vacation, need a break, cant deal with it anymore!, whatever, notice...dont know, but the time has already arrived when a novelist with a novel being distributed on kindel like readers, enovels and such, can engage with the readers as they read, sorta, or something...some of this is in the wow game...it's a novel of sorts, a blog of sorts...well, I'll go ruminate while waiting in the cue for warsong gulch!...

Ground Squirrel

At Lunch: sat awhile at Ozone Beach...Ground Squirrel came by...first time sighting at Ozone...Ground Squirrel doesn't stray far from the Rooms hereabout...Starling perched too and posed..pics up...Robin, Sandpiper, Flycatcher, not sure what Bird..tried for pic, no luck...Grosbeaks chirping....sunny blueblue hot...report Mama Doe with Fawn, somewhere in Valley....oh!..old web report I wanted to note of Weasel, all white, three Winters back, peeking out (pic on web) from under Boardwalk by CAD Beach in Chapel Meadow...and week or so back, report of Weasel sighting in Bobcat Meadow..Weasel 'very timid'....Ground Squirrel missing Tail!

Happy Fourth of July!

Chipmonk

Chipmonk was on the Sidewalk near the cars and busses, and I wonder if Chipmonk hitched a ride down from Glacier Point, where Chipmonks are often seen...I haven't seen Chipmonk near the Cabin since first year hereabout...maybe somewhere I have a pic or two from a Valley walkabout, but I dont recall...some miscellaneous reports: Some kinda cleanup happened awhile back back at Creek by the Tiki Temples...all the stored stuff, pipes and equipment and such, are all gone!... There are indeed more knawings at Beaver Bend...I have this conjecture that Beaver swims into the Valley once every Spring at High Water About, and nearly chews through a few Cottonwoods just to say, 'this is Beaver turf!'....as a self proclaimed representative of Critters hereabout, I sometimes feel that's what the blog is about!...hmmph...knawing indeed.... Friend reported being woke up by their dog barking, and just outside kitchten door (this in Midpines)Turkeys, and Turkeylings...which brought to mind Young Birds and Nests I've seen my ownself so far...I didn't find Ouzel Nest, but one Day walking out to Lower Falls passed the parked cars, I heard, 'are you a birder?'...binocs do that...tripod does 'are you aa'...anyway, two tourists from Tenesse reported Mama Ouzel feeding fledgling by the Creek Bridge...went to looksee, hoping to maybe find Nest, but no luck...butbut, one Morning after Breakfast, sitting at the RipRap by the Creek, Ouzel flew to a Fallen Fir, perched, and didn't bob!...watched awhile and thought this curious, and then Mama Ouzel flew to the Log and fed Ouzel Fledgling, flapping Wings as Fledgling do, and bobbing...while thereabout too, one lone Mallardling paddled by up the Creek...have clips of Three Mallardlings at Swinging Bridge, and Four Mallardlings at Ozone Beach, all escorted by Mama Mallards...sighted on walkabouts trying to locate pregnant Mama Doe,,,most walks I find Doe, but haven't been out since last Tuesday...hmmph...Acorn Woopecker Nest in Snag behind Rooms near Ozone, with Fledgling...Blackheaded Grosbeak Nest being attacked by Raven, and defended by Blue Jays, right next to Last Chance Lobby, Phoebe nest being defended and attacked by Blue Jay at the Ozone Cottonwoods (with clip), Starling fledgeling by the Patio Tables, and I hear peeep peep from Nests on short walk to work...reported Redtail on Osprey Road, and Faclon fledgling calling, and I'd report web reports, as seeing them I often feel I am really seeing them, but just one...Three Fledgling Great Horned Owls in Golden Gate Park....very cool...sunny blueblue hot....oh...Backyard Bear was in Backyard approaching neighbors' BBQ...after few pics, I felt myself compelled to yell 'Go Bear!'...and Bear rambled back into the Woods...this on way to work, so couldn't pursue, which I would have liked to, as it is a bit of a mystery just how Bear gets to the Woods in Summer without drawing a crowd....only Bear I've seen this Season....web report of Bear with Two Cubs at Glacier Point....

My post ups slowed a bit last few months, just two in June!....and for a long while it was a daily routine, nightly actually, to post...I'm a critter of routines!...and of  late, I have added wow to my routines, which often takes me into the wee hours....this may seem odd, that a video game would become such a routine, but one needs to learn things to play the game, which is remarkable in itself, and while I'm not sure what I'm learning, I feel as compelled to do so as I am to learn about Fauna and Flora hereabout....

ebook technology is approching the point that one can include clips in  the ebook....right now, zook and apple have this, and the ebooks get picked up by amazon and barnes and noble, and can be seen on all the new media things, phones and pads and such, andand, can be offered for sale very cheap, like a dollar....right now, I think, the clips are mp4s....will have to wait awhile for avi or even dvd...butbut, there are past posts I want to fully post...posts here often leave out a lot that I'd like to include...soso, another project on the horizon!....well, off to ramble in the wow woods with my druid toons!!!....ROAR!!

Backyard Bear

Hawk and Falcon

Well, paddled up the Falls Trail around 5 am, having reluctantly set aside warsong gulch!...I've noted before, that when I'm really tired, and hiking, I dont feel so tired as I do when rested...in either case, uphill is a slog!...but not having uphilled for awhile, I was pleased to get to Columbia Point without  desperate rest stops, which are familiar to Falls hikers!...and a bit further on, I could see the Snag where Falcon perched three Mornings ago, but I was way too high...Snag still in shade, so sat on Trail Side a long while as the Sun shined on the Valley...scenic pics...top pic..second pic is other Morning Falcon...while waiting, sighted Grey Squirrel in Fir straight ahead...thought to get, and tried, clip, and did, but Grey Squirrel wasn't moving...at all!...this led to some disconsolate musings...the Sun reached the Snag far below...no Falcon, no Hawk, not even Ravens...often from the Ledge section of the Falls Trail I see Ravens soaring by...anyway, checked Squirrel again, and Squirrel had pulled Feets up...a smile...I related all this to hiker on way down, and they explained that Squirrel was playing possum, as maybe Hawk or Owl nearby...no hikers ahead, I had been first up, but passed lots on way down, and apologetically explained that, no, I hadn't been all the way to top, just to Columbia Point about, looking for Hawk and Falcon...tripod over my shoulder always attracts the question, 'get any good pics?'...so, so, anyway, I reached Lower Falls, crossed the crosswalk, and looked back from the same vantage as other Morning, and there was Hawk, perched on Pine very near Oak of other Morning...hmmph...located where I had been above on Wall, and wayway too high to have seen Hawk...a fine Morning however!...and am pleased my hiking stamina, in spite of long gap since last uphill, is okay...sunny blueblue warm...best to start Falls trail, and all the uphills, around 4am with headlamp...I had no gear with, except cameras, and by design!...I didn't want to tempt to top...for that, one needs water food headlamp sunblock, and sticktoitivity!....tonight, film in Last Chance Courtyard was Nature Notes number 18..very cool...see link to Nature Notes, which have grown!...along the Trail, heard Bandtail, and the Bombadier Bird call, which I didn't think to descibe to the hikers I mentioned Squirrel too...they knew Birds, and had along camera gear too...the id of the Bombadier for sometime, hopefully with sighting!...lots of Violet Green Swallows, and Blue Jays, Robins,  Flicker call, Juncos, and LGB...hikers' term for Little Grey Bird that flys off before id sighted with binocs!...bottom pic is Ozone Beach...

Hawk and Raven

, I

I was out and about the Morning after the Summer Solstice...a bit remiss that I'd forgotten to see Solstice Sunrise, and after some pics, and after Breakfast, and on reaching the Cabin (was up nearly all Night--wow--warsong gulch!), I heard Fledgling Falcon calling way over at Lower Falls...paddled over to looksee, and sighted Mama Falcon on Snag...pics...and ran back to Cabin for tripod...clip....for sometime...next morning (after another wow night--warsong gulch), I paddled over to Lower Falls, hopefull to hear and see Falcon, but sighted Redtail Hawk and Raven in 'combat' along the Wall...farfar away pics, but very cool...well, it's my Friday night now, no work tomorrow, and likely up all night I'll be in warsong gulch!...but at Sunrise, I'll paddle up to OMyGosh, which is close to Hawk and Falcon sightings, and hope to sight Hawk and Falcon!...and for sometime, lilkely tomorrowmorrow, reports to fill in since last post up....suuny blueblue, with breeze...Raccoon about Last Chance tonight--bussers forgot to clear outside tables...TaraTara!...off to warsong gulch!