Deer House Deer

Pic and clips from last December 7!....sunny blue and cool today....rode the

Shuttle over to the Post Office...sat awhile at the Woodpecker Tree...reading the Photog magazine that came....Phoebe visited....then over to Creek's End...clip of Ouzel....heard Hawk out in Owl Woods...weather report says

Storm coming in this weekend...thought to set the mood with last year's first snowfall....Deer aren't as much about the Deer House...of course the roofers are making a lot of noise...along with the Tiki Pipe Project all over....and dont know if Broken Antler Buck is still Top Buck!...with full antlers!...I'm seeing the Deer's tracks all about...but they're being illusive!

Woodpecker Tree Hawk

From the Road, I thought I saw Hawk way across Cook's Meadow on the Woodpecker Tree...the profile of the Tree's top didn't look right!...but I dismissed the thought as just an imagining!...and continued on to the Post Office....fifteen or twenty minutes later, I came from the Boardwalk past the Artist's Grove to the Path and did indeed see Hawk perched on the very top...actually sorta in the top, which is a bit like a cup, or chair with a back, it seems!...I hurried to get some souvenir pics...this is the pic on the top of my wish list!...Hawk or Owl on the Woodpecker Tree!....I had the minidigi all set up...and sighted it in...but from where I was all I could see was Hawk's back...I could have taken the digi around to the front, but I knew there would be a very good chance Hawk would fly off...so I set it to record...and tried for a quick clip with the 12x...and a pic with the new camera...I just didn't sneak well enough I guess...as I got one pic, then Hawk lifted off as I tried to move to see better...sigh....but Hawk flew just the short way over to the Artist's Grove....and I tried to follow..but was waylaid by a tourist full of questions about the Valley...sigh...'I gotta go...there's a Hawk over there!'.....Hawk flew to three or four different Trees right in the Grove...once on a low snag branch..a pic I'd really like to have got!...but two more tourists approached from behind!....I halted them with some stage commands!...but Hawk flew up to a Pine Top....I took a deep breath, and got everyone on the same page!...and they started taking pics of Hawk too...I was able to get close to the Pine but Hawk was sideways...and it was a steep angle...I wanted to go around to where Hawk was facing...the same problem at the Woodpecker Tree...but I could see Hawk would be back lit..and it was a no go pic...so I just stay put and let the digi run in video...it recorded me yakity yacking about cameras and Hawks and where RV camping was...I just gave up!...and missed Hawk's lift off...as I could have gotten a wings spread pic...sigh...the tourists were very nice...and I think enjoyed seeing Hawk...one had a 12x....and had 'been all over the world with it'...Hawk flew off along the Boardwalk across the Road to somewhere over in the Suburbs...same route Hawk took yesterday evening.....this is only the third time I've seen Hawk on top of the Woodpecker Tree....and the only one with a pic and clip....so I'm happy...they're cool souvenir pics and clips....but I'll follow my imagining next time!!...even from far across the Meadow!....report of Hawk over in Stoneman Meadow...will try to go to sleep sooner and up earlier for longer walk...sunny cold and blue...hard to see in the mpeg...but the air is wavering just above Hawk from Hawk's body heat!

Blackbirds

Walked out to El Cap meadow....Blackbird clip from right after Breakfast...Bluejays bathing were at Ozone Beach...Flicker too...saw one Mallard on the way to El Cap...and found the Orange Mushrooms there...some Giant Mushrooms too...half eaten..probably by Bear....Coyote glimpsed going over El Cap Bridge...Spikey Mushroom and Dark Mushroom on the way back...it was a really quiet walk...did see a lot of Deer tracks...but old snag trees at the West end of the Valley dont have any Woodpecker holes...heard like one Flicker, one Woodpecker, one Kinglet, one Chickadee.....got back to Coop's Meadow about three thirty...had heard Coop there at the Walk's beginning..and had thought to go there...but had a sorta plan to go to Fern Spring...make the whole big loop...I've only done this once...in the Spring...it's really the only long flat hike one can do hereabouts!...once back at Swinging Bridge, thought to go to the Post Office....on the Boardwalk I made a 360 pirouette...as I do now and then to see what might be about...and when I finished up, Hawk...or maybe Owl!....flew up from a low branch on an Oak and flapped across the Road over into Sleepy Owl Woods...tried to follow...but no luck...more environmental donation requests in the mailbox...I'm on everyones' list!...walked on back to the Creek...too noisy to hear Owl...but I thought I did...a long afternoon!...sunny cold and blue...level hikes make my feet tired!...wish I'd seen Hawk sooner...would have been a good pic!...oh...one Ouzel at Ozone Beach...

Coyote On The Road

Put in a lot of effort on the way to the Post Office trying to get pics of Kinglets and Chickadees...without much luck!...checked mail and bought some lunch, egg salad sandwich, and sat awhile at the Artist's Grove....picked up and crossed Chapel Bridge...pic...and started out through Chapel Meadow...heard Woodpecker and left the use Path...Woodpecker was up the Cottonwood where Hawk perched a week or two ago...and last Xmas Eve!....circled about and located Woodpecker too high up for a pic...oh!...earlier I did get pic of maybe a new Woodpecker....have to check....for sometime...anyway, I turned around and started back on the use Path and Doe was nestled down in the Grasses...pics...a new favorite!...Doe blocked the Path so I went over to the Road...and not far along I saw Mama Doe and Two Fawns...pic and clip...the light is just fantastic hereabout this time of day...things back lit and glowing...I set up the minidigiscope...short clip...then they all settled down into the Grasses...I was set up at the Charred Snags...where I made the Whiteheaded Woodpecker clip..and some others..a neat spot...I took a seat on the split rail low fence...and waited for them to stand up again...almost no traffic...and quiet....except the distant hammering of the roofers on the Deer House!... by chance I looked up and the Moon was just coming up over Half Dome....I took a quick pic with the 12x...the one here...and tried for some more with the new camera...but a jet's contrail rolled by...and then the Moon moved too high!...I did get one more with it just above the Tree which is okay...Moon pics are a challenge!!... I went back to sitting and waiting..the minidigi ready on the tripod...and I looked back at the Road and there was Coyote...quick pics with the new camera...then I did the clip with the 12x...and then back to the new camera...beginning to think one can't have enough cameras on hand!!...wished I had the tripod....enough tripods too!!....Coyote stopped traffic...And Coyote walks like no Dog I've ever seen!...and one could learn from Coyote's sneak up steps!....went back to waiting for the Deer...but they'd moved off hidden by the tall Grasses...picked up and went out past Two Top Meadow...and along the Merced to Ozone Beach...two Does were gamboling upstream...back and forth across the Merced...and I hurried on my way that way when the YIs...seeing I was taking pics...called out Bear was about...I was kinda torn...really wanted the Deer gamboling!...but waited for the kids to come over and tell me about Bear...I directed them up the Diversion Channel...which would take them through the heart of Owl Woods...and where it seems Bear was...I headed upstream...and saw Bear to my left!...clip...'To your right!!"...I called over...and heard 'Oh, there he is..." and such...it was Bear 6...who was a bit frustrated trying to avoid the YIs and then running into me..missed pic of Bear upright looking me over!....lost touch...and continued out to Creek's End...and over to the Deer House to sit awhile at the Picnic Benches....sun left Half Dome..so went back to Creek's End to listen for Owl...heard a couple hooo hooos...but too dark....sunny hazy cloudy and cold but cool in the sun where I sat!...a fine walk...heard one Hawk call over Owl Woods...

Flickers

Flickers were over in Sleepy Owl Woods...they were making those little peeps....which I hadn't heard before....was pursuing them and heard another new sound...sorta like a Hawk...but couldn't find that bird...and it was close too!...on the return through Cook's, Rangers were looking through a scope from Sentinel Parking for lost hiker up on the Falls trail...tried to look too with the miniscope...but seemed a hopeless task...hope they have better luck....report of little Bear right behind the Cabin yesterday morning...new owner of video phone forgot they had it, so no clip...kinda cloudy this morning, but it cleared up...sunny cool and clouds to blue....a new way to survey a terrain, what I do for Hawks and Owls, is to take a pic with a long lens, then crop zoom in on the pic with 'digital zoom'....didn't think to try that with the new camera, but it would work...how I found Hawk-in-the-Oaks cropped pic...I moved side to side all the way from top of the whole pic to its bottom...and finally found Hawk at the bottom edge.....sometime I can only sorta see where Hawk has perched...and just take a pic on the half chance, as was the case with that one....on the lcd screen I'll zoom in and go through all the branches....camoflauge is a tough color!

Running Bear and Running Squirrel

I met up with Bear 6 again coming back from Breakfast ....all I had was the 12x...from the Backyard to over the Creek again at the Riprap...to the Deer House...out in Cook's...under the Boardwalk through the Lily Pad Pond...Bear ran over to Flicker Grove...and stopped traffic at Lower Falls...where I lost touch...thought to go back and get everything at the Cabin...but kept on to the Post Office...with an eye out for Mushrooms....and an occasional look up for critters!....took another pic of the White Mushrooms...Squirrel was at the Woodpecker Tree...clip...put some stills at the end so the end might make sense...happens quick!...actually...an action movie on...that kinda trick probably has a name...checked the Giant Mushroom.....same size...sunny cool and blue...

A Giant Mushroom

Almost curled up after Breakfast...but put the socks and shoes back on, geared up and lifted off the bunk, and paddled about out back and to Creek's End....looking for Mushrooms!....found the Giant Mushroom out on Lodgepole Point...will check it tomorrow to see if it keeps growing...I think there might be a trick to taking the close up shots...and that is to set something, like a piece of paper, something large enough for the autofocus to see...and press the shutter part way to lock it on...problem looks to be that the 'beam' is going past the tiny subjects....One Fawn clip is from the other day...note the chip in the Teleconverter!...tripod fell over doing the clip....well..not while...when I reached down to get the minidigi....I was back and forth with them...Teleconvertor took the brunt and broke off...which likely saved the 12x!....sunny cool and blue...needless to say, no storms in the forecasts for days and days....