Osprey

Thought to roll North (Orange County is oriented odd...the River is running North to South, so the Banks should be called East and West...but they feel like North and South!), and to just go from Mile 6 to 7, as the guide book tells of Park with many Birds at Mile 7...stuck with that thought...and at start, Crows mobbing Big Wings in Eucalyptus on West Bank (Path is on East)...Big Wings flew off, and I couldn't id through binocs...at Mile 7, I heard, with some doubt, Osprey call, but doubt allayed when I sighted Osprey on Soccer Field Light Pole!...this at Centennial Park...rolled into the Park to get closer...Osprey flew to perch in Eucalyptus beside the Pond...sat awhile, making a general guess about what Birds about--Cormorants, Seagulls, Mallards, Wood Ducks, Ducks (no id), White Pelicans, Canadian Geese, Crows, Pigeons, Coots...on return, at Mile 6, sighted Little Hawk sighted last roll , and Hawk is Kestrel...sunny blue warm...was tempted, as still a lot of daylight, to roll on all the way to Beach, Mile 0, but, for another time...I want to start out at First Light, and make a day of it when I go that far first time...in this time!...oh!...on leaving Park, sighted Two Osprey soaring...lots of folk fishing in the Pond, which didn't look very fish worthy, but Ospreys must be finding Fish...

Mile Two

Crossed the Wooden Bridge, and reached Mile 2 on the North Bank...Phalarope thereabout...Kite soaring and diving on return at Mile 3....Finch at start, Mile 6, and Little Hawk just a bit further along...not sure of id...Kestrel, Peregrine?...Dark Hawk, Redtail?, at Mile 4 on return and going out, Night Heron at Mile 4 on return....and..and..sighted Kingfisher diving at Mile 4...no luck with pics...and on return again...even less luck...Kingfisher flying by laughing...sunny hazyblue warm...really tired during roll, haven't recovered from previous exertion, and this evening glad to stretch out!

Cooper's Hawk And Bagpipes

http://youtu.be/xrSkC_hbczs

Well, I was climbing into Silver to go get donuts and coffee, and sighted Hawk, Cooper's, perched deep in the Branches of the New Zealand Fern Tree in the Frontyard...very cool!..."What is it?" neighbor from across street asked.  "Hawk!"...and I gave up trying to get pic with iphone, and scurried to get camera from House...on return, neighbor pointed down the Street...Hawk flew to faraway Frontyard, and then to TV Ariel...not quite tree to tree!...but rolled out with Silver, and pics through passenger window...the Fern Tree was planted by my sister as memorial to pop, and has gotten very big--lost a small limb in the last Santa Ana Wind...Fern Trees need pruning, but this one has a really nice look after almost twenty years, so I think on this....anyway, and yesterday, at the start of the peddleabout, I heard Hawk calling, and thought Redtail, but maybe Cooper's...see pic and clip...the start of the bike ride is at Mile 6...I park Silver at Los Cabollaros, the Sports Club I've joined, take the bike, which is like Silver's Minion!, off the rack, and roll over to the River...this to be a routine for the foreseeable future awhile...Club is nice... back awhile, 1990, I was member, and played much rec basketball, and swim...previous roll, I went out to Mile 3...this time (Yesterday) goal was out to Mile 2...Kite was at Mile 4 again...same Tree I think...and past Mile 3, the Path split...to the left it goes over narrow Bridge, which I recall, to the North Bank, and to the South, the Path I took, not recalling it, or where it went!, it goes to Talbert Nature Preserve (and beyond to the Ocean I imagine)...I don't remember this undeveloped area at all much, and it's very nice...turned around as this was about Mile 2, and rolled on Dirt Path through the Reserve...once back on the Asphalt Path, and returning, sighted Hawk, Cooper's, very close ahead on the Chain Link Fence...see clip and pic....the Path is very traffic and industrial noisy until one gets to Mile 4....then things quiet down, one can listen for calls, and hereabout I heard Bagpipes while trying for Little Bird clip...see/listen to whole clip!...very cool...last time I heard Bagpipes was in the Valley...something doing at the Chapel that afternoon, and I have that clip posted, and will try to link here...and will post iphone clip of Cooper's Hawk (thought I was taking still!) when I get cable to connect to pc...email exchange is giving me the 'virus' error...sunny warm blue afternoon windy yesterday...sunny blue warm today...Widgeon pics from the Library Pond late this afternoon...Pond is crowded with Canadian Geese and Mallards!...at the McDonald's window:  on seeing my camera..."Nice camera!"..."I take wildlife photos..."I'm seeing lots of Hawks!"..."Yes, it's migration time...saw one in my front yard this morning..."..."What bird is it singing at night?"..."Oh, Mocking Bird"..."Keeps me awake!"       

100%

       

Mile 3

http://www.amazon.com/Santa-Ana-River-Guide-

I have this book, purchased whenabout it came out with the thought someday to use it as guide whenabout I was again peddling along the River!...

Santa Ana River Guide: From Crest to Coast - 110 miles along Southern California's Largest River System Paperback – October 17, 2006

by Patrick Mitchell (Author) 

 

...nice book, and finding amazon link for post, I see this one too to acquire!

 

 

Flora of the Santa Ana River and Environs With References to World Botany Paperback

by Oscar F. Clarke (Author) , Daniella Svehla (Author) 

 

Western Kingbird, Mallards, from 11/2 peddleabout...at Mile 3 about the Cement Bottom of the River returns to gravel, sand, and plants...                  

The Cement River

The "toon" in Last Night's Halloween post took over a year to make...oh, not the pic...web is full of WOW pics and clips...but to configure a WOW toon figure takes awhile!...this post, The Cement River, has been in the works for over twenty years...I had in mind to make a weblog about the Santa River that long ago...it's late, 2am, WOW logged off, but the Little Hawk is Merlin, I think...last, and my only Merlin, sighting, was near the Rogue River in Oregon...so, so, an auspicious re-visit!...and cool to see Kite too!...and Snowy Egret posing in another water abstract--abstract art has always been about!...anyway, rather than begin another blog, I'll keep The Cement River within Tree in the Door Fauna and Flora...Merlin, Kite, Snowy Egret, between Mile 4 and 5...sunny blue warm...

Happy Halloween!!!

GG FWY HAWK