OK, not actually trombones - bird species. We hit 76 today for the ranch list with the spotting of two juvenile Cooper's hawks. We also saw the nest, but did not catch a glimpse of Mom or Dad, although I'm sure we'll be going back soon to watch some more. We also spent some time at the river watching the bullfrogs and fish and also watching other winged critters such as this Flame Skipper dragonfly.Since we will both be here all week, as we are taking some vacation time, we're hoping to get several more bird walks in before we have to head back. We've gotten all the manzanita cutting done for now - there may be more we'll end up taking out during the winter but we made a big dent in removing any that were within the defensible perimeter if we should be so unlucky as to have a fire get this close.
We've been watching twin Chinook helicopters fly over the ranch many many times a day going back and forth to the Oliver fire, which Bill tells me is 65% contained now. The air is definitely better, with even some blue sky showing through this afternoon.
3 comments:
Tom put me on to your blog, today and I enjoyed it very much. We are stuck down here in Orange County amidst 'way too many people, but at least some birds that come to our bird bath in the summer are special. A Hooded Oriole visited today, which is always a treat--such a standout in it's yellow and black.
Megan, I sent the URL to your blog to my sister, who is an avid birder. She is also an expert botanist specializing in ferns and used to be a docent at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Quite the polymath. Maybe she can identify your mystery flower.
A Hooded Oriole - grand indeed! Thanks for your kind comment Pat and thanks Tom for passing on the url. This area is such a wonderland, never a dull moment!
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