Second day in Sequoia NP. An early, cold start today. Another campsite, with a huge car park, and then the walk towards the Waterfall.
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| Pine Marten |
In the car park, again Juncos, this time there were Stellers Jays too. Again they had found humans and food go together! As we started up the track, we got to the start of the forest, and were following the steam, when Mark said "on the bank", looking for a bird, which i couldn't see, i asked where? Only to see what Mark had seen, a Pine Marten, another first for both of us. Not the colour i was expecting, but brilliant nonetheless.
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| Pine Marten |
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| Variegated Meadowhawk |
We had a few birds on the way up through the forest, but it was surprisingly quiet. We then heard what we both thought were Clarks Nutcrackers, luckily i had played the calls earlier, so we knew what to listen for! Mark said he saw one fly across a gap in the trees, but i missed it, crap!!!!! While we were there we found what we thought was a new Dragonfly, turned out not to be, but very nice anyway, Variegated Meadowhawk, these are a very variable species as it turns out! Should really be called Variable Meadowhawk then?????
We then had a flock of birds, going through the area we were in. Hermit, MacGillivarys and Nashville Warbler, last one a lifer for me. Plumbeous, Warbling and Cassins Vireo, last one, again a lifer. Mountain Chickadee was amongst the rest. Then a few calls, from the other side of the stream, made me look, i saw a raptor chasing some small birds, round and round the trees. A juvenile Coopers Hawk, nice! Don't think it caught anything before it went though?
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| Coopers Hawk |
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| Cassins Vireo |
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| Nashville Warbler |
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| Nashville Warbler |
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| Mountain Chickadee |
I didn't actually get as far as the Waterfall, knee was playing up, but i was also enjoying where i was. Mark went on, and when he came back told me i had made the right decision, as it was little more than a drip!!!!! The walk back down was a rather quick one for my liking, but we were in a bit of a hurry to get San Francisco for our flight to Vancouver. Butterflies had been in short supply today, but i did manage to photograph a pair of Acmon Blues. On the way to San Fran, we stopped to get a drink and a bite to eat, in a petrol station, there i photographed a Mourning Dove.
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| Acmon Blue |
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| Mourning Dove |
Right lets see what Vancouver has to offer????
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