 |
| Bushtit Foraging on Twinberry Honeysuckle, Elk Glen Lake |
I often wonder how the little wild things like songbirds, and even the big wild things like bobcats, deal with the kind of relentless cold, wind, and rain we experienced yesterday. I assume they are able to find somewhere fairly comfortable to hunker down and just wait it out, but I'm sure they endure whatever comes without an ounce of self-pity. They are the definition of stoic resilience.
As I was walking in the warm sunshine along the Sunset Parkway this morning I encountered a particularly birdy area, where hummingbirds, pygmy nuthatches, yellow-rumped warblers, western bluebirds, and sparrows were all busily feeding, perhaps making up for lost time.
 |
| The male Anna's hummingbird was feeding on some other nearby plants, but I figured he'd get around to these red-flowering currants pretty soon. |
 |
| Pygmy Nuthatch in Cypress, Sunset Parkway |
 |
| A yellow-rumped warbler leaps out of a small cypress... |
 |
| ...and lands on a nearby stalk of African cornflag. |
 |
| Western Bluebird, Sunset Parkway |
 |
| Jerusalem crickets seem to be common prey lately, although this little western bluebird spent quite a bit of time trying to swallow the giant bug. |
 |
| The bird eventually flew away with the bug still in its beak, so I can only assume it eventually figured out how to swallow its prize. |
 |
| A white-crowned sparrow took to song on this sunny winter day. |
 |
| I could tell this was an Amanita, but it was too old and waterlogged to say which one. |
 |
| Very near the Amanita were these colorful little Chroogomphus mushrooms (along with a bunch of spooged-out Russulas), along on the Sunset Parkway. |
 |
| It was muddy and puddly on the trail along the south side of Mallard Lake, but there was surprisingly little bird activity beyond the usual cavorting of mallards. Perhaps it was because the lake itself was still mostly in shade. Just beyond the lake I couldn't resist photographing some nearby cycad plants that were unfurling in the morning sun. |
 |
| Pied-billed grebe: The boss of Elk Glen Lake. |
 |
| No more birdwatching off the back of the Cliff House for a while. I'm looking forward to seeing the place fixed up again though. |
 |
| Although I failed in my attempt to sneak up on a flicker in a nearby tree at South Lake, this little Townsend's warbler came out to console me. |
 |
| A pair of red-tailed hawks soared above Middle Lake. |
 |
| Male bufflehead at Blue Heron Lake. |
 |
| There were maybe three males and three or so female buffleheads. The females were just relaxing on the surface while the males frequently dove for prey. |
 |
| In addition to the buffleheads, I was surprised to see this lone common goldeneye. |
 |
| Yosemite High Country This Morning |
 |
| This Morning at Mt. Shasta |
* * *
Posts
