Diario de kueda

I was lazy over break and didn't update my journal. Bad me. Some notable highlights were...

We took our usual walk at Hammonasset on Christmas Day, where there were loons and scary snowmen. Some Ruddy Turnstones on the beach were a new Hammo bird for me, I think.

We had 2 new backyard birds over the break: a Fox Sparrow and a Cooper's Hawk. It amazes me that my family has lived in that house for over 20 years and we still see new birds.

Went back to Hammo for an afternoon of chilly tidepooling. Didn't see all too much. Couple hydroids, a few little crabs that I felt too cold to grab. Some nice loons. Oh, and a hunter. With decoys. Which I mistook for real ducks. I don't think he was supposed to be there.

Signed up for a birding class in the hopes of finally working on those tough groups I usually shy away from: buteos, gulls, sparrows, peeps. So far so good! We had a nice walk around the Bulb, and then to Caesar Chavez, picking up some pretty good birds. Best Bird Award probably went to the Eurasian Wigeon at the Bulb. Very pretty bird. Also, I am learning to appreciate the Gadwall. Sarah says, "it is a modernist bird. If it had a couch, it would be so beautiful you would be afraid to sit in it."

Some former co-workers of mine planned this excellent birding the trip in the valley, and we all had a grand time tooling around, looking at birdies. SNWR is a bit weird, because the primary way of viewing the scads of wintering birds there is to drive a planned circuit and bird from your car. Great way to see A LOT of birds, though, including Bald Eagles, falcons, owls, a bazillion Snow Geese, only a tad fewer Red-tailed Hawks, and pheasants! I had a couple of new-for-me's, including a White-faced Ibis and the Greater White-fronted Goose.

Kind of a haul. I burned 3/4 of a tank of gas in my somewhat fuel-efficient 2002 Corolla, so make sure to start with a full tank. Williams is the last town on I-5 before getting there, and Granzella's is a pretty decent place to grab a sandwich.

I've been seeing some wonderful fungal photos coming out of the SC mtns this year, so I headed over there for about a day and a half. Spent Friday afternoon puttering around a small area at the end of Gazos Creek Rd. recommended to me by a Flickr friend, where I found my first fetid adder's tongues of the year, along with many interesting fungi, and my first California Torreya! Did I mention there was a bunch of wild ginger? Cool little spot, with a glorious Hericium abietis at the end to top it all off. Also stopped by Pigeon Pt. before it all for a little birding.

Looked into camping at Costanoa, but that place is ridiculous. $40 for a campsite? So I drove up to Big Basin, where I had wanted to go the next day anyway. $35 there, but at least it went to the park service. Lots of mushies around the campsite, but I think the most remarkable thing was being awoken by the sound of owls, either Saw-when or Northern Pygmy (they sound pretty similar in the iBird recordings): high pitched and very regular.

Spent the next day hiking the Berry Creek Falls loop, which is a fantastic trail through some beautiful redwood and tanoak stands, with some wonderful waterfalls. Saw many wonderful fungi. Would love to go back.

Haven't been diligent about journaling lately, alas. Our 3rd birding class trip was to Pt. Reyes, and luckily landed on one of the few recent dry days. Beautiful rainbows greeted us as we headed into Olema. Great day for birding, with two lifebirds for me! Rock Wren and White-winged Scoter. Very cool. Also, crazy Elephant Seals. They are large. Very large.