Sky Watch: Starry, Starry Night

Being above 7,000 feet has good sides and bad sides.  On the negative, for me, is the lack of oxygen.  Being slightly anemic and a life long asthmatic, I like to have a plentiful supply of oxygen, thank you much.  Another negative is the dry air.  Having the water sucked out of my body slowly over time isn’t a lot of fun.  There are good things too . . . alpen glow, Quaking Aspens, and the stars.

If you are lucky enough to be above 7,000 feet on a clear, moonless night . . . . well, you’re lucky enough!

Cameras can not capture the moment but knowing that did not stop me from trying.  At 2am, one night, I woke up, got a drink of water (it’s really dry up there, did I mention that?), and went up to the cab of the motorhome to look out the front window at the stars.  Breathtaking.  Despite it being 42F, I put on my flip-flops, grabbed my tripod and camera, and took some shots.

It was most disappointing, however, not only was I unable to capture the starry skies beautifully enough, I only got like 2 stars showing up in each shot.  Oh well, FAIL.  No big thing.

Fast forward to my getting home and processing all my pictures.  Just for fun, I asked iPhoto to punch up the shadows and . . .

TA! DA!

I know I’ll enjoy the fireworks tonight in honor of our nation’s birth.  But part of me will be longing for the simple, complicated beauty of High Sierra Fireworks!

For more skies worth watching, visit Sky Watch Friday.

Exploring is Rewarding

We love to go for drives.  In this age of high gas prices and global warming, just going for a long drive isn’t necessarily the most responsible thing to do but dang, we really like to just go for a long drive and see what we can see.  On this trip to Sequoia National Forest, we drove down Kings Canyon.

Kings Canyon was discovered by some Spanish monks who were looking for a good site for a mission.  They named it for the three kings who visited Jesus after his birth.  That’s why it’s not King’s Canyon . . . it’s the Canyon of the Kings.  Anyway . . .

This is a seriously beautiful place.  Leaving the main section of Kings Canyon National Park, you drive along the rim of the canyon and then make your way to the bottom along the river.   Kings Canyon is deep and steep and very beautiful.  The river is spectacular — particularly at this time of year when the snow melt is still flowing out of the mountains.

It’s a pretty scary drive.

If you’d like to see pictures of our trip to Sequoia, click here.  I put them up on Flickr and there is a really nice slide show feature.  I love it.  I know it’s lazy but . . .

Highlights of the drive included . . .

• seeing an American Dipper at Grizzly Falls.
  We stopped there to see the falls.  There were rocks (there are lots of rocks in the Sierras).  The kids wanted to climb them (they always want to climb rocks).  Something happened and Gage ended up falling and hitting his knee (he didn’t want to hear that climbing on rocks comes with that risk!).  I sat (on a rock) and comforted him while Ruthie and Greg walked over to the falls and Ruth discovered the joys of the mist that comes off a waterfall (she was soaked!).  After Gage felt better, I walked over to look at the falls and right away saw a dark bird fly right into the waterfall.  I knew right away what it was but before I could get my camera on it, it was gone.  It came back again but again, no picture.  Still, it was so exciting to tick that lifebird off my list.  I’ve been wanting to see one since reading about Julie Zickefoose seeing one.
• having a close encounter with a Mule Deer.
  Not all highlights are good experiences although this one does end well.  After we had lunch along the Kings River, we drove out to the end of the road.  Highway 180 ends deep in Kings Canyon, deep in the Sierra Nevada mountains.  As we drove along this quiet road, we were checking out the scenery around us, not driving too fast but not poking along, either.  All of a sudden, two mule deer leaped out in front of us.  Greg braked as hard as he dared and the 2nd deer almost made it out of our way.  We clipped it with our right front bumper in its hind leg.  The deer was a young buck.  We stopped and sort of sat there for a few moments.  The car that was behind us, pulled up next to us and told us that the buck had run off and run back towards them and crossed back over the road and was in the bushes next to us.  I got out and, after checking the car, I walked over and found the deer.  He was quietly eating in the bushes.  He heard me and walked away.  I watched him put weight on all 4 legs.  I think he was fine.  And . . . no damage to our car either.  Amazing.
• picnicking next to the river.
  I had packed a picnic lunch and a full cooler of sodas and water.  We got a picnic table right next to the river, under the trees.  We were able to back the car up to the table and could leave the door open for Ruby to participate in our lunch too.  The food was delish but standard picnic fare — sandwiches, chips, pickles, carrots, snap peas, cookies.  Something about the day was wonderful.  We ate while being watched carefully by a pair of Steller’s Jays.
• Boyden Caves.
  Halfway down Kings Canyon, we stopped at Boyden Cave.  We didn’t plan to tour but we wanted to get the info for a future visit.  Outside the little gift shop, the management had a series of comfortable chairs set up right along the river.  We plunked down there and watched the river go by, swallows swirling over head.   So amazingly relaxing.

Taking a drive into an unfamiliar area can be wonderful or it could be delightful.  This drive was beyond delightful.  If you ever get to Sequoia, take a day and drive down Kings Canyon.  You won’t regret it and be sure to say high to the Dipper!

The Dark Side of Camping

The buzzing, itching, blood-sucking dark side of camping. 

We were camping in the high Sierra.  We couldn’t see the water, but it was within 200 yards of our campsite.  When I walked down there the first time, I saw a lot of mosquitos and got some bites.  So, I knew we would see some at our campsite eventually.  The first three nights, we saw only the occasional mosquito.  We were able to bbq and hang out by the fire without it being a real issue.  But, then came the 4th night . . .

I was at the campsite alone.  Greg had taken the motorhome (and the kids) to dump the holding tanks (oh, the joys of camping in a self-contained vehicle!).  Ruby and I were hanging out alone.  I was hoping I wouldn’t end up sitting in the car to avoid the mosquitos and, thankfully, I didn’t have to.  It was lovely.  Beautiful breeze and no annoying buzzers.

Then Greg and the kids got back.  We parked the FMC in its spot and within about 5 minutes, we were under attack.  The mosquitos laughed at our bug spray.  It was terrible.  We were all chewed to pieces.  We beat a hasty retreat into the motorhome.  That was much better but it was 5pm and we hadn’t had dinner and I’d planned on our bbqing.  As the intensity of the mosquitos increased, we scrapped that plan.  We munched on other foods and stared in fascination at the huge number of mosquitos trying to get into our vehicle.  Taking a picture of a bug on a screen is really difficult.  But I got one that gives an idea of the number of mosquitos we were dealing with.

There were many, many more than that.  At one point, we counted at least 80 on that one screen.  They were all congregated near Greg’s arm — they couldn’t get to it but they knew it was there.  At one point, I had to run out to the car and get something (okay, okay, it was a soda to mix with gin for a cocktail!).   I opened the door, flew out, slammed it shut and ran.  As I came back to the FMC, I realized that it wasn’t just the window but the window, wall, and roof that were covered in hungry mosquitos.  It was intense.  When I’d look across the meadow (toward the creek), the setting sun would highlight hundreds of mosquitos heading towards us.  Shudder.

Here’s the really wild thing though.

After that night, we never saw anything like that again.  We got a couple more bites but nothing like the mosquito attack.  I’m sure it was the mosquito coils that I bought and we burned each night.  Sure, that’s it.

(Not my photo — borrowed from Flickr)

Wordless Wednesday

Ruby Tuesday – Camping Dawg

Ruby gets a light in her eyes when we are camping.  She is at once calm and alert.  She is watchful and patient and more aware of her surroundings — particularly if they include rodents or the like.

She leaps and climbs and runs with grace and agility not used in her run-of-the-mill daily life.

Small she may be but she is a hunter, too.  Thankfully, the wild animals have to contend with better hunters than she is.  They are ready for coyotes and foxes and hawks and eagles and a small dog doesn’t really stand a chance, no matter how determined she is.

When you are at altitude, it is important to get enough to drink.  We had a cooler full of water with us at all times and made sure that Ruby got her fair share as well.

When we camp, Ruby sleeps curled up next to me under the covers. She gets cold at night and she likes to snuggle in and borrow my warmth.  Even in June at 7,600 feet of elevation, nights are chilly.  46F was common.  So, we all were happy for a little extra warmth.

We always knew we wanted to camp with a dog along with us.  We just didn’t know that our camping dog would be a 12 pound Rat Terrier with attitude!

Fox Sparrow!

This brazen little sparrow plunked down on that fence post not 4 feet away from Gage and I as we walked around the General Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park.  It immediately started singing, heedless of the dozens of people around us.   I snapped pictures as quickly as I could.  I tried to catch video as he kept on singing his fool head off but, of course, as I started the video, he flew off.  I love the look on his face in the shot above.  What a funny, little show-off.

For more show-offy birds, visit Bird Photography Weekly!

Campfire!

Campfires are an elemental experience.  The sound of them.   Watching the flames dance and twist.  Adding fuel to the fire.  All these things reach our spirits.  Fires in a fireplace can give a bit of that comfort to our soul but there is something about gathering around a campfire with family and friends under a starry sky for stories and conversation, warmth, and, of course, food.  (More on that in a bit!)

Campfires are also a safety issue.  When you camp in campgrounds, they generally provide a safe place for your fire.  When you camp in the National Forests, there are often no safe metal fire rings, just stone ones.  Much more satisfying.  Our campsite had a beautiful fire ring.  When camping where we were, you are required to get a fire permit before you use a campfire, camp stove, or even a propane lantern outside.  Why?  In order to reduce the risk of wildfires from careless campers, of course!  We anticipated having to stop at the Ranger’s office and get a permit but I found that I could take a test online and get my permit online.  Yay.

As part of the process, I had to learn how to safely manage a campfire.  We were really careful about following the rules.  Heck . . . I had to take a test!  We made sure our campfire was set up safely.  We followed the rules about how to put out a fire, too.  We kept a bucket of water near the fire and used the Drown-Stir-Feel method to put our fire out safely.

Gage’s job was to get a bucket of water everyday so that we could have our fire that night.  He braved mosquitos down by the creek to get the water. In the National Forests, you are also allowed to collect downed wood for your fires.   Gage, of course, had to get the biggest pieces he could find and haul them back with the water.

This picture looks like one of the ads from the Go RVing association.  Funny that they haven’t called to ask us to become spokesmodels for their industry!  I think they are missing a good bet!

Campfires.  Family.  And, of course, marshmellows.  Does it get any better than this?

Marshmellow ! by Tineeh

White-headed Woodpeckers – Inspirational Life Birds!

White-headed woodpecker swoops
Clings to corneous bark of stump
Disappears before my eyes

When Amy of WildBirdontheFly asked for Twittered bird-related poems that included the word “corneous” I thought of the bark of this tree and the White-headed Woodpeckers I saw there.  I’m thrilled that my poem won her contest and I’ll be getting a new book: The Armchair Birder: Discovering the Secret Lives of Familiar Birds.  Very cool!  Thanks so much, Amy!  And, if you use Twitter and aren’t subscribing to Amy’s tweets, why not?  More to the point, if you love birds and you aren’t subscribing to WildBird magazine, why not?

I promised, upon winning, to share the story behind the poem.  When we arrived at our campsite in Sequoia National Forest, we got the motorhome settled and then did a little exploring around the site.  Directly behind our motorhome was a small pine tree and behind that was a stump of a much larger tree.  As I watched, a woodpecker swooped in and landed.  It hopped up and down and then around the tree out of my site.  I sent my son around the other side so he could see it.  And, there was nothing there.  I’d been watching the whole time and never saw it leave.  Shrugging, I finished setting up the camp.

It wasn’t until later that I realized that the only answer was that it went into a hole in the stump.  A nest.

So, later that day, I checked it out and it was there.  I watched for quite a while and the mother and father flew in and out regularly, showing no concern about our being nearby.  I got a decent picture and pulled out my Sibley Guide.  They are White-headed Woodpeckers.

White-headed Woodpeckers tend their young together.  They are very attentive to each other during the incubation (according to All About Birds).  I like that I captured the two of them sharing a moment.

When I finally got a chance to be alone, I set up my tripod and took some better shots.  I love the combination of a tripod and rapid shot mode.I’d never seen a White-headed Woodpecker before so my thrill was doubled.  A lifer!  And catching one of them in-flight is almost as thrilling as seeing them to begin with — look at that action!

After I took the pictures, I did sneak up to the nest and take a quick video of the babies.  I could hear them chirping in there.  I didn’t want to worry them or distress the parents so Ireally did make it quick but I wanted to share it.

The first sound you hear is not a bird.  It’s a marmot.  I’ll share more about the marmots in a future post.    Enjoy!

All content written by Liza Lee Miller unless otherwise noted.
© 2009, Liza Lee Miller.

High Drama in the High Sierra

Summer skies at altitude
Clouds whisper in and build the drama
Will it storm or dissipate

All content written by Liza Lee Miller unless otherwise noted.
© 2009, Liza Lee Miller.

For more dramatic skies, visit Skywatch Friday®!

Bird List for Sequoia Trip

White-headed Woodpecker (male) tending nest not feet from our motorhome.

I saw all these amazing birds on my trip.  7 life birds!  Even seeing a Robin was exciting though because they weren’t our neighborhood tame Robins.  They were wild mountain robins who live at 7000 ft elevation and would think they’d have died and gone to heaven if they saw a golf course.  (Okay, the mallard wasn’t all that wild.  She was a female who lived at a youth camp and she was very tame!)  I’ll do invidiual posts on some of the life birds in the next few days.  I saw some amazing birds!

• American Robin – Turdus migratorius
• Steller’s Jay – Cyanocitta stelleri
• Common Raven – Corvus corax
• Mallard – Anas platyrhynchos
• Great Horned Owl – Bubo virginianus
• White-headed Woodpecker – Picoides albolarvatus (Life)
• Cliff Swallow – Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
• Chipping Sparrow – Spizella passerina (Life)
• Cassin’s Finch – Carpodacus cassinii
• Brown Creeper – Certhia americana
• Brewer’s Blackbird – Euphagus cyanocephalus
• American Dipper – Cinclus mexicanus (Life)
• Dark-eyed Junco – Junco hyemalis
• Fox Sparrow – Passerella iliaca
• White-breasted Nuthatch – Sitta carolinensis
• Rufous Hummingbird – Selasphorus rufus
• Purple Finch – Carpodacus purpureus
• Oak Titmouse – Baeolophus inornatus
• Northern Flicker – Colaptes auratus (Life)
• Mountain Chickadee – Poecile gambeli
• Mountain Bluebird – Sialia currucoides
• Western Tanager – Piranga ludoviciana
• Canyon Wren – Catherpes mexicanus (Life)
• American Kestrel – Falco sparverius
• Rock Wren – Salpinctes obsoletus (Life)
• Red-tailed Hawk – Buteo jamaicensis
• Clark’s Nutcracker – Nucifraga columbiana (Life)
• Lesser Goldfinch – Carduelis psaltria

First bird I saw at our campsite – very cooperative Brown Creeper!

This Fox Sparrow plunked itself down and started singing up a storm.  We were in a really busy part of Kings Canyon National Park (at the General Grant Grove) — I was so surprised.  I tried to get it singing on video but as soon as I started the video, it flew away!

These blackbirds were hawking bugs over the water of the Kings River.  Really amazing to see.

Does it surprise you that there were Ravens nesting 20 yards from our campsite?  I’d love to show you pictures of their nest but it was well-hidden and when they saw me near their tree, they wouldn’t approach the nest.  Amazing the amount of noise the nestlings made though as Mama and Daddy left and arrived.

Rufous Hummingbird high atop a Pine tree.  It was about 6am and 43F or so.  She buzzed me and hovered near me (hoping my pink shirt was a HUGE flower, no doubt) and then went to the tippy-top of the tree to chirp at me.

Terrible picture of a Mountain Chickadee.  They are so different from my Chestnut-backed Chickadees.  Even their call was different . . . .clearly a chickadee but to my ear, off somehow.  They are so striking with their sharp black and white contrasting heads and sleek grey wings.

Glorious color!  Western Tanager, male.

Muted color!  Western Tanager, female

Clark’s Nutcracker.  A member of the Jay/Crow/Raven family.  The Tanager couple above chased him away everytime they saw him.  Evidently, Clark’s Nutcrackers are not to be trusted! 

Don’t forget to visit the latest I and the Bird!  Hosted by Birdfreak, it’s not to be missed (even if you aren’t a baseball fan!)  I’m probably not the only person who watches birds at a baseball game!