Cali Part 3 (12-13Apr2023)

Day 4 in California was a full day in Yosemite Valley.  The scenery is everything it is hyped to be but the amount of people kind of takes away from the full experience.  I suppose when the trails are all open you can hike out away from the hubbub in the village to get some alone time, but many of the good trails were still closed or impassable due to snow or pending maintenance issues.  

When you first drive into the valley you see the monolith of El Capitan on one side.

And this ridiculous waterfall on the other (I think this is Sentinel Falls).

Driving a little father in we stopped again to look at El Cap from the banks of the Merced River.

And yet a little further in, Yosemite Falls.

Brewer's Blackbirds - The birds were few mainly because of all the people and bustle but Brewer's Blackbirds don't mind that.

Yosemite Falls

The infamous Half Dome - there is a trail using guide wires going up this but it was closed for the season and they actually take the wires down during the winter probably so that people don't try it illegally. 

We walked all over the valley and tried the hike to Vernal Falls but it was closed due to the raging water in the Merced River washing some sections out.

After hiking 10 plus miles we were knackered but we all wanted to see the giant sequoias at the Mariposa Grove in the southern section of the park.  The drive from the valley is about an hour and I knew the road to the grove was closed due to snow, so we would be cutting it close to sunset, but we decided to chance it.

When driving out the southern portion of the valley, it is obligatory to stop and snap some photos at the "Tunnel View" vista.  El Cap on the left, Sentinel Falls on the right and Half Dome shrouded in clouds down at the back.

We got to the Mariposa Grove parking area around 5:30pm and were informed the hike in was about 45 minutes so we set off and added a couple more miles to our already long day.  The entrance road was fine and clear of snow, but the parking area at the end of it was in bad shape so that's why they closed the road to traffic, but to be honest that was nice because there were no noises from cars and far less people than usual.

Although the trail was covered in snow, enough people had walked it that it was hard pack on the trail.

The Grizzly Giant!

I tried to listen for owls, but no luck.  The drive back to the hotel was long but beautiful, as we had to go back the way we came through Yosemite Valley.

In the morning, I woke early and decided to explore the trails behind the lodge. I knew these woods had White-headed Woodpeckers which would be a lifer.   I was seeing tons of Juncos, Ravens and Flickers but it wasn't until I was about to head back that I heard a tapping.  It sounded about right for White-headed but I couldn't be sure it wasn't a Hairy WP.  So I waited.... and was eventually rewarded.

White-headed Woodpecker!  What a cool bird. Unfortunately he never came in close and despite me snapping hundreds of photos this was the best I could do.

After regrouping with the family unit, I convinced them to let me drive into Hetch Hetchy one more time so I could look for Great Gray Owls in the meadows. I knew they can hunt during the day sometimes and I knew this area was good for them although eBird does obscure sightings.  We made the 30 minute drive to the ranger station with no luck and I asked the rangers about Spotted Owls because the habitat looked good.  They said that they hear them all the time in the evening around the ranger housing.  So we decided to walk around and take a peek.  Melissa has always been great at finding Barred Owls back at home and the Spotted is very similar.

Pacific Slope Flycatcher!  I even made some recordings of the calls.  

Then finally Melissa asked me to take a look at the top of a fir and BAM!  There it was.

Spotted Owl!  Lifer #2 for the day.  These beauties are a big source of controversy out west because the logging industry is frequently prevented from logging areas they are known to live.  There also is a controversy of an eradication program for Barred Owls which are out-competing the Spotted Owls.  The rationale is that the Spotted Owls have been pushed to the brink by habitat loss, so the only way to help save them is to remove their competition in the few areas where they are holding on.  The real solution would be to save more land from deforestation and manage the forests we have better with controlled burns so they don't burn out of control.  Let the critters compete as they would in normal circumstances in my opinion.  If one out-competes the other, that is fair game.

The drive back towards the coast was gorgeous, and we stopped for lunch at an awesome cafe overlooking a canyon at the top of the decline back down into the valley.

The balcony was perfect and the Brisket sandwich was divine.  I even got a chance to walk around the property and pick up a couple birds.

California Towhee

Golden-crowned Sparrow

I decided to break up the drive one more time and we stopped for a walk in county park in Alameda called Sycamore Grove Park.  Luke went for a run while Melissa, George and I walked the river that runs through the park.  The birding was surprisingly good for a late afternoon.

Osprey

Wilson's Warbler.

Ash-throated Flycatcher 

I was looking for Lawrence's Goldfinches but all I could find were American Goldfinches.

But the best sighting was one I didn't see.  Both Luke and George saw a Bobcat at close range and George even got some video.

Our final destination for the day was Half Moon Bay.  The hotel clerk recommended a Peruvian restaurant right on the harbor.  It was really yummy but probably the most expensive bill I have paid for in a long time.

La Costanera!  

I even had a hummingbird in my cocktail, so it was worth it.

The last day was spent exploring the coast, one more post for that.