California Day 5: Grove of the Giants

If you ever have a chance to see the giant sequoias then you must head to the Grove of the Giants in Sequoia National Park. It's hard to imagine that at one time this meadow was a bubbling little village with houses pocking the landscape around the giant trees. Now the path circles the meadow but the houses and residences of days of old have been removed leaving a large grove of natural beauty.

Geraldine and I took a spin around the loop trail and enjoyed the morning solitude. Only a handful of people walked by giving us the illusion that we were alone with the trees.

This grove is home to some of the largest trees in the whole world. And though I stopped at every angle to snap photos, I still walked away feeling like I didn't capture the grandeur of this stand of trees. Each tree had a different personality, a different shape, a different character. And each of them were special to me in some way, even the ones that had fallen and served as reminders that the circle of life continues.

Any time I meet a new species of plant or tree I am often found touching the surface and feeling the texture. Sequoias have magnificent bark and the sound of the wood seems so hollow that it's hard to imagine that something so fragile to the touch could be standing so large. Often the bark is littered with lichens of every color and shape. I loved the contrast of grees, grays, and oranges.

We were very lucky to have perfect weather. A bright blue sky peaked behind the standing giants as we made our way around the loop.

The sun draped around the canopy and streaked down to the meadow floor. The green meadow was alive with many wildflowers and small shrubs.

This is a very short trail to walk and I recommend it to everyone that happens near the park. Take a stroll, take your time, and soak in the beauty. The Giant Sequoias are something that must be cherished and protected for generations to come.

Tomorrow I'll share with you some photos of Moro Rock and the largest tree on Earth!

Mariposa Road

Monday night I attended a lecture by Dr. Robert M. Pyle featuring his new book Mariposa Road: The First Butterfly Big Year. Bob gave excellent readings from his new book and highlighted a few of the adventures of his Big Year along the way. I have already started reading and so far, I think it's going to be a great read full of mistaken identities, hunting for larvae, and zig-zagging travels across the U.S.

For those that know Bob, you are familiar with his good sense of humor, his quirky-named butterfly catching instruments, and his friendly demeanor. I hope that at 61 years old I am just as adventuresome and carefree as Bob Pyle. I don't know many people that would convert their old Honda car into a mobile tent and hit the road in search of butterflies so he has my great admiration for this feat. I will let you know how I enjoy Mariposa Road but don't wait on me, the book was officially released on Monday!

You may already be familiar with his other titles but if not here is a sample: Audubon's Field Guide to North American Butterflies, Chasing Monarchs, and Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide. Be sure to add Mariposa Road to your reading list, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Sunday sunrise

Another beautiful morning at Green Cay.

Dia de Peaton

Imagine a city of 600,000 people without cars, trucks, or buses for one day. The city is filled with bicycles and people walking. To learn how this feat is achieved every year in Bolivia's city of Cochabamba check out The Democracy Center's Bolivia Blog. Like the author states, I would love to see the day that San Francisco, Portland, Miami or any number of cities in the U.S. could for one day, shut down all motorized traffic.

NAMC at Green Cay

Ovenbird on the NAMC at Green Cay, excuse the blurry digibinning.


After days of many Prairie Warblers we only managed to find one for the count.

Last bird of the NAMC was a flock of Roseate Spoonbills seen in the distance. As you can see from the photo it was a gorgeous day and we were rewarded with some slight breezes that kept us cool.

On Saturday September 18, 2010 birders from across the country particpated in the North American Migration Count. This year's Green Cay count team consisted of Holly Krahe, Andy Lantz, and myself. We started at 8AM and birded until well after noon. Our count area consists of the 100 acre Green Cay property and the Water Utilities pond across the street which has an additional 0.75 mi nature trail. I am very fortunate that my job allows me to participate in this count during work hours and it's always a day full of fun for me and my volunteers.

We started the count off with one of the best birds of the count, a Merlin. As we continued on we racked up the number of Common Moorhen and the usual waders. On the Cypress Island we found the Northern Waterthrush that has been hanging around all week but we dipped on the Prothonotary that was seen earlier in the week. We found a nice little flock on the Chickee Hammock that gave us the above photographed Ovenbird along with Red-eyed Vireo and young Brown Thrashers. Nearing the half mile trail we found a small flock of early Blue-winged Teal. More of these birds will migrant down in the coming months.

After scoping the parking lot we headed across the street to the Water Utilties pond. We found a few migrants over there as well including our only Prairie Warbler of the count along with quite a few American Redstart. After noon we disbanded our team but I gave it one more spin around the mile trail and managed to pick up the 7 Roseate Spoonbills seen above. We ended the day with 48 species, not a record but certainly a number of migrants were found. Our complete results are listed as follows:

8 Pied-billed Grebe
4 Double-crested Cormorant
13 Anhinga
1 Least Bittern
2 Great Blue Heron
5 Great Egret
3 Snowy Egret
8 Little Blue Heron
14 Tricolored Heron
7 Cattle Egret
4 Green Heron
16 White Ibis
2 Glossy Ibis
7 Roseate Spoonbill
28 Black-bellied Whistling Duck
34 Mottled Duck
16 Blue-winged Teal
5 Black Vulture
7 Turkey Vulture
1 Osprey
1 Merlin
1 Purple Gallinule
158 Common Moorhen
3 Limpkin
25 Rock Pigeon
8 White-winged Dove
1 Mourning Dove
2 Belted Kingfisher
3 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Downy Woodpeckere
10 Blue Jay
7 Fish Crow
12 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
9 Northern Mockingbird
6 Brown Thrasher
4 European Starling
4 Red-eyed Vireo
2 Yellow-throated Warbler
1 Prarie Warbler
2 Black-and-white Warbler
4 American Redstart
1 Ovenbird
1 Northern Waterthrush
1 Common Yellowthroat
6 Northern Cardinal
45 Red-winged Blackbird
28 Boat-tailed Grackle
4 Common Grackle

Many thanks go out to Andy and Holly for all their help and Kim and Chris for working the front desk and dealing with some difficult visitors in my absence. I can't wait until the next NAMC!

Changes at Green Cay

For those that know and love the Green Cay Nature Center I thought I would pass the word that our manager, Donald Campbell, has taken a new job as the Recreation Program Supervisor for Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation. Donald has been a friend, a mentor, and probably the best boss I have ever had. He is loved by the volunteers and visitors alike, and his infectious care for the environment shines through with ever class he has taught. It won't be the same without you Donald!

Donald dressed up for his interview.

California Bears!

I would love to tell you the harrowing escape that Geraldine and I made while camping. How bears raided our campsite and we were soon yelling warnings towards these large mammals to keep them at bay but nothing like this even remotely happened. The closest bear I came to (that I know about) during the trip occurred when I saw this bear crossing sign. Now I will admit to you that I was very scared to camp in bear territory and those bear canisters at our campsite didn't relieve my fear but encouraged it. I guess I rather camp where the bobcats and alligators roam than where bears live.

California Day 4: TREES!

The General Grant Tree stands behind me in that photo above. It's hard to capture the grand scale of a tree like a Sequoia and certainly standing near one doesn't do justice to its height and weight but trust me, these are trees that you must see in your lifetime. They are large, gorgeous wild things and they are older than you can imagine, General Grant is close to 2,000 years old.

I loved the fire damage and how each tree is tattooed with some mark of history. At the Grant Gove you can't walk up to the trees as they are protected by a fence. Nevertheless, you can go down a number of trails if you are inclined to put your arm around a large living organism. In case you're keeping score the General Grant Tree is the second largest tree in the world.


I stood inside the trunks of dead Sequoias and hugged the bark of the living. I can't even tell you how happy I was to see my first ever Sequoias. I love trees and last summer I was able to see my first Redwoods. This summer I conquered the similiar species that calls the higher elevations of California home. The Sequoia forests are definitely different from Coastal Redwoods. I like the Redwoods better somehow...maybe it's the damp, cool, humid forest. But don't get me wrong, the Sequoias did not disappoint. I found them completely fascinationg.

An old house still stands in the Grant Grove, all that is left of a time long ago. It's hard to imagine lumbermen and families living in these forests. And then later troops that were first stationed to protect the newly acquired national forest land. I loved walking around the trees and reading their names and thinking how people a hundred years ago must have lived around such beauty.

Sequoias are so large that's it's a feat to be able to get a whole tree, trunk to crown, into the picture. I had to find trees farther away and near cleared out parking lot areas to fully get a profile.

Below is a tree that housed horses like a stable and before that was shelter. Even in death, the tree has continued to live in people's lives. Now visitors to the Grant Grove can walk through the heart of the tree that connects two paths.

After wandering around the Grant Grove we headed down an offshooting nature trail. The trail started at the far end of the parking lot and afforded us great views of the Sequoia grove.

We didn't follow the blazes for long before we found a nice mix of birds. Chickadees and Wilson's Warblers delighted us before we decided to head back and think about dinner plans.

We took the path back to our campsite. Along the way we found another new mammal for the list, a Lodgepole Chipmunk. I love chipmunks and I feel like I can watch them for hours. Maybe it's because I grew up in the Southeast where such little rodents do not dwell.

Geraldine and I took frequent stops. We soaked in the big trees and enjoyed the smell of the forest. I found a perfect fire poking stick and we had a lovely stroll back to our home for the night.

When we returned a deer was occupying our campsite. By the time I got my camera out I only managed to catch the tail before it slipped behind the bushes.

Beautiful evening sunrays sprinkled across the campground. We came ill prepared and forgot to bring dinner so we headed to the grocery store at the visitor's center and rustled up some food.

We feasted on Soysage and Mac&Cheese. To top it all off we had a Half Dome "Half-Weizen," which is a half German style Hefeweizen and half California Pale Ale combination made by Sequoia Brewing Company. It was a lovely dinner and it was made only better by our lovely campfire.

Tomorrow we will venture to the Sequoias National Park and see the largest tree on earth!

California Day 4: Driving to the Sequoias

We woke up bright and early and transversed the state from Monterey to the Kings Canyon National Park. Along the way we passed through various landscapes: dry rolling hills, fruit orchards, lakes, and small towns.

Once we entered Kings Canyon National Park we first checked out the visitor center and then we went in search of a campground. We circled through all the campgrounds until we found the perfect site beside a very large boulder in the Azalea campground. The campground was mostly empty and in the tent-only section there were only 2 other sites occupied. We settled in to our new little home.

After setting up the tent and packing away our goods in the bear proof containers we decided to hit the trails and visit the nearby Grant Grove. Along the way we spotted many mammals, most of them new to me such as the California Ground Squirrel (seen below) under a down tree near our campsite.

After a peaceful walk from the camprgound we finally made it to the large Sequoia grove. Tomorrow I will post all about the big trees but here's a little tease to tide you over:

Skywatch Friday: Julia Pfiefer State Park

The sky was slightly hazy around Big Sur but the sun was bright, the rocky coastline was stunning, and this waterfall at Julia Pfiefer State Park topped it all off. I had an excellent time taking photos with Geraldine and hiking around the area. We even found an amazing campsite just on the southern trail of this overlook. I can only imagine it's windy and cold at night but the sunset views must be gorgeous. Make sure to check out other Skywatch Friday posts today.

Next up on the California adventure: BIG trees.

California Day 3: Andrew Molera State Park

Big Sur was everything I thought it would be: beautiful vistas, winding roads, and plenty of ocean and sunshine. We took frequent stops to soak in the views and scan the rocky outcroppings for birds.

Before visiting Geraldine asked me what I would like to do in Big Sur and she should've known I would say looking for birds. After a little internet research I found that Andrew Molera State Park was a must-stop as we traveled south. After not having cash at the gate the attendant was very kind and let us visit without paying. Note for the future, have cash for the small state parks and iron rangers.

The trail on Andrew Molera is about a mile long but it transverses some different habitat. We walked through wooded oaks, grassy fields, and eventually found ourself by the mouth of the river. We found a nice flock of birds on the way to the ocean including my lifer Hutton's Vireo mixed in with some Wilson's Warblers and Chestnut-backed Chickadees.

Butterflies were aplenty in the open fields. I was wishing I had my Kenn Kaufman Butterfly guide but I made due by soaking in the looks and taking a few photos like the one above.

The trail opened up to a beautiful little cove. We spent some time walking down the beach where we encountered a few waves and the next thing we knew our shoes and clothes were soaked.

At the mouth of the river we found a flock of mangy looking mallard-like birds. The leader of the troop was the Canada Goose above. I really wasn't sure what they were doing but they seemed to like the large pool that had formed before the river emptied in the ocean.

Geraldine and I also liked this area and since we were already somewhat wet we decided to strip down to our under garments and take a refreshing swim. The water was chilly but the sun was shining bright and we enjoyed our time playing in the swimming hole and looking for river-worn rocks.

On the way back to the parking lot we spotted my first California Quail of the trip. I had great looks at him. Geraldine didn't get the best view but when she returned to the car (ahead of me) she saw a whole family of quail! I missed the little brat pack because I was seeing my lifer Warbling Vireo. All in all, this is a great state park and a perfect place to stop for some ocean dipping while driving down the California coast. Next up, waterfalls that end in the ocean!