Golden Gate Park (09/17/2021)

today i thought i’d visit the Dahlia Garden while they’re all out now, and i’m so glad i did! just as delightful as last year. i still don’t understand why they are SF’s official city flower, as i’ve pretty much never seen them around the city. but, they are one of my top faves. especially the ball shaped ones. visited the Dally Pine near the Secret Mushroom spot, just to see if it was still dead as it appeared during my Capstone Project field trip. NOPE! fresh needles!! someone (GGPark??) removed a huge branch growing behind it from the Field Elm that looked to be crowding it? and now, FRESH NEEDLES! maybe this spring i’ll be able to enjoy the Otter Pop smells from those adorable flowers… also visited the Lily Pond, where a Great Blue Heron stood still for admirers, including an older Asian lady who told inquiring passerbys that it was a crane. i quickly informed all there what it was. thank gawd i was there! lastly, i visited the owl nursery, and Junior was there! up high and tucked away and mostly napping, just like a grown up. ALSO, found BOTH PARENTS in the nesting tree. gawd, i bet both have been there all this time. they hide so well. as i left, i spotted what i think were a family of California Scrub-Jays. a couple shrieking juveniles begging like crazy, big babies! and a Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet all said goodbye to me on my way home from there. it’s a good friday, folks.