R: Red-shouldered Hawk.
Today I have a bit of time for a bit of a post. I was able to enjoy and observe a couple of things so far this week during my internship. And so I felt like sharing these precious things here.
Firstly, I’ve been very focused on my internship and my Intern Project. HOWEVER, I was able to get some unexpected Naturing inbetween all of it.
Okokok, those first two photos below are not Naturing ones. But I found some interesting old photos at the Presidio Archive Building. I’m researching El Polin Spring and other water places of the Tennessee Hollow Watershed for my Intern Project. And seeing these old photos of the transformation of El Polin (pre-restoration) during the military’s time there was eye-opening and sad. What an amazing job was done there to bring back so many native plants.
Later that day (Wednesday), on the way to a video interview for the Media Intern in the Fort Mason Community Garden, I spotted a LARGE fungi right outside the garden gate! Bigger than my hand!! Definitely hadn’t seen this one before. It was hiding under some small trees. It even had a baby one nearby. So I pulled out the super large one for better looks. Not only did Seek and iNat believe it was a Freckled Dapperling, but Alan on iNat AGREED. It’s amazing how much better IDs you get from looking under the hood, so to speak!
Seeing fungi outside of the rainy season is so flippin’ exciting!!
And, so today I was at the Tunnel Tops, doing some recon for a library program we’re supporting later this month. And I just happened to see THREE medium-sized beige fungi amongst the wood chips! Ok, fungi just astounds me. This site is NEW. These wood chips are NEW. The plantings are NEW. And there’s already FUNGI PRESENT. Perhaps Milky Conecaps??
Later today, I did some more recon for my Intern Project over at the Tennessee Hollow Trail. I’m just taking reference photos of the flora and fauna out there, so nothing post-worthy. But I happened to see a Red-shouldered Hawk perched up in a tree across the meadow there. I’ve spent no time at that particular meadow before, so it was nice to see a bit of life there!
SINCE I was so close to Barnard Avenue, I thought I’d check in on the Great Horned Owls. I’m hoping to show them to one of the groups as part of my Intern Project. HOWEVER. I didn’t see a one there. So hard to believe they’re all gone already?? But what was interesting was that I DID see another Red-shouldered Hawk just hanging out on a euc branch. HM! Does this indicate for certain that the GHOs are outta there??
Not much else to report. Just wishing for more Naturing time.
The Afternoon Naturalist 