R: Coyote #1!
Today I had to postpone another monthly day trip day. To next week. And that’ll be my last chance before heading to Michigan for the holidays! So, IT WILL HAPPEN. But today I headed out to a place I’ve been leaning toward for a bit to see, Elk Glen Lake. No real reason why. Maybe my last visit wasn’t satisfying enough? I can’t say.
But I did my usual loop of Mallard Lake then The Oasis then Elk Glen Lake. And BOY OH BOY, were things happening at Mallard Lake!
Now, it’s more often than not a relativelyquietplace. It’s one of the reasons I like it. It’s often emptyish of people, so I can be verymuchimmersed there. Today was no exception. Except there was so many birds!!
On my approach I heard a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and what sounded like a Belted Kingfisher in the distance. Two Double-crested Cormorants and a Great Blue Heron were what I first saw. All three were near each other, and all appeared to be in poses. Ready for me to take their photos.
An older man was nearby, taking photos of them with his iPad. He asked me (looking at my binocs), “You looking at birds?” To which, I replied, “And everything else!” He told me he liked taking photos of “the reflection.” Which I took to mean the bird’s reflection on the water? He also told me, “They ripped out everything here,” referring to the massive amounts of Blackberry bushes that used to be between us and the lake. I said that they may have done that to remove the invasive Blackberry. He said, “But there’s native Blackberry.” And I replied, “Yeah, but not much of it is here in the park.” I’m not even sure if there’s any?
He didn’t seem terribly interested in continuing to chat with me, and I wasn’t fired up either! So we went about our separate ways.
I moved on to the Sycamore trees, where I looked up to find a Black-crowned Night-Heron! Never seen one in these trees before! Gotta look up there every time now.
Right about then I heard then saw the Kingfisher swooping in from the West and disappearring into a tree opposite the lake. Yep, they will FOREVER be opposite a lake from me.
Two male Hooded Mergansers and one female were on the lake, along with a Pied-billed Grebe. Juvenile?
I rounded the West corner and headed East when I noticed the pretty little Knotweed (that I’ve yet to ID) flowers at the edge of the water. So dainty! Also blooming on the South side were some hot pink Baby Sage. And that was about it for flowers.
But also on the South side were two female Northern Shovelers. Now, I confess that I was hoping to see a particular bird at Mallard Lake today. I’d read on the SF Birds list that someone saw a Green Heron here recently. Didn’t spot that Heron, but these Shovelers were on his list. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen them here before?
But then I got to the Southeast corner, and THAT’s when things got INTERESTING! There were a fair number of American Robins in one of the Cotoneaster trees, which was overflowing with berries. While seeing this, I spotted a Pygmy Nuthatch on the tree next to it. Back to the Cotoneaster, I noticed that one of the birds was a Cedar Waxwing! Haven’t seen them yet this season, and I’m fairly certain I’ve never seen them at Mallard Lake. So exciting!
As was expected, the Waxwing was not alone. And I just stood there, watching the INSANE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BIRDS that allofasudden were in or around or in then out then in again of this one Cotoneaster tree! Multiple Waxwings, a Hermit Thrush, MORE Robins, a Townsend’s Warbler, a Dark-eyed Junco bathing in the water below, a Botta’s Pocket Gopher in the grass near my feet, a Brown Creeper, an Anna’s Hummingbird.
At one point, I looked up to see I don’t even know how many Robins and Waxwings flying in and out and into and out of the taller trees above. Why was THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT the moment to do this for all of them?? It was bewildering!
Especially because it ended about as abruptly as it started. And allofasudden there were a couple Robins left. Guarding it? It was bizarrely quiet. So I took the cue and moved on. Noting a nice cluster of Honey Mushrooms below.
No bird was at the waterfall, but it wasn’t running. And Mallard Lake seemed a bit low. Near the bench and at the lake edge was a Turtle. No head or feet visible. It was ODD. Was it dead? Hiding?
Then I heard and finally spotted the Kingfisher. Opposite the lake from me. OF COURSE. Got super crap photos. Keeping one here just as a memory.
Heard a Northern Flicker nearby, and I thought how nuts it was that so many different birds were here. At a usually quiet place! Even that usual Red-shouldered Hawk in the area was near. And crying. Of course.
Back at the waterfall, a Townsend’s Warbler was trying to take a bath. I think even a Yellow-rumped Warbler was in the tree above. Not positive on that.
Onto The Oasis, where a surprising number of flowers were out. Iochroma and Abutilon and that small reddish flower I’ve yet to ID (Sinningia?) and Tree Dahlias. One Black-tailed Bumble Bee was super happy about the Dahlias. And I really don’t think I’ve seen them here before! Agaricus was below, too.
Moving on, I spotted some Red-cage Fungus with a small white egg near it. Indian-shot was also blooming. And I noticed the little island garden had been cleared! No more Fuchsia and Himalayan Jewel Orchid. Weird!
More Red-cage Fungus was ahead. It’s amazing how much of it is scattered in the The Oasis.
Over at Elk Glen Lake, fresh Lupine leaves were out. And I spotted my first Chip Cherries mushroom of the season. So nice to see them.
After passing an American Sweetgum tree that had GORGEOUS Fall colored leaves, I heard another Kingfisher! It was somewhere in the Southwest of the lake, but I couldn’t find it. A Black Phoebe was busy flycatching. But then I spotted the Kingfisher swoop into the Northeast corner. Got more crap photos of this one, which I wondered might be the same one I saw over at Mallard Lake?
Walked around the lake, noting it was also low. And on the North end, they cleared out a lot of plants and made little branched off gardens and even a path to the lake. Looks nice. Not wild as before, but some Western Blue-eyed Grass was blooming there. So I’m not complaining.
I thought I saw and heard a Red-breasted Nuthatch buried somewhere in the tree in front of me when I heard LOUD WAILING. And I KNOW THAT SOUND. It was A COYOTE. Nearbyish. In the area where I’ve seen them before, on the Northwest side of the lake.
HM! That’s the direction I was going! I stopped to note some fun Western Hardwood Sulphur Shelf fungi before continuing on. Walking slowly and looking for the Coyote so I’d be ready to give it space.
Didn’t see it, but a woman ahead of me with a dog on leash started shouting at her dog. They were out of view, but she repeated the dog’s name SUPER LOUDLY as if it were ignoring her. I came around a corner of shrubs and bushes to find THE COYOTE there. It was in the Elk Glen Lake Garden. And was close to the path, where the woman had finally beckoned her dog away.
The Coyote slowly sauntered in their direction, where another woman with another dog on leash was also walking away from. Then the Coyote did something FUNNY. It walked over to a deadish tree thing. Smelled the base. Then put its teeth around some empty branches. Then appeared to use it like A TOOTHBRUSH?? Is that what was going on???
It continued on, down the path in the direction of the women and dogs, but it veered to the North. I assumed it was the one wailing before. Then I turned around to face South, where ANOTHER COYOTE WAS! It was just in front of that continuous row of shrubbery. Like it emerged from there? I always figured creatures were living in there! It’s why I’ve never gotten close to it.
This Coyote slowly came out and smelled its way toward the path. It was starting to veer in my direction so I slowly walked away, looking back every now and again to make sure it wasn’t following me. It wasn’t. It also sauntered off, in the direction of Coyote #1. And while I was admiring some Jerusalem Sage and more Honey Mushrooms, I heard one of the Coyotes wailing again. What was going on with them??
Ok, so this was OF COURSE EXCITING because it is ALWAYS EXCITING to see a Coyote, but I have not often seen more than one together. AND, it’s been some time since I’ve seen any at Elk Glen Lake. Likely because I don’t visit anywhere near as often as before. But, COYOTES!!!
It was around 5pm, so I took a chance and headed to the Lily Pond in case I might be able to hear or see my owls. And, I DID. Pa Owl was hooting in the new tree he favors alongside Pelosi Dr. Didn’t hear Ma Owl hoot back. But Pa Owl soon flew over my head and disappeared into the Lily Pond area. I was happy to hear and see him. And figured that’s all I was going to see of the Great Horned Owls of the East. But I walked to my car and took a look North for no particular reason, and THERE WAS MA OWL. In silhouette on a bare branch. Somewhere above the South Ridge Trail it seemed.
Sometimes I am just amazed at how lucky I get when I randomly look in a direction and see something special. It must be the Owl Witch in me.
You might wonder why I believe it was Ma Owl. Well, Pa Owl definitely flew further than where she was. So.
I decided to walk up to the trail in case I could see her better and see where she’d fly to next. And there she was. Very near the trail. Even looked my way once. And eventually flew in the direction of Pa Owl. Like she does.
So, yeah. SO MUCH TODAY!
