Today I ended up having time for some quality Naturing by myself. What a treat! And for a reason I can’t explain, I’ve been wanting to visit Mallard Lake and The Oasis and Elk Glen Lake in GGPark. AND, I needed to check on my owls. Since I neither heard nor saw them last time out…

But my Mallard Lake dreams were thwarted by a HUGE gathering involving a bouncy house and two people drumming and a dancer and all sorts of folks watching it all in the Elk Glen Picnic Area…

I had parked on the Mallard Lake side. And after realizing the large crowd and drum sounds were not going to be what I needed today, I decided to go elsewhere. And just as I made that decision, I noticed a Ruby-crowned Kinglet bopping about in the Willows and shrubs right near my car. It didn’t appear to mind the music and crowds closeby. It was doing its thing.

And, I LOVE Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Their dolphin noises amuse me to no end when they are overwintering here. I’m always delighted to hear them when I’m outside. So it was, of course, so fun to watch this one zig zagging all over from my driver’s seat. Wish I’d gotten a better photo of it, but considering I was inside a car I am AMAZED I got an IDable photo of it at all. The amount of shots I got of just branches and leaves (because the Kinglet zoomed out of frame) is too funny.

And, while it did make me reconsider staying, I realized the drums were not going to allow me to immerse myself in nature. And that just was not going to work for me.

HOWEVER. I thought perhaps I wouldn’t hear the sounds from Elk Glen Lake. And I was right! It was quiet and calm and peaceful. Just what I needed.

After stopping to admire some colorful Mexican Bush Sage at the start and a random shoe under a tree’s branches (what goes on when that happens??), I heard a Red-shouldered Hawk crycrycrying. And this is a comforting sound. As I associate The Oasis and the Elk Glen Lake area with them, having seen them thereabouts often.

But then I heard a Red-tailed Hawk. And that was… odd. Not sure I’ve ever heard one there before? And if so, maybe only once? I kept listening, and there it was AGAIN. And AGAIN!

I noticed a Steller’s Jay moving around in a tree ahead, and as I got a good look at it in my binocs, I saw it making that Red-tailed Hawk sound! Not quite believing what I just saw, I kept watching. And it made the sound AGAIN. There’s GOT to be a book written about them and their insane ability to mimic other birds, right?

Since I had started from the Northeast corner (which I haven’t done in AGES), I intended to make my way around the lake counter-clockwise. And just as I began my loop, I heard a Northern Flicker. NEATO! Haven’t ever heard one there before!

And, lucky me, I saw it fly into a euc where it hung out in the open. Unobstructed! It was high up. Far away. So not the best photo, but if I GET a photo I am deliriously happy. Love getting to see them.

I didn’t get far before I started seeing and hearing all sorts of small birds in the trees along the trail. MANY Yellow-rumped Warblers and a couple Townsend’s Warblers and an Anna’s Hummingbird. And a Sparrow under a bush that was stomping on the ground that I didn’t get a good look at. Do Song Sparrows do that??

The sun was shining at the time. And I realized how nice it must’ve been for these small birds to be out in the sunshine on a cold day. But how hard it must be to want to be in that sun but not feel safe out in it. Seems like such an unfortunate hardship for them.

I was looking forward to seeing that single Norway Maple in the area, given the fall-colorey time of year. It indeed was turning colors but hadn’t transformed into all yellow leaves just yet. Soon… Its samaras (tree seeds) look just like an insect’s wings, no?

Just past the long bench, I noticed a small gnome holding a pumpkin inside a tree stump. Tree/forest shrines like that always remind me of Mt. Sutro trails, where I first saw such things. Made me wonder if the huge euc at the Southwest corner still had one.

There’s a newtome fairy door over there! Noted that the former was still gone (boo), but so pleased to see a new one (yay) not far from it.

Past that, a small Lupine shrub looked incredibly wilty. Unlike anything I’ve seen before. I remember that little shrub, truly! And I remember wondering (and hoping) it would do well. Was it that the lake was so unusually full of water that made it super droopy? Hope it doesn’t kill it. I had high hopes for that little random plant.

Along the West side of the lake, I saw baby Monterey Pine trees newly planted. And I’ll never forget doing a program at Lands End last January, when a participant brought up how upsetting it was that more Monterey Pines and Cypress were being planted in The Presidio. I had mentioned it, and he got SUPER UPSET. And, I get it. They’re not native in SF. But, come on. An urban city like this is not going to go Full Native Plants. Like, ever. At least they’re not planting the invasive eucs!

Rounding the Southwest corner, I checked in on the euc gnome. And I’m happy to report it’s still there.

Under the Weeping Willow, I caught sight of a Woodpecker. Now, I’ve never seen a Woodpecker (I think) at EGL. So this was exciting! And even MORE EXCITING was that it was a Sapsucker! Making even more horizontal holes in that Willow’s trunk. After seeing its red head, I knew it was a Red-breasted Sapsucker. And how thrilling! I can count on my hand how often I’ve seen them, so it was so awesome to see one in front of me.

However, it was on the lake side of the tree trunk. So I didn’t get great looks, sadly. And my photos are pretty crap. Ah, well. Nice to see something possibly worthy of posting to the SFBirds list.

All was quiet on the full lake. Only a couple Pied-billed Grebes. No Great Blue Heron. No Black-crowned Night-Herons. But more Yellow-rumped Warblers were ahead, flycatching. With a number of White-crowned Sparrows on the trail near them.

I had a bit more time before needing to skidaddle to see my owls, so I wandered on the trails East of EGL. Which I haven’t done in forever. Spending so much of my Naturing time in EGL today, I realized how much time I’ve spent there in the past. I have no idea how many times I’ve looped around that lake. It’s like an old friend. Like so many spots in GGPark.

But these peripheral trails I’ve only visited a couple times. And while seeing how many Monterey Pines are there, I wondered why there wasn’t more Fungi. Fungi love Pines. Maybe it’s too early? Maybe the abundant Fungi I’ve seen around other spots with lots of Pines (around Rob Hill in The Presidio or Sign Hill) are just not here for whatever reason? Maybe GGPark doesn’t have enough wildness or influence from wilder places for these Pines?

And as I’d just thought how few Fungi I was seeing on my visit, I spotted my first one. A beige parasola or brittlestem something or other. Casually popping up in the grass around it. There didn’t seem to be a good specimen to pull. None that I saw there had an opened cap. So I moved on. And eventually made my way East.

I arrived to the Lily Pond and immediately saw A TON of Common Ravens swarming the tops of the eucs just East of the Lily Pond. And then I heard a Red-shouldered Hawk crycrycrying somewhere in there. There you have it.

Stopped to admire an unexpected Scarlet Monkeyflower plant and what I initially thought might be Honey Mushrooms (but might be Yellow-gilled Gymnopilus?) before heading out to see, if not at least hear, any Great Horned Owls…

But before I got to the Lily Pond, I saw a couple blooming Blueblossoms along the AIDS Memorial Grove. And after pausing to inhale their loveliness, I happened to see the teeny tiniest little mushroom poking out of the small bits of twigs below.

It never ceases to amaze me how they just burst up from whatever is above them. They are so small when they do it! It looks to me like they must be SO STRONG to do that given their size!!

The pond was chock-full of algae and other plant material. Not shocking. And only Mallards were there. No Ring-necked Ducks or Hooded Mergansers.

But I noticed Turk’s Cap and baby Calla Lily plants recently planted at the edge. Guess it doesn’t make much sense to plant native plants since it’s not a natural pond?

Over at the fakenesttree, I spotted a notthatold GHO pellet. HM! But no sign otherwise.

The former Slime Mold Lab Trail (that still needs a new name with so many lab logs removed) is so unrecognizable with all the Blackberry bushes gone. Truly curious what they’ll do there. Truly hoping they don’t plant EVEN MORE dang Rhododendrons! The Secret Gardens have far too many as it is.

It was pretty quiet along the South Ridge Trail, but I did happen upon a single Western Hardwood Sulphur Shelf coming straight out of a euc stump. They are so dang bizarre and compelling to look at.

While waiting it out around sunset to hear any GHOs, I allofasudden noticed that the plant spirit of the Lily Pond was no more. In its place is what looks like a burnt stump of a tree. And all the plants around it are gone. What the heck happened??

I was about to give up on hearing (and definitely seeing) any owls. And then I had a thought. What if they’re nesting right now? And that’s why I’m not hearing them? Is it possible that’s what’s going on? This early?!?

I decided it was time to give up and go home. And on my way out of the Lily Pond, I just happened to spot THREE different Fungi along the trail. One looked like Splitgill Mushroom. The next had a dark purple cap. And the last had a brownish pink dot on its cap.

I’m kinda impressed I saw all three given how little light there was just then.

I arrived at Pelosi Dr. and waited. Looking up at the fading light. Hoping to spot maybe one Bat to scoop up the many mosquitoes out and about. Is it normal to see so many in December with these cold temps? But, alas. Not one Bat.

I made one stop outside the CAS. Just in case a GHO was still in that area? Hooting? Nope.

This time of year is tough. It is definitely a pattern. Relatively quiet as it gets to nesting time. Hoping the pair are ok. Wondering when I’ll get to hear or see them again…