Loud, identified by call.
Ran away as I was taking picture. Sorry. Definitely a Pika.
Apologies for the bad photo. I remembered this sighting from a 2004 trip to the John Muir Wilderness and dug up these shots. They were in a beautiful meadow. The difference in coloration between males and females is interesting.
In addition to nice rainbow at McClure Meadow, Kings Canyon National Park, note invading lodgepole pine at edge of mature forest. This is a common phenomenon in the Sierra. Surges -- or pulses -- of lodgepole have been invading meadows the last 100 years, possibly due to warming temperatures. McClure Meadow will be reduced in size by about 20% in the next 10 years or so.
Found this snake about to drag off a dead trout stranded by a dried out stream. Came back to same spot 3 days later and found the fish skeleton under a rock overhang in the stream bed.
McClure Meadow, Kings Canyon National Park, CA. Undoubtedly a domestic homing pigeon (had a band on one leg). Hung around for about 3 days, then disappeared. Possibly lunch for the Goshawk or Harrier or maybe a coyote. But maybe s/he found her way home, at last. Never seen one this high (9,600 feet).
20080426: I originally id'd this generally as a pigeon. Kueda said Rock Dove and I'll go with that.
AKA: Marsh Hawk. Seen throughout the summer hunting the meadows of Evolution Valley. Flying very low (10 feet or so) over meadows. Stopping occasionally on tree branches until local critters forgot it was there, then resume hunting. Never saw it make a successful kill.
Juvenile Saw-whet came by campfire on tree branch, and later on ground at about 1900 hrs. Was found dead by fire pit the next morning. No sign of trauma or singed feathers. Speculating it was malnourished or, possibly, West Nile Virus?? It seemed to want the warmth of the fire (??).
One of the lowest elevation pikas I'd heard or seen in quite sometime (about 8,000 feet). Likely as a result of global warming, their range has gone up about 1,000 feet + in the last 100 years. As recently as the 80s and 90s I would routinely hear pikas in the lower part of the canyon here.
Nesting in pond with 6 young. By mid-September, there was no sign of adult or any young. There was most likely predation from resident goshawk and possibly coyote, but 2 ducklings may have survived and moved by early fall. This was the 2nd year Mallard had nested in this pond.
2 adults seen throughout summer of 2007. Likely nesting on south side of river.
1 in talus field above Evolution Lake, Kings Canyon National Park, CA, USA. Not uncommon to hear or see 4 individuals while hiking trail on north shore of Lake.
At least 4, perhaps as many as 6 individuals seen within about 100 meters of this location over the course of several months. This is down from an average of at least 10 individuals
