Work, Work, Work...

We started early and finished late, and both of us had difficult back-to-back meetings. Yet, we are in a beautiful place with birds everywhere. We had a nice evening walk.

The wild world around us: Tule Elk are not really from here, but they have an outsized growth rate because their natural predators are not here. The park has also pitted them against the dairies which is complicated to say the least. They are originally from the Central Valley. It is estimated that half a million were in California before the Gold Rush. Heavy hunting and ranching reduced their numbers. All of the living tule elk descend from a single breeding pair or so found near Buena Vista Lake in the San Joaquin Valley.

6:22 am – 8:09 pm, which is 13 hours and 46 minutes of light

The bird of the day is the Ross's Goose

Here is a poem for you.

Love, Tawnia

Bird List: 45 species today

California Quail
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Anna's Hummingbird
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
American Barn Owl
Acorn Woodpecker
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Black Phoebe
Hutton's Vireo
Steller's Jay
California Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Oak Titmouse
Purple Martin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Bushtit
Wrentit
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Pacific Wren
European Starling
Western Bluebird
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Dark-eyed Junco
Song Sparrow
California Towhee
Spotted Towhee
Wilson's Warbler