El Dorado County, Part 1

We spent last weekend (4/19 and 20) in El Dorado County at the home (well, we spent more time outside) of the neat couple that we went to San Francisco with in January. I have tons to share, so I'm going to break this up into installments. One of the most interesting things we saw was a female Merlin dive-bombing and screaming at a plastic owl on a fence post. She also sat still (rare for Merlins) for quite a while between attacks on the faux owl.

We watched this Red-breasted Nuthatch excavating a nest hole. We were only a few feet away. It was SO awesome! I got some video footage with my camera. Here is crappy still photo, but you get the point.

Douglas Fir cone

Years ago, someone shared this sweet myth with me: A long time ago, during a raging forest fire, the Douglas Fir trees told the mice that they could hide in their cones for safety, and the mice did and they survived the fire. The little tufts on the cones represent the tails (or feet?) of those mice.

American Robin looking lovely

Canada Geese -- adults and goslings

Buttercups (The genus is Ranunculs, which is SO much fun to say, especially if you roll the "r.")

Ribes sp.?

The dogwood trees were oh so lovely in the filtered sunlight of the forest.

So were the Big-leaf Maples

Manzanita flowers are such a neat shape.Check out the tiny seeds inside.

Calochortus sp.?

Red Maids

Shooting Star

Tomorrow is my scheduled day off, but I have to drag my sorry carcass in to go to a Sexual Harassment Prevention Training (we have to take it every few years). After all of these years, my employer has finally had the sense to add "Prevention" to the title :-)

Ta ta for now,
Sylvie