numerous shades of blue
Went on a lovely hike today. Did just shy of 5 miles up in Briones Regional Park, managing to hike a bit of trail I have not seen before. Which leaves a great many miles of trails left to explore, but I am also far behind my personal goal to have hiked every park around the SF Bay***. I wheezed a bit on the steepest bits, but didn't embarrass myself too badly.
Best bit of today's hike, other than the view from near Mott Peak? We saw half-a-dozen or more Western Bluebirds. I'm fairly sure that's what they were. They definitely weren't jays - I know jays. The shape and size were right for the bluebird. There was definitely blue, and not a bunting blue, but a bluebird blue. My only hesitation is that they were quite shy, flying away anytime I got close. They also kept flying toward the sun from my perspective, making it hard to feel certain of their markings and color. But I don't know what else they could be, other than bluebirds, so I am going to declare it so. This is particularly exciting because the only other time I have seen a Western Bluebird, it was dusk, and he was perched on top of a lamp post across a parking lot from me. Someone else pointed it out and identified it, and I smiled and nodded, but I couldn't see the blue of it. If you don't see the blue, it feels like it doesn't count. But today I saw the blue, so I am happy to have that tick on my life list.
Also saw an American Goldfinch, cleverly perched on a thistle eating the seed. There were numerous birds of prey (at least three red-tailed hawks, a swainson's hawk, and some sort of smaller kestral/falcon/hawk). And, of course, jays. The jays go with the oaks, and I do not object.
After the hike there was calamari and beer, a pasta dish that hit the spot, and a bit of cool water for my slightly sunburned nose and cheeks (forgot both sunscreen and hat). I will sleep well tonight, and be sore tomorrow.
What did you see today that struck your fancy?
__________
***This is a wee bit of an ambitious goal. There are the national parks, the state parks, the regional parks (which are really county parks in disguise). There are the Santa Clara county parks, plus county parks for San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, and Santa Cruz. (That last is included because it greatly increases the number of parks I've already hiked). There are the North Bay counties whose websites are not worth linking to, the mid-peninsula open space preserves (some of those are quite lovely), and several preserves and wildlife areas in the North Bay. However, for reasons of time and sanity, I cut the list off there.
Edit: if you are wondering, that's over 220 parks. I've hiked at least 20 of them, possibly more than 30, but that leaves me quite a few to go.
Best bit of today's hike, other than the view from near Mott Peak? We saw half-a-dozen or more Western Bluebirds. I'm fairly sure that's what they were. They definitely weren't jays - I know jays. The shape and size were right for the bluebird. There was definitely blue, and not a bunting blue, but a bluebird blue. My only hesitation is that they were quite shy, flying away anytime I got close. They also kept flying toward the sun from my perspective, making it hard to feel certain of their markings and color. But I don't know what else they could be, other than bluebirds, so I am going to declare it so. This is particularly exciting because the only other time I have seen a Western Bluebird, it was dusk, and he was perched on top of a lamp post across a parking lot from me. Someone else pointed it out and identified it, and I smiled and nodded, but I couldn't see the blue of it. If you don't see the blue, it feels like it doesn't count. But today I saw the blue, so I am happy to have that tick on my life list.
Also saw an American Goldfinch, cleverly perched on a thistle eating the seed. There were numerous birds of prey (at least three red-tailed hawks, a swainson's hawk, and some sort of smaller kestral/falcon/hawk). And, of course, jays. The jays go with the oaks, and I do not object.
After the hike there was calamari and beer, a pasta dish that hit the spot, and a bit of cool water for my slightly sunburned nose and cheeks (forgot both sunscreen and hat). I will sleep well tonight, and be sore tomorrow.
What did you see today that struck your fancy?
__________
***This is a wee bit of an ambitious goal. There are the national parks, the state parks, the regional parks (which are really county parks in disguise). There are the Santa Clara county parks, plus county parks for San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, and Santa Cruz. (That last is included because it greatly increases the number of parks I've already hiked). There are the North Bay counties whose websites are not worth linking to, the mid-peninsula open space preserves (some of those are quite lovely), and several preserves and wildlife areas in the North Bay. However, for reasons of time and sanity, I cut the list off there.
Edit: if you are wondering, that's over 220 parks. I've hiked at least 20 of them, possibly more than 30, but that leaves me quite a few to go.