We didn't go far into the park today, but it seemed very quiet, which made sense for a winter Tuesday after a long weekend. Our sole destination was a 12 km hike starting from Big Stump Grove, named after the huge melancholy remains of late-seventeenth-century logging. Giant sequoias, some of which were bigger than any others still standing today, were cut down for lumber or educational purposes; L thinks he might have seen the famous cross-section of the Mark Twain Tree (see B stump photo below) at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC.
It was a beautiful day, maybe the nicest one yet -- perfect blue skies, warm in the sun, cold in the shade. We made slow progress because we kept stopping to listen for elusive woodpeckers, test out B's new binoculars, and eat snacks. One meadow was particularly lively with a pack of cute Western Bluebirds. And we made it up to one last giant sequoia before turning back.
We ate a snacky lunch in the warm sun in front of our airbnb. This place has turned out to be the best birdwatching spot we've found so far: California Scrub-Jays, Spotted Towhees, Robins, Mourning Doves, Black Phoebes, and various nuthatches seem to love the empty National Forest barracks property across the street, and a pair of Acorn Woodpeckers have packed a nearby telephone pole with acorns. We also found some adorable California Quail on a lawn a few doors down. Just before sunset, we walked along a nearby road to look for Northern Pygmy-Owls -- we were unsuccessful but had a nice time. As the sun went down over the hazy valley, we saw a Cooper's Hawk perched on a wire before it swooped off into the trees.
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