Today's #hike goal was to figure out if what has *looked* (to me) like a nest ... is actually a raptor's nest. It is! It's an active nest for a red-tailed hawk! #noplanetB #hiking #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birding #naturelover #wild #wilderness #earth

#BirdOfTheDay #BirdsintheirElement Trying to get a decent meadowlark shot for over a year. Today's isn't it, but this guy is definitely in his element. #birds #photography #noplanetB #hiking #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birding #naturelover #wild #wilderness #earth

#Hike #468 / 1463 5.5 miles Here's a mule deer. There aren't as many antlered deer out--guess they dropped those by now. One deer was very round. Fawns on the way. #noplanetB #hiking #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #naturelover #wild #wilderness #earth #hiking #mammals

#BirdOfTheDay #WingsOverWater Cormorants don't have oil on the feathers, so their wings get heavy from diving. They dry them out like this, for flight. #birds #photography #noplanetB #hiking #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birding #naturelover #wild #wilderness #earth

#Hike 461 / 1463 Took a new trail and what a treat--stumbled upon a 5-inch-thick fossil bed full of bivalves and spirals. This spot was my favorite but all the fossils throughout were fantastic. #noplanetB #hiking #nature #naturephotography #naturelover #wild #wilderness #earth #fossils #hiking

#hike 446 / 1463 8.6 mi, ~1300 ft gain. Say's Phoebe always, but always, poses for a camera. (Unlike the far more skittish meadowlarks & roadrunners around here.) #noplanetB #hiking #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birding #naturelover #wild #wilderness #earth

#hike 441 / 1463 9 miles, 1888 ft gain Still looking at tracks, since the heavy rains in December. Would love a definitive ID on this type. Big dog? Cougar? paw = 3.3 inches long #noplanetB #wildlife #wildlifephotography #mountainlion #puma #catamount #hiking #nature #naturephotography #tracking

This is the beginnings of a quilt, with some pieces tie-dyed decades back, left unfinished ... but to which I'm finally returning. Never give up. Those old projects might actually get done some day. #crafting #quilt #quilting #sewing #artsandcrafts #needlework #tiedye #fabricarts #determination

Recent hike, two days back, brought a new bird--the pied billed #grebe. Evidently it's seen around here, but I hadn't before. Here it is with a #coot. The coots, I expect. #noplanetB #hiking #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birding #naturelover #wild #wilderness

One advantage of rain is the wildlife tracks on the trails afterward. Can't decide if this was a puma... leaning yes. Stride length ~3ft and prints are about right (a few inches across.) #noplanetB #wildlife #wildlifephotography #mountainlion #puma #catamount #hiking #nature #naturephotography

#Hike 400 6 miles Lately, local ravens are doing barrel rolls and flips--tough to catch on camera. As I approached, this one squawked to warn some deer ~100 yards off. #noplanetB #hiking #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birding #naturelover #wild #wilderness #earth

#hike 396 / 1463 3.5 miles What on earth could this white crowned #sparrow possibly be thinking? It just looks so judgey! Come on little guy, we're friends, promise. #noplanetB #hiking #nature #naturephotography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #birds #birding #naturelover #wild #wilderness #earth

#Hike 372 / 1463 8.5 miles peaceful end-of-hike following a few hours on the #trail. #noplanetB #nature #deer #muledeer #wildlifephotography #hiking #naturephotography #touchgrass #lifeisbeautiful #iseetreesofgreen

Hike 339 / 1463 8.5 miles Decided to post a mammal--a squirrel who scolded me relentlessly when I stopped to get water. Later, at home, I noticed something zooming through the frame. A bird, but what kind? #noplanetB #nature #birds #birding #wildlifephotography #squirrel #photobombingbird #hiking

#Hike 320 / 1463 (22%) Still going. We control what we can. Here's a red tailed hawk taking flight. 10.6 miles / 1550 feet gain. Keep #hiking. #nature #noplanetB #wildlife #birds #birding #raptors #hawks #naturephotography #southwest #landscape

#Hike 284. Climbed Mount Baldy, first time in a couple years. Close to 4000 feet of gain. Not too bad. Stopped a few times for water; food; catch breath. Had some nice conversations w/strangers. #Bruins XC team was running the trail, fantastic. #hiking #nature #noplanetb #SoCalSixPack #MtBaldy

#Hike 282 / 1463 8.3 miles, 26 pounds Training for backcountry & 19% to next presidential election. Head down, keep going. Today=two-fer. Both snake & quail ran at my approach. (Humans are scary?) Quail ran into brush *with rattler.* #noplanetb #hiking #birds #snakes #nature #wildlifephotography

Fewer rattlesnakes lately. Used to see one every 10 miles or so. Too hot? Do they taste good? I see their predators now. Lots of roadrunners. They grab, body-slam rattlers. I guess ... good food? Also king snakes, like here. #hike #nature #snakes #wildlife #noplanetb #hiking #wildlifephotography

What a beautiful little thing. #hike #hiking #nature #noplanetb #caterpillars #butterfly #butterflies #milkweed #wildlife #wildlifephotography

#Hike 222 / 1463 4.5 mi Here's a cobalt milkweed beetle. I've never seen this species before, but this one plant? It had ~20 in various activities. All on one plant! The neighboring milkweeds had none. #hiking #nature #bugs #insects #wildlife #NoPlanetB #milkweed #beetles #wildlifephotography

#Hike # 192/1463 11 miles Roadrunners are uncommon to see, tough to catch--ask coyote!--here's one from today's hike. Funny birds. Old-looking, small dinosaurs. It waves its tail for balance, display or warning. #nature #hiking #noplanetB #wildlife #birds #birding #roadrunners #naturephotography

#Hike ? (daily)/1463, 8.2 miles Warmer weather brings out reptiles. Any day now, there's a good chance of seeing a rattlesnake. Here's a young one, and like 95% of encounters, has no interest in engaging. Senses me, gets out of the way. Pole for scale. #nature #hiking #noplanetB #wildlife #snakes

#Hike #59 / 1445 3.0 miles Birds are remarkable. It was great to see the meadowlark flash across the landscape (see it near bottom of left frame). As for sparrows, they're so easily dismissed but are really quite pretty. #nature #wildlifephotography #hiking #NoPlanetB #birds #birding

#Hike #57 / 1445 6.3 miles A few days ago, we saw the coyotes--two I've shared before--then we realized there were way more than two. We saw *seven* coyotes, enjoying a crisp winter morning together. Here's one. #nature #wildlifephotography #hiking #NoPlanetB #mammals

#Hike #56 / 1445 7.6 miles This inch-long beetle is a member of Eleodes, otherwise known as Darkling Beetles or desert stink beetles. They stand on their heads and spray quinones when threatened. #nature #wildlifephotography #hiking #NoPlanetB #bugs #insects

(Day 54: jog day) #Hike #55 / 1445 5.6 miles This towhee is banded (wears a band, or a ring). It's part of another census project in our area, like the mule deer a week or so back. #nature #wildlifephotography #hiking #NoPlanetB #birds #birding

#Hike #52 / 1445 10.4 miles. A magical sighting to end the year. Great horned owl. Content. #nature #wildlifephotography #hiking #birds #NoPlanetB #owls #verydemureverymindful #happynewyear

#Hike #51 / 1445 8.8 miles. Many more birds today--many fewer people--on the trails. Here's a white crowned sparrow who posed very nicely. #nature #wildlifephotography #hiking #birds #NoPlanetB

#Hike #50 / 1445 3.8 miles Slim pickings for photos from the trail today. Maybe all the people out hiking. Best option seems to be this warbler. #hiking #nature #NoPlanetB #Wildlife #birds

#Hike #49 / 1445 7.8 miles This is a legally protected, rare and possibly endangered Dudleya species growing wild. These pretty succulents are at home in wilderness. #NoPlanetB #hiking #nature #plants #wildlifephotography

#Hike #48 / 1445 5.1 miles This beautiful doe has an ear tag on her left ear, see it? In some parts of California, these tags help naturalists track deer populations. #NoPlanetB #hiking #nature #mammals #wildlifephotography

#Hike #47 / 1445 6.8 miles Sunset hike. The owls hooted at me then went silent. #NoPlanetB #hiking #nature #landscapes

#Hike #46 / 1445 2.4 miles Another Cooper's hawk. It's been around a lot lately. #birds #NoPlanetB #hiking #nature #wildlifephotography

#Hike #45 / 1445 7 miles Mockingbird #NoplanetB #Birds #hiking #nature #wildlifephotography

#Hike #44 / 1445 9 miles Starling #NoPlanetB #hiking #nature #wildlifephotography #birds

#Hike #43 / 1445 3 miles Goldfinch #noplanetB #hiking #nature #wildlifephotography #birds

#Hike #42 / 1445 (3%) 9.5 miles Nanday parakeets #Birds #NoPlanetB #hiking #nature #wildlifephotography

#Hike #41 / 1445 6.0 miles Some sort of hornet or wasp. I can't sort out the species but the geometry on its thorax is sure pretty. #Hiking #NoPlanetB #Nature #wildlifephotography #bugs #insects

#Hike #40 / 1445 7.0 miles California Towhee #nature #wildlifephotography #hiking #NoPlanetB #birds

#Hike #39 / 1445 11 miles (season p.r.!) Still aiming for a good picture of our local meadowlarks. In the meantime, I'm finding them more easily. #nature #wildlifephotography #NoPlanetB #Birds #hiking

#Hike #38 / 1445 6.0 miles Another gopher snake, pretty coloration and pattern, with its wee tongue flicking. #nature #noplanetB #hiking #snakes #wildlifephotography

Day #36 recovery day #Hike #37 / 1445 8.4 miles Ocean, island, sunset. #hiking #nature #NoPlanetB #landscapes #sunsets

#Hike #35 / 1445 10 miles (weekly pr! 47+ miles) This red tailed hawk brought many feelings. Awe--that she was so close to the trail, concern--that she seemed unable to fly. Fear for her safety. I alerted the rangers. #birds #NoPlanetB #Hawks #Raptors #nature #wildlifephotography #hiking

#Hike #34 / 1445 6 miles American #Kestrel (sparrowhawk), evidently the smallest of the American #falcons. It has just launched from its perch. Wonderful tail feathers. #birds #NoPlanetB #nature #wildlifephotography #hiking

#Hike #33 / 1445 6.4 miles A bunny!!!!!!! Chomping down, on a long stalk of.... ??? Grass? #nature #hiking #NoPlanetB #wildlifephotography #mammals

#Hike #32 / 1445 6.0 miles The more you hike, the more off-the-beaten paths you find. The more under-used trails you find, the more you see. Five gentle mule deer. #hiking #mammals #noplanetb #wildlifephotography #nature

#Hike #31 / 1445 10.4 miles This is a replacement photo for hike 20, a black-hooded phoebe (perhaps the exact same bird) but in marginally better focus. That attitude! #nature #noplanetB #birds #wildlifephotography #hiking

#Hike #30 / 1445 3.0 miles It's always wonderful to see a new species, and here's one for me--a Western Meadowlark. Apologies for yet another mediocre photo, but I know where they're hanging out now and will improve upon it. #nature #noplanetB #hiking #birds #wildlifephotography

#Hike #29 / 1445 (2%) 6.0 miles Mule deer #nature #noplanetb #hiking #mammals #wildlifephotography