# California, July 2012



## Shrike (Dec 11, 2012)

I thought I'd share a few pictures from a trip to California this past summer.  Over the course of ten days we put some miles on a rental car and went to San Francisco, Napa, and Yosemite.






Alcatraz




The thieving gulls of Alcatraz


A sea lion.


The "painted ladies" of Full House fame.  I can now die a happy man.


The best greasy spoon in San Francisco.  You can't beat the view.


The view.  These are the ruins of an old bath house.


A hawk hunting the ruins of the bath house.  Can anybody identify it?


Driving over the Golden Gate on the way to Muir Woods/Beach




Muir Beach overlook


Muir Beach


Zonbonzovi, I'll see your zombie carp and raise you a zombie sea lion.








Muir Woods


Napa countryside


A lizard in Napa valley (Sceloporus sp?).  Because that's what you do in Napa.  You take pictures of lizards.


I approve of this place.




Entering Yosemite


Half Dome


I enjoyed seeing this.


Taking up residence in a fallen sequoia.  I kept my distance.




Sequoia sempervirens.  These trees are the real deal.


Scleroporus sp?


Squirrel don't care.


Steller's Jay, Cyanocitta stelleri


Mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus


Vernal Falls

Reactions: Like 8


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## zonbonzovi (Dec 11, 2012)

Beautiful Yosemite shots!  I need to get back down there for millipede season...


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## Shrike (Dec 12, 2012)

It's absolutely gorgeous there.  When I go back I'd like to get off the beaten path a bit more.  The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir doesn't get as many visitors and is supposed to be a hot spot for rattlesnakes and other wildlife.


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## tarcan (Dec 12, 2012)

excellent shots, great scenery! Did you see many bugs? Amanda and I are planning a trip there eventually.

Reactions: Like 1


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## BrettG (Dec 12, 2012)

Loving every single picture,except the In and Out pic,LOL.

Reactions: Like 1


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## MarkmD (Dec 12, 2012)

Love the pics strike, and looks like you had a really nice time.

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## Terry D (Dec 12, 2012)

Shrike, Thanks for sharing these nice photos of your trip! I'll bet you got a lot of lifer bugs, herps and birds while you were there. Although the subject is a bit distant, the hawk at the bathhouse ruins appears to be a light morph "western" Red-tailed- _Buteo jamaicensis calurus_. Speaking of birds, we're still waiting for your user-name-sake Northern Shrike to show in La. Over the years, there have been several records west of here in Texas at about the same latitude or slightly north of Shreveport/Bossier- so it's just a matter of time..........(-;

Thanks again,

Terry

Reactions: Like 1


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## Shrike (Dec 13, 2012)

Terry D said:


> Shrike, Thanks for sharing these nice photos of your trip! I'll bet you got a lot of lifer bugs, herps and birds while you were there. Although the subject is a bit distant, the hawk at the bathhouse ruins appears to be a light morph "western" Red-tailed- _Buteo jamaicensis calurus_. Speaking of birds, we're still waiting for your user-name-sake Northern Shrike to show in La. Over the years, there have been several records west of here in Texas at about the same latitude or slightly north of Shreveport/Bossier- so it's just a matter of time..........(-;


Thanks Terry!  I thought it might be a red tail, but couldn't say for certain.  We also saw a beautiful Anna's hummingbird in San Francisco--nice to see something other than a ruby throat.  I hope you get your shrike!  Awesome little birds.

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tarcan said:


> excellent shots, great scenery! Did you see many bugs? Amanda and I are planning a trip there eventually.


Unfortunately I didn't see many bugs.  I just didn't have the time to do much flipping or get off established hiking trails.  Other than deer and squirrels that were extremely habituated to the presence of people, we did see a gorgeous "cinnamon" black bear as we were driving out of Yosemite.  It ran across the road about 20 years in front of our car and went barreling down the mountainside.  I hope you guys can get out there soon!

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BrettG said:


> Loving every single picture,except the In and Out pic,LOL.


I couldn't resist.  A bit of a novelty for us East coasters.

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MarkmD said:


> Love the pics strike, and looks like you had a really nice time.


Thanks Mark!


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## advan (Dec 13, 2012)

Awesome pics Matt! Thanks for sharing!


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## Shrike (Dec 14, 2012)

advan said:


> Awesome pics Matt! Thanks for sharing!


Thanks Chad!


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## Chicken Farmer (Dec 14, 2012)

really cool pics. love the lizards. they're so cute!


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## Introvertebrate (Dec 16, 2012)

Shrike said:


> A lizard in Napa valley (Sceloporus sp?).  Because that's what you do in Napa.  You take pictures of lizards.


Precisely.........or anywhere else for that matter.


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## Shrike (Dec 16, 2012)

Chicken Farmer said:


> really cool pics. love the lizards. they're so cute!


Thanks, and I agree!

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Introvertebrate said:


> Precisely.........or anywhere else for that matter.


Very true...I just wish the Napa lizards hadn't given off such a yuppie vibe


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## Storm76 (Dec 17, 2012)

Matt,

nature park wise you have some amazing spots over there in the US. I'd love to visit some of them at some time! Great series of shots from Yosemite there!
Those trees seriously make you feel small just by looking at the pictures! 

Best
Jan


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## Shrike (Dec 18, 2012)

Storm76 said:


> Matt,
> 
> nature park wise you have some amazing spots over there in the US. I'd love to visit some of them at some time! Great series of shots from Yosemite there!
> Those trees seriously make you feel small just by looking at the pictures!


Thanks Jan!  There's more to see out there than I could appreciate in one life time.  You'll have to come see those trees for yourself some day.  Believe me, they're worth the trip!  Their size and age (some are approx. 3,000 years old!!) just blew my mind.


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## macbaffo (Dec 19, 2012)

nice pics and lovely places!
the squirrel is so funny


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## josh_r (Dec 31, 2012)

You drove right through some prime habitat for calisoga theveneti! I love California wilderness!!


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## Shrike (Jan 2, 2013)

macbaffo said:


> nice pics and lovely places!
> the squirrel is so funny


Thanks!  I got a kick out of it as well.



josh_r said:


> I love California wilderness!!


Me too.  It was amazing.


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