hidden_paths | Member Posts

The weather this morning was perfect, entirely justifying my wait for better conditions. I didn't need a jacket and was down to a t-shirt by the end. The MacGilivray's Warbler was still singing! I got an excellent look at him, too. Also an Orange-crowned Warbler was chipping, I heard one song, and I got a brief look at them. That was a nice start. But the most unexpected event was that it was apparently Blue-gray Gnatcatcher dispersal day. There were at least three and I think five at the north end of the trail, bouncing around in the baccharis, flicking their long, white-edged tails. They didn't vocalize much, which is a shame as I love their buzzy little call, but I got pretty good looks at them. ( The list: )

When I arrived at the parking lot a little before dawn there was a crowd of people apparently watching for the sunrise. It didn't seem to be a private party, and it's not Easter, or May Day, or Solstice. Am I missing something? They were a little loud and took up most of the parking spots, but they didn't linger.

mrkinch

My plan, such as it was, was to park at Loop Road Gate and walk up Laurel Canyon a bit, but when the most accessible parking space along Cañon Drive was open I figured this was my chance. This end of Memory Trail climbs up to meet Upper Packrat but much more slowly and I'd like to use it to meet U and Chris above the steep steps. This was my second try and it went pretty well, so maybe next week. The hillside is much drier than where the steps are and the goats were in there recently, but it gets more lush as you walk north. Nothing very exciting, just Oak woodland birds. ( The list: )

Happily there is a big log near the trail junction what I can sit on to wait for U and Chris. So up and back took about an hour and I didn't want to go home so I parked at the Botanic Garden and sat on the usual bench. Wow, quiet! Last time the American Robins were still busy raising families; today I heard just one. Best bird was a Western Flycatcher right over my head, possibly the first one I've seen rather than heard this summer. ( The list: )

I may not submit a 16-bird list.:)

grundyscribbling

Title: Settling In
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Summary: Anariel is starting to feel at home.
Word Count: 1150

( Settling In )

grundyscribbling

Title: Conversations About Dead People
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Summary: Anariel and Ambarussa talk about pleasant things on a sunny afternoon.
Word Count: 860
Note: 10 minute speed write before I faceplant into bed. If there are typos, chalk it up to tiredness/haste and I will fix them later.

( Conversations About Dead People )

lotesse

on the one hand, feels very important to write & share writing; on the other, intense need to not be perceived!

mrkinch

Because today looked like the best weather this week I was parked at Inspiration Point by sunrise, not that one could tell it was sunrise for the blowing fog. I argued with myself for about ten minutes and then drove down to Loop Road. It was heavily overcast there, too, of course, but the fog and wind were up in the trees, not down on the trail. It was quiet, but that does make it easier to listen for small sounds. I walked out and sat on the bench for a while, listening, and then went down another trail I hadn't been on in years, not entirely sure what I'd find. These are all civilized trails, but I am very limited in how high a step up I can manage. But it was fine and I found the bench I'd remembered. The trail is through riparian habitat, quite lovely and little used, and comes out on the service road up to the top of the Little Farm. The big flycatchers seem to have left, but a Black Phoebe was perched on the back of the bench up there, so that was convenient. The thrushes weren't vocal yet but I did hear a Wilson's Warbler. ( The list: )

Not especially exciting, but another good woodpecker and nuthatch day.:)

mrkinch

We had sun by 10 am, which was very nice. The Swainson's Thrushes seem to prefer sun to overcast more than other birds. There were Swainson's Thrushes and Wilson's Warblers all along the trail, and U found an Orange-crowned Warbler at the bridge, but my best moments were watching a female/juvenile Black-headed Grosbeak eating elderberries. ( The list: )

It was a good woodpecker morning, with Northern Flickers and Downy Woodpeckers as well as Hairy, Nuttall's, and Acorn.

grundyscribbling

Title: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Disclaimer: All belongs to Whedon & Tolkien. No money is being made here, it's all in good fun.
Summary: Meanwhile, in Gondolin...
Word Count: 575

( Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? )

grundyscribbling

Title: A Slight Miscalculation
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Disclaimer: All belongs to Whedon & Tolkien. No money is being made here, it's all in good fun.
Summary: Anariel didn't mean to divide and conquer, it just kind of happened.
Word Count: 1110

( A Slight Miscalculation )

grundyscribbling

Title: A Promising Start
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Summary: Breakfast at Elrond's house. Some people are more cheerful than others.
Word Count: 1030

( A Promising Start )

mrkinch

This morning was just about perfect, a bit of fog to start but almost 60 and no wind. In fact it was a bit too warm by the time I left. It was a three warbler morning, not bad for August, and all singing; I hadn't heard a Wilson's sing in a while, and like a few days ago there was one and possibly two Orange-crowned Warblers singing, but best of all there was a MacGillivray's Warbler! He chipped loudly for quite a while and then began to sing. I was very glad he did because I'm not entirely confident of their chip note. I got a brief glimpse of him, but not diagnostic. ( The list: )

Other highlight was hearing a Common Raven.:) It's been several weeks.

grundyscribbling

Title: No One Expects
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Summary: Tindomiel found out she missed something...
Word Count: 310 (says Word)

Ambarussa were the only ones entirely unfazed when Tindomiel appeared out of nowhere on the terrace where most of the household and their visitors had been enjoying an evening stargazing. Her parents were only mildly startled, and her brothers mildly annoyed, but the rest of her kind were various shades of surprised – particularly Nerdanel’s parents, who hadn’t seen her make use of the powers of the Key before.

“Where is she?” Tindomiel demanded with no preamble.

“Where is who, my dawn child?” Elrond asked patiently.

“Anariel, of course,” Tindomiel replied impatiently.

Maeglin appeared behind her, with an expression that said he’d tried and failed to talk her out of what was plainly a mission to tell off her sister.

“I believe she’s gone to bed already, pumpkin belly,” Celebrían replied. “Whatever you’re annoyed about can wait until morning.”

“There’s no way she’s asleep this early,” Tindomiel snorted, and promptly vanished, presumably to her sister’s rooms.

“You tried, Nana,” Elrohir snickered.

“What under the stars can she be so worked up about?” Irissë asked.

“Oh, that’s easy – no one told her we weren’t in the Halls anymore,” Ambarussa shrugged.

“Yes, she might have missed something,” his brother smirked.

“She really didn't miss much.”

“I think she’ll find Anariel has views as strong as her own,” Galadriel remarked.

“Still mad she ran you off, huh?” Ambarussa grinned.

“Children,” Nerdanel said pointedly.

“I thought you two wanted to spend some time in your own house?” Celebrían asked Maeglin, trying to find a more neutral topic of conversation.

“Tinu’s been looking for ways to keep busy since Uncle Finno doesn’t want us underfoot while dealing with Uncle Turukano.”

“Make sure to mention that to Anariel,” Irissë suggested with a wicked grin. “I suspect she’ll appreciate hearing Finno tore him to shreds.”

Elrond sighed.

“To think I once believed life in Aman would be peaceful.”

grundyscribbling

Title: Dinner and a Show
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Disclaimer: All belongs to Whedon & Tolkien. No money is being made here, it's all in good fun.
Summary: Anariel's getting used to these big family dinners.
Word Count: 825
Note:

( Dinner And A Show )

grundyscribbling

Title: Surprise
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Crossover: LotR/Silmarillion
Summary: Anariel has a surprise in store for her grandmother.
Word Count: 1175
Note: Finally had decent writing time, so we get back to Anariel's adventures.

( Surprise )

grundyscribbling

For anyone looking for Fic a Day, I am playing, though the first few days have been very short shorts.
Will try to catch up on cross-posting tomorrow. For tonight, just today's entry.

mrkinch

U and I went to Middle Harbor this morning to see who's come back. No peeps but three species of plover, including a Semipalmated Plover and two Black-bellied Plovers, one still in their striking breeding plumage. She needed a Whimbrel for a list she's keeping and there they were! Along with the usual mixed flocks of Marbled Godwits and Willets and a few Long-billed Curlews. The highlight for me was four species of tern: Caspian, incl a juvenile; two Least Terns; a Forster's camped out on the mudflat; and we heard Elegant Terns the entire time but never saw any. Perhaps they were in flight off the point, but that was frustrating. ( The list: )

The local Osprey flew over a few times, and we saw a couple of White-crowned Sparrows. They live year round at the shoreline, but it was still nice to see them.

mrkinch

U and I are going out for a while tomorrow morning, so given my energy levels I didn't want to do much today. But staying home is depressing, so I went to Inspiration Trail and sat on the bank in the dip for an hour or so. The wind in the parking lot was fierce but the dip is sheltered, the sky was clear, and I was glad that after a while the trees on the ridge blocked the sun. It was nice just to sit and listen. Best bird I heard was an Orange-crowned Warbler! Singing, no less. They haven't been around, or at least we haven't seen or heard any since June. ( The list: )

Still not much in the way of Corvids. Wonder why.

mrkinch

Apparently I overdid it last week, so this morning I simply walked up the boardwalk to meet U and Chris at Jewel Lake. The chainsaw guys were at work just east of the Lake and the sound of two or three chainsaws was almost overwhelming. Fortunately they took a break about the time U and Chris got down to meet me, so on our walk back to the parking lot we could hear birds. The boardwalk was very lovely, still green, with a big flock of Bushtits and a few other birds. I only heard one Swainson's Thrush and the others heard two. The only excitement was an accipiter zipping over the Lake, too fast for good ID but so tiny I suspect it was a Sharp-shinned Hawk. ( The list: )

The two fledgling Common Ravens are still being excruciatingly annoying. It will be such a relief when they are feeding themselves!

bunn

We've decided that we're going to sell the boat after this summer (it's not cheap to run, and the engine servicing & repairs in particular are painfully pricy). I'm going to miss being able to run down to the open sea and out to the islands in the spring, I know, so I'm making the best of it while we've got it.

( Many many photos. )

Tree News

The sycamore tree that was leaning perilously over the neighbour's house (with scary rotten side to the trunk) is no more! Pp decided to put it up as a 'job available' on Mybuilder, and we immediately got a contact from a shiny new young garden and tree management company, run by two shockingly young yet highly competent people who quoted very reasonably for the tree to be removed. They had the relevant certifications & insurances, so we went for it, and wow, did they work. They were here from about 10 am to after 8 and hung themselves by ropes from the tree with chainsaws to take bits off. Then they chipped it all, and took away the logs!

I asked their advice about the elm tree next to the sycamore, and was delighted to hear that they thought it was in fine fettle and needed no work done. You don't see that many elms about, so I really wanted to keep it (assuming it wasn't also a terrible peril to the neighbour's roof). It looks very fine now you can properly see the shape of it - though you can see it was sort of leaning away from the sycamore a bit. With luck, it will just fill out a bit on that side. There is the ever-present risk of Dutch Elm disease, but I am hoping that the wild sea-winds may be enough to keep the beetles at bay. Certainly there's no sign of DED yet.

I asked the tree guys to leave the big rotten stump of the sycamore in place, hoping it will continue to rot and perhaps become hollow and enliven the local environment. It may shoot from the left over bits, but if it does, it's now small enough that I can easily manage the shoots with loppers.

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Hidden Paths

Member Posts

8/15/2025 Inspiration Trail

8/14/2025 Memory Trail // EBR Botanic Garden

Day 13 - Settling In

Day 12 - Conversations About Dead People

(no subject)

8/12/2025 Loop Road ->Sylvan Trail

8/11/2025 Tilden Nature Area

Day 11 - Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?

Day 10 - A Slight Miscalculation

Day 9 - A Promising Start

8/8/2025 Inspipration Trail

Day 8 - No One Expects

Day 7 - Dinner and a Show

Day 6 - Surprise

Fic A Day

8/6/2025 Middle Harbor Shoreline Park

8/5/2025 Inspiration Trail

8/4/2025 Tilden Nature Area

Sea & Tree.

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February 2025

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