After rinsing the dishes this morning at the Bagby Recreation Area on the inlet arm of Lake McClure I opened the door of the camper to let in the sun and saw a Tom turkey in site #1; I was in site #3 but using the 30amp connection from #2. He gave me a double gobble, took off, flapped his wings a few times, and then glided to the other shore. Once on the other shore he fanned his tail and called for the hens in his harem. Unfortunately that all happened so fast that I wasn't able to get any photos.
Once underway I stopped part-way up the hill to take a shot of the Bagby Bridge as well as SR49 south toward Mariposa. You can see the area where I stopped yesterday to shoot in the opposite direction; I stopped took a photo of the E Clampus Vitus Plaque on Fremont's Fort as well as the bridge.
Where I took the previous photo of the bridge I notice a white lupine; usually the majority of the lupines are blue. Note also the beetle on a soon-to-open bud. And the background appears to be red clover.
To the right of the white lupin and red clover were some yellowish wildflowers which I assumed were poppies; but a poppy is usually orange rather than yellow. Note also the wild oats [yes, the ones which stick to your sox when you walk through them later in the year] as well as a couple of other wild grasses. Don't know what turkies, quail, and doves eat, but they all feed mainly on grass seeds.
I took this snap with one hand while holding my hat in my left hand since I was shooting into the sun. [Need to see if my Olympus camers has a dot-matrix background to help one take "level" photos; Van Ness Neighbor Tom Pennello's camera does.] This is the Horshoe Bend portion of Lake McClure viewed from SR132, the road from Coulterville to Modesto.
After driving into Waterford to buy 10 gallons of gas and send some e-mail from the library, drove east on SR132 again to Reservation Road and then north c1.5 miles to the Modesto Reservoir County Park. [Stanislaus County treats seniors better than either Merced, which I believe operates the CGs on L McClure, and Mariposa Counties; only cost $10 for a full hookup while Bagby cost $25.] The view east toward the Sierras confirms what we all know already: a plethora of snow. [Click 1 or 2 times to zoom in.]
This shot is just to the left of the previous; zoom in so that you can distinguish between clouds (there are a few) and snow.
While putting down the back steps and conneting to the electrical junction box, I saw 2 families of Canadian geese: male, female, and 6-10 offspring or goslings. After lunch & an unsuccessful attempt at a nap, I took the picture above from the camper door.
As you can see from this next shot, single geese without a family to protect ventured further from the reservoir into the newly-planted orchard to the south. Generally, they were ganders.
But here's a switch: Two ganders and the 10 offspring of one of them; and one of the ganders chased off a female when she tried to get close to what were likely her kids.
Since it was windy, the wind-surfers were out using their parachute-like devices to drive them across the surface of the reservoir. [Believe they may be called para-sailors.]
As you can see the Modesto Reservoir is of moderate size; and island like the one on the left likely help the geese avoid predations by land-based mammals.
Think the surfer-dude is supposed to slalom back and forth between the white floating buoys, but when the wind is as strong as today, you likely go wherever the wind pushes or pulls you.
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Links:
T 26 Apr Actual Route: Bagby Rec Are (L McClure) - Coulterville - Waterford - Modesto Reservoir CG
W 27 Apr Actual Route: Modesto Reservoir CG - Waterford - Oakdale - Woodward Reservoir CG
Th 28 Apr Route: Woodward Reservoir - Oakdale - Fleming Mdws CG (Don Pedro Res)
Th 29 Apr Route: Don Pedro Res - Jamestown - Mother Lode Fairgrounds RV Pk (Sonora)
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