Birding Interlude: Clark's Nutcracker

A bird of the High Sierra's and the pines. I hung around the whitebark pines in Yosemite National Park but dipped on this bird. Today, without our bins and Fred without his zoom lens, walking along the lakeside trail in Tahoe City, suddenly a flock of Clark's - got to love birding. 

I watched them use their spike-like bills to pick the seeds out of pine cones. They are famous for collecting thousands of seeds, eating some and then they bury the rest as a winter stash. Not all seeds get retreived and that is how the pines propagate.  What a bird.

Clark's Nutcracker, Tahoe City.

Lake Tahoe: Cycling along the Truckee River

All about cycling here at Lake Tahoe

That is me on a bike!

Last time on a bike was more than 4 decades ago cycling to school in Vanderbijlpark, until Dad felt sorry for us doing the uphill to Vaal High, so he bought a bakkie and lifted us in the mornings.

Squaw Valley, home to the 1960 Winter Olympics, and the Truckee River cycle paths made for a bliss morning cycling today.

Fred is very comfortable on a bike and just loved the morning, we did 26 kilometers and he would have loved to just keep going!

A very happy Fred!

Cool mountain air, shady path, river views, just lovely.

Trip was not without incident - I stopped to show Fred a photo opportunity and he did not…!

Truckee River, crystal clear and beautiful colors.

Family of Canada Geese.

Typical scene along the Truckee River and in town, wood cabins nestled among the pines.

View of Squaw Valley on our return.

Nearly back home at our timeshare, Olympic Village Inn.