San Francisco + Yosemite - 18.8.15

Today was the start of our 12 day tour holiday. We all met up at a hotel and introduced ourselves. On our trip were our leader/driver Joelle, 3 Kiwi's Conrad and his wife Robyn and Greg who had just arrived from a few weeks in Canada! Eva from Germany and the rest of us were Brits. Gill, Emily, Phillip were singletons and another couple Julie and Brendan. Once all the intros were done we loaded up the van and set off over the Golden Gate bridge. We were dropped off and walked back over it. It was slightly misty and very windy and quite cold. But from the bridge 25+ Brown Pelican, 40+ Brandt's Cormorant and 2 Turkey Vulture were noted along with my first ever PIGEON GUILLEMOT. Back at the van and while having a quick cuppa I found 3 Anna's Hummingbird, Brewer's Blackbird and a juvenile White-Crowned Sparrow.

 

It was back on the van and a long drive to Yosemite NP. After many hours we arrived on the edge of the park and stopped for a photo next to the sign. While waiting for all the photos to be taken I found a WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER feeding at the top of a tree. The drive to our home for the next 3 nights took us alongside the river. This helped me add Great White Egret and Great Blue Heron to the ever growing list and once at the digs which turned out to be a hippy commune I saw my first ever ACORN WOODPECKER.