I heard the sound of wild turkeys and saw they were making their way through the Pinnacles National Park campground again. I decided to follow them for a while. They were a little skittish with me watching them, so I never got closer than about 50 feet.
I believe there were three or four toms herding the flock of close to 50 hens. I'm afraid I did not catch them fanning their tail feathers very well - maybe they felt it was too much of an invitation to show off in front of a stranger. The Rangers told me the turkeys were not native to the area and we were welcome to take a few with us when we leave.
Everywhere in the park, we found the ubiquitous California Quail. What a strange bird - it will try its best to run away as you approach and will only fly as a last resort for escape. As they run, the top knot will bob with every step and their head seems to stay level. Since they scurry along quite quickly it makes an unusual sight. Their flight is a frantic all-out flapping fury and one will usually trigger several others making quite a racket whenever they are flushed.
We decided to re-visit the Bear Gulch Cave trail since today it was sunny and we, by ourselves, could take our time. It had rained again since our first visit so there were a lot of puddles along the trail.
More of the Manzanita bark that we found so fascinating.
How many species of lichen were on these rocks? - I have no idea, but they were certainly colorful!
On a drive to King City, about 30 miles south and west of the park, we saw a lot of farmland and very little else. I bet I could have counted the houses along the way on one hand.
This combination of rolling hills, cloud drama, derelict farm implements and windmill just hit me as a really nice composition. It also happened to be near one of the few places along the highway where I could safely pull over. Very serendipitous!
I don't think beautiful sunsets ever get old. Someday I might capture the perfect sunset, but until then I will just keep adding to my collection.
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