Happy Trails

[loCAtek]

From Spring into Summer, my new bike commute includes a short-cut down a creek trail, that this year has yet to dry out as it has in previous years. The frequent winter rains and spring showers have made the trek uncomfortably wet at times, but it's been worth it. I actually look forward to the night ride home for the occasional glimpse of …bunnies!

Mind you, the day is nice with dodging snakes, and swallows dodging you. I like to ‘baaaah’ at the city-sheep (when they’re there, they get moved around a lot. As per most urban dwellers, they have to take mass transit to their work sites. For them that means the back of a pick-up truck. No, not a cattle car or some-such other convenience; I’ve seen it happen- an average sized pick-up pulls over and the sheep are hog-tied so they’ll lay down and then they’re stacked in the back of the truck like so much woolly wood. Seems to work.) Once or twice, I’ll get a gander at the red-tailed hawk, but he’s shy.

The bunnies are bold, but smart. Like the White Rabbit of Wonderland, they’ve set their watches by me, and know when I’m coming.

It’s always a little after midnight, that’s when I met my first bunny on the trail. I’d seen possum and cats before, but one night I recognized a distinctive run, that was a rabbit up ahead. Squirrels don’t run far, their instinct is to head UP! and a chain-link fence is perfect for those needs, if they just don’t zip through it. Why chain-link is as easy as stairs to your typical city-squirrel; they reach the top of that and chitter ‘Nyeh-Nyeh’ at you!

The bunny was too big to bust through the fence so, he did what bunnies do best which was sprint! Unfortunately, we’d met at a bottleneck for him, with fencing to the south and the freeway to the north, all he could do was head downtrail and hope to outrun me. Oh, I wasn’t trying to race him, or catch him; I was enjoying his company immensely so, I slowed down. Rabbits being the brainy bunnies that they are, took note that I wasn’t chasing him per se and conserved his energy. He slowed as well, while still being cautious and checking back at me at intervals. He zigged, he zagged, just in case I got any ideas of zooming in on him. Lazily, I continued cycling, hoping I didn’t appear to be a threat, but just another human nuisance.
Finally, the trail ended and opened at the edge of the city limits and the bunny loped off into the shrubs. Here, he knew was his chance to disappear… If I hadn’t kept my eye on him I’d have missed it, for at the sage brush he simply melted away. Not with speed, but with stealth. He turned at the first fence opening and hopping slower and slower towards the scrub; his ears smoothly collapsed like car antenna into their hood; his body shortened… and before my eyes, he became a bush. Even under the street lights his coat blended smoothly into the flora, and his very aura seemed to say, ‘I’m a bush, I’m a bush’ The only give away to his transformation was his eye, that stayed open and transfixed, alive and animal, watching ME!

I watched him back as I passed, but didn’t pause, I didn’t want to panic him.
Respect Brer’Bun!

[loCAtek]

That was the first bun-sighting; the next night he was back again, but with having learned something about human habits. I didn't see him until the end of the trail, where he stood waiting upright and alert. Having checked my timing, he pocketed his little watch in his coat and took off for the scrub again. He disappeared at the turn before I got there and could get a bead on him. This time I missed the magic trick, and couldn't tell where he had gone.

He could have been there many nights in a row, and I just didn't know it. One night while waiting for the traffic light, I coasted towards a dry field empty but for a old stump of a limb- which darted away when I got too close. Bunny!

Other nights, he crosses the road well out of reach and I see him hopping and mocking me from a distance. I know, he knows when I'll be by there. He's a smart one, that bun.

[loCAtek]

You can learn from bunZ too!

The other night I tried his trick back at him. Coming to the edge of the trail, I didn't see hide nor hair of him, but had a hunch... Coasting to a stop, I waited.

...

Was that movement in the far grass? Still not moving, even though the light had changed, I waited past my usual travel time through his turf. ...and there was BunSign! A mound cautiously bounced to the right. Wait for it... and another mound bounced to the left. Were there two!? At last, a bun unmistakeably left the grass and hopped onto the road for a bit. Yay!

Her mate was sticking to the field, followed by a little more movement behind him. That bun was so small it had to be their baby. Yes! I had wondered if he was a rabbit or a hare. Rabbits are smaller (and cuter) but Hares are more solitary, and I'd only seen one bun at a time before. This was a confirmed sighting of bunny rabbits!

Sadly, I haven't seen them since. Not because I've frightened them but now that summer is here, the creek has dried up and I think, once Jr. was old enough, they followed the scent of water to a nearby stream. Vaya conejo con dios. Be Bun-afide.

[loCAtek]

The bunZ are back! ..or they never left, whichever, I love it!

I'm just happy to see them; I'd thought the owls had got them.

Not really, the city owls are so small, no bigger than a soda can with a wing span of just a few feet; they could never carry off even an urbanized BunRab. These are Native American 'Burrowing Owls' (Athene cunicularia) (real name, I didn't do it. If it was up to me, I'd 've have called them 'Owlitos' or sumtin.) AnywayZ, they don't really burrow so much, but like to take over the abandoned holes of prairie dogs and ground squirrels, et al. They'll also take advantage of man-made holes like pipes and rockery. Equal opportunity raptors, they will hunt night or day, for small pray like mice, voles, bugs and what-have-you. Funny thing, they can't really fend off big burrowing rodents(or rabbits), but have formed a truce. So that they are neighbors to the brothers who’s burrows they borrow. Not as glamorous as the San Jose City Hall Falcons, but they hold a special place in my heart.


Size comparison;


This is a juvenile, just getting ready to leave the family den, but they don’t get much bigger than that.

The bunZ would excite the owls in their dash for 'home/hole base'. Owls being so particular to protocol, that they'd call fowl on the jaywalking wabbits. They don't 'hoot' like their cuzzins, but are so small they're reduced to a 'skreee-skreeee...' that carries like a police whistle.

Well, for the past week I'd heard and seen nothing, the field was bare of nary a Bunny nor Burrower. Then one night, the cries of the Compact Owls filled the air; the skrees and screeches were constant, this was the equivalent of 'Night-Raptor Street-Rap'; what gang did this auditory taggin' represent?
It was at ‘The Corner’ where I turn to leave the bike trail bottle neck, and the fields and parking lots stretch before me. The calls were saying, “Hey Chico, can’t you see there’s a human coming, pendejo!? ¡Vamanos!” …and an owl alighted from the ground thirty feet ahead! Crying, “I’m coming! Sheeee… “, as he flew off towards his family.
I stopped to admire him: his grace, his poise, his fowl-mouthed noise. …but the calls kept coming, who else was AWOL?
I scanned the grass and street in the darkness, seeing nothing ...except maybe a softball someone had left had behind in the gutter. Softball? There were no kid’s parks around here. I tilted my head in curiosity and pseudo-owl body language; which made the softball blink and head tilt back. Busted!
That pissed Mom off even more and she scolded him to ‘Get home NOW!’ and off he flew.

Burrowing Owl families are so cute …and they hate that! They’re faces are always in a permanent scowl that says they are NOT ‘cute’ they are dangerous predators, damn it! Show some respect! But those little heads sticking outta their holes, always make me go awwwwwwwwwww.




I figure the family is fledging, the young’uns are taking trial test-flights outta the nest, kinda the equivalent of teens taking their first driving tests and giving Mom and Pop gray hairs …or feathers.


...


It was only one young bun I saw, crossing the bike trail at the bottle neck. Maybe he hadn’t checked his watch, or he was the watch and ran off to sound the alarm that I was coming. He definitely has mastered the magic trick too. Not far ahead, and I thought I was watching his movements but as rode to his spot, I couldn’t spot him anywhere. Nothing in the bushes, but bushes, and none of them had eyes. Good job, Sgt. Bun carry on.

[Econoline]

Since there are no other replies here, I thought maybe I should just mention how much I've been enjoying this thread and your writing. (The lack of replies is no doubt due to the fact that others have also (like me, up to now) thought, Well, there's really nothing I can say to add to your tales of "hoppin' down the bunny trail.")

Good job, Sgt. Bun, carry on.

[loCAtek]

Muchas gracias a ti, I appreciate that.

I've been fortunate to have such moments, in an otherwise Vida Loca <crazy life>. (Not the good kind) ...And I'm happy to observe, not disturb the real urban, wild, night-life. I'm glad they are cautious of me, as that's the smart thing to do. People are the craziest people!

As the musical interlude, before my next installment, I give my inspiration and accompaniment, as I pedal through parts non-pedestrian to the average passer-by;

Man Walks Among Us Lyrics by Marty Robbins



Warm are the winds on the desert
A whirlwind is dancing around
I stop to survey all the beauty that's here
When a shadow moves out 'cross the ground
It's an eagle that circles above me
And he screams to his friends on the hill
"Stay close together, move not a feather
Man walks among us, be still, be still
Man walks among us, be still"
Everything hides, but I see them
I've spotted an old mother quail
I look close and see, looking right back at me
The eyes of a young cottontail
I see a coyote sneaking
As he crawls through the brush on the hill
And the eagle screams down, "Stay close to the ground
Man walks among us, be still, be still
Man walks among us, be still."
Twenty feet high in the side of a cactus
I see a hole where the butcher bird stays
If mortals could choose, and if heaven should ask us
Here's where I'd want to spend all of my days
Soon will be gone all the desert
Cities will cover each hill
Today will just be a fond memory
Man walks among us, be still, be still
Man walks among us, be still

[rubato]

The burrowing owls are cuties.

yrs,
rubato

[kristina]

Have you read "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen? If not, I highly recommend it!

[loCAtek]

It’s been great seeing more of the owls as of late; this is the first breeding family I’ve observed so close to home.

Many moons ago, I moved into their marshland, which is what San Ho naturally is. Ask the ducks and geese that fly in every Spring; their migratory instincts are telling them, there should be SWAMP here. Their confused squawks say, "W-T-Quack!? This whole place is supposed to be underwater!?"

Around abandoned lots, I would see the distinctive small silhouettes of single owls. However after the land was developed, for a few years I feared the feathered fellas had been displaced to parts unknown.

Fast forward to swing-shift cycling, and again once again familiar tear-shaped-bodied raptors took to the air by day at my approach. There were owls in town again!
The first and most dramatic new sighting was the least expected, for it happened at night! Yea, I shouldn’t have been surprised by owls at night, but this wasn’t Wild Kingdom; this was city creek commute on concrete. As such; I was used to seeing them during the daylight.
So unawares, one night, I’d chosen to take the trail in the dark, rather than the road. I based my choice on the trail being quicker, but the down-side was it has no streetlamps, maybe there is moonlight. Or not; illumination is not an option.
There was the whisper of the wheels, and the hum of the highway nearby, but not a lot to easily see; I was navigating by the reflective strips painted on the path…
Suddenly, I saw the ghost! A phantom floated slowly across my eye level with no flutter of movement; no hint of sound, just so pale and poignant, it took me a second to be spooked. An owl! Ooo! ...and whoosh, he was gone!


Now, I know why they talk of tales of haunted woods.

Winged spirits stalk the city too.

[loCAtek]

It occurs to me this should have been in 'All our own works'.

If the Admin Legends could oblige, I'd appreciate it. ThX.

[loCAtek]

Much to see, much to tell, The Owl Family are doing well.

The days are hot(ish) in the valley, and the bike trail's flora has flourished, famished, and become flammable. Even the city-sheep won't touch it; they've all been regulated to some lot of undeveloped real estate to wait out the dry months, where they can be brought water and hay, and wait for Fall.
As such, the scrub brush had to be cleared out before it became a fire hazard. It's by the highway ya know, some duffus could throw a cigarette butte and the whole rec road would go up in flames.
Which was nice, now I didn't have to beware so much of being accosted by strange brambles in the dark, just the odd spider web would still wing me.
Don't worry, off-trail was left wild and wooly.

'The Corner' though, was incorporated city limits, and most of the fields were (mechanically) mowed down. I said most.

While I was biking by there in the day (yea, I day ride too, shoot.) I was telling myself to watch for wildlife at night by noting what was different or new in that spot -was a rock a rabbit? Was a branch a bird? So, busy talking to myself, I was, I almost kept going past The Corner when I noticed a far tumble weed in the field had sprouted a big brown leaf right on it's tippy top. A leaf? Could it be? No, wait... Riding closer, the leaf turned it's big round eyes on me with a gasp of recognition, 'Loca!' We both wondered what the heck the other was doing out here during the day! With that the owl, dived for his burrow ...but not for long. Seconds later, the sentry stuck his head out to watch me from safety. So now, I knew exactly where burrow base was!

Fortunately, I wasn't the only one who noticed. By the next day a city construction barricade was planted feet from the hole...


...proclaiming this plot protected! Huzzah!

[loCAtek]

The barricade, the Owlito family like very much; it's the tallest, sturdiest vantage point on their fair field. By day, there's almost always a sentry posted on it. (Although, sometimes by lower enlisted ground squirrels.)

Look! You can see one out there now!

(Sorry, for crap pic. All I had was my cell.)


There is an owl in this photo; he's hovering right above the barricade, and you can see his outline against the road behind him.


I was afraid, after I'd interrupted flight training last month, that they'd moved the whole family to a more secret location. So, I didn't see them, so much as heard them; stalking me! That's right, they were following me ...or there's more than one burrowing owl family out there. [cool!]
Leaving work, miles from The Corner, I'd hear the alarm call, 'SkreeeEEET!' from the trees. Meaning, they were on to me, and tracking my movements!
See: what they'd done in response to my intrusion was moved flight lessons to days in order to avoid scheduling conflicts with me.
No, I kid. They probably couldn't care less where I was, so long as it wasn't in their crib. Day and night flying were both part of the sky cruising curriculum; although they seemed to make farther field trips at night.


It was cool to know there were that many raucous raptors rapping in the region, that's why I had heard calls in other areas of the city.
The web says; this species does 'hoot', but I'm beginning to think that that's just amongst themselves as causal owl conversation, which I'm not privy to.
What I've heard are the 'skreeEEEts' of warning; the 'skree-skrees' of 'get your feathered butt over here' and some 'Skh-ka-ka-ka-ka...' of 'Back off, man!'. Those were for being too noisy-body.

When I saw the barricade was up and manned (owled?) a few weeks ago, while they and I were active during the day; I approached the gate guard to the burrowing owl base. He wouldn't let me close, but at least I could see him clearly in the daylight. Those eyes really stand out, with the 'face mask' being the brightest part of the bird. The rest of the body isn't really that brown, but more of a dark tan, with tawny highlights. (Stands to reason a ground-pounding predator would wear an earth toned uniform.) Ah, but you're asking why did I describe their color as 'pale' when I saw them in the air? Well, the undercarriage is definitely lighter, kinda smokey beige; helps them blend against the daytime-scape.

I got a surprise when I turned away from the police owl on the barricade; at my six were two more winged sentries! They both alighted suddenly, while one went off in a wide circle back to base, the other landed on a sign post to continue duty, watching me! How the worm had turned!




Look right on top of the diamond at post 2.



At the risk of getting run over, I stood in the road and snapped this shot;



Definitely a brave, young owl defending his domain!


Salute!

[Reality Bytes]

It occurs to me this should have been in 'All our own works'.

If the Admin Legends could oblige, I'd appreciate it. ThX.

Done

[loCAtek]

Upon closer inspection (which the Owlitos did not like), I conclude that there are four members of this feathered family. No wait, five! Recon of home burrow base, was for trying to get better pictures (which I did not get, what you see, is what I got).

At my approach though, there was some really fascinating behavior in the way the sentry responded, for it was more than self-defense. The guard owl on duty (quite possibly the parent, hard to tell now that they're all the same size) could have flown off at any time, but she stood her ground at the entrance to the burrow and alerted the kin with a new call: 'Shk-shk-shk-shk-shkshkshkshk...'
This was quieter, and not directed towards me. No, this was a 'Danger-danger!' cry, that some say sounds like a rattlesnake and perhaps it's meant to, rattlesnakes are one of their biggest threats. With that call, instead of she diving into the burrow, another owl popped out frantically like a cork; looked around and zeroed in on me. Again, not flying off because not everyone had answered the call, the guard owl made the cry once more, with that another owl popped out from a different entry hole (ah! I didn't know they had a back door.) This one looked groggy and had a bad case of bed head, but he was up, damn it!

With everybird mustered and the threat identified [me!], the Guard decided the best course of action would be to finally take off, and lept into the air, quickly copied by the two young troopers. What a flight display! The two quickly flew off to post #2; no, they weren't running away, it was a strategic retreat and I'll explain why later. Guard owl, still on duty, was in the air but did not fly away.

It was a beautiful thing; owls have these shorter and broader wings than other predatory birds do, that allow them to glide effortlessly; all the better to slowly, stealthily swoop in and catch prey rather than using speed to chase it.
So, She was delicately posed -right there, in mid-air with her great wings and tail completely unfurled, and not moving in any direction. She'd caught the updraft of the hot wind blowing off the field, and with complete control of every pin feather, kept herself in one spot to make sure the fledglings got away to safety, while she covered their back.





Watching her float as gracefully as a cloud, I did what any inner-city urbanite does in those situations; I gaped in awe and wonder at her timeless beauty


...before I thought to take a picture! (The natural world kinda catches us off guard like that.)





Next installment brings good pics (finally!) and a Special Guest!

[loCAtek]

OK, I lied.


I got a few pics of the graceful guard owl, but again, they sucked. The construction barricade photo is of her alighting on the structure, after her kids got away.

More importantly, folks must wondering- What about the bunnies!?


I'm happy to report, they're doing great and I see them frequently in the field of Post #2, most nights. In fact, Sgt. Bun and Mrs. Sgt. Bun have gotten pretty used to me, and don't bother to hide as much anymore. While their field has been leveled of foliage, they've chosen not to leave it, and lounge about their leisure there. I'll coast up after a long day, and they'll bound a bit away after habit, but shortly stop and stand upright; look at me and say, 'Morning Loca!'

"Morning Mr. and Mrs. B!"

I feel like I'm in 'Song of the South' with the human/animal interaction;

How do you do? Mighty pretty greeting,

How do you do? Say it when yer meeting,

How do you do? With everyone repeating,

Pretty good sure as yer born.

What goes up is sure to come down,

a penny lost is a penny found

I'll howdy you, you howdy back,

this for that and tit for tat.

How do you do?

Fine how are u?

How ya comon?

pretty good sure as yer born

stop jumpin brer rabbit, youll run outta breath,

now sit down an calm yerself?

the grasshopper jumps, so do da fleas,

i do what i like, and iiiii suits me.

How do ya do?

fine how are u?

how ya come on?

pretty good sure as yer born

[That was a good movie, regardless of how racist it was, 'eh? That was kinda like, if the Black folk weren't slaves, that would be a good mentor tale.]



Time-out for Trivia: Brer, as in Brer Rabbit, is an abbreviation for 'Brother', along the African folklore lines. The tales attributed to Uncle Remus, are in fact ancient oral tradition of the African people. So, there.


Sgt. and Mrs. B hang about while the baby bun has moved on, but that's as per the rabbit lifecycle. The kids grow up and move away fairly quickly, that's the success of their species- a quick quest to maturity.

The baby bun has probably grown up and moved out; and moved in with a girlbunfriend who equates sex with love, and lets him freeload, while she works as a forager full-time, forkin' A.

[loCAtek]

...But Bun Jr. comes home to visit often enough- the other night I interrupted a pow wow on the pavement; five or six BunRabs were playing cards, and passin' camo paint tips.

"I like the bush blend-in, myself. Rocks are so stony! I feel blocked at the same wall to my creativity!"

"OH, I Know. I'm trying for tree limbs this year; you never know how that will branch out."

"Wait, tell me what you think of this: it's little thing I've been working on... I call it "Hillock with compost"

All: "Oooooooooo ...!"

"That's daring ...!"

"Complex, but I like it!"

"LUV what you did with the ears!"

...


"Whoops, Loca!


"What, now!? Dammit, how does my fur look?"

"Fine, but tilt your head... the other way... more... 'K, you're going for Fall colors, right? Perfect, don't move."

"I dunno, I'm having such a bad hare day... Can we just bound away? This street lighting isn't conducive to my coat tone. She's sure to notice, I'd be so embarrassed."

"Oops, here she comes; just remember: 'quick', 'cute' bounces! Everybody- One and two and ...


boing~boing~boing~boing~boing~boing~boing~boing~*Flash-Bunny-Dance* [show-off!] boing~boing~boing...!

[Rick]

This has nothing to do with this thread BUUUUT.

Just thought I'd let ya know (LO) when I stole your skull and cross bunny my 1st year fantasy football league was the White Rabbits (a tribute to all the drug use in the pros). Came in 2nd place overall as a wild card.

Since last year we are now the Rabid Rabbits---Rabs for short...

[loCAtek]

Anything to do with Bun Rabs is fine by me. Are you still using the same logo, or do you need a new one?

If you'd to do some bun watching, tonight is the perfect night, for it's a 'Rabbit Moon' or Full-Moon to westerners. Ancient Meso-Amercians, as well as Asians, believed there was there was a rabbit on the moon, working(of course) for the gods. You can clearly see him, grinding medicine with his mighty mortar and pestle.

[loCAtek]

I should put something down before the summer is officially over in a few days, and makes my stuff sound dated.

Today, I bring together elements of my other threads on this forum, my ‘breads’ (blogs posted as threads, hence ‘breads’) and so the special of the day is: Cybersandwich! Lunch is on Loca! ¡Enjoy my Virtual-Vida, que aproveche! :

Text, Lies and Avianscape


Ah, the smell of a summer night! <sniiiiiff> ahhhhhhh...

Something about the combination of heat and exhaust fumes dampens the aroma of the trail air during the day. When the evening comes and the lights go low, the scent is what rises and surrounds you in a shroud of scent-suality. There's so much to it. The flora, the fauna and the feldspar, have all cooked, combined, and now co-mingle in the atmosphere with their full fragancia.

...

Am I trying too hard? I guess you had to be there... The smells of the sage, the swamp and the city-sheep…

Oh yeah, the sheep (which are turning into goats) are back, which shocked me too. Seems the summer fire-hazard of the owl field was a bit too much and the city-officials said, "Send in the Sheep!" to munch down the meadow. (Troughs have been provided to water the wandering herd.) The goats and their cute kids, are an added addition who’ll eat the dry herbage the sheep won’t, to the point of ingesting dessicated thistles (ick!).

The owlito family withstood the invasion bravely, in spite of the fact that on the first day the burrow base got trampled; and the barricade was knocked down [Yikes!] Yea, I was freaked too! Stoopid city folk had to have their brown lawn mowed, but neglected to ask the resident wildlife what they wanted. Papa-owl was such a purist; he'd always preferred to perch in the natural pasturage; meaning a nearby tumble-weed, and passed on the human introduced barricade. Now it all was leveled, and I was afraid the owls would want to leave.

Instead they retreated to Post #2 (Told ya, I’d tell ya more about that.) Post #2 was closer to the busy intersection, and was more of a guard shack to the field base. The one picture I’ve posted of an owlito on a street sign was at Post #2, if you approach the field too closely, the guard owl on duty will jump onto that sign post and screech at you, “Get off my lawn!” Papa-owl used to use that post as his personal den, ya know, to get away from the brood once in awhile for some privacy, like most men do. Now, they all had to camp there temporarily, till the sheep could be shooed away.

Next day, the barricade was back up, and within the electrified fence- keeping the sheep in as much as keeping thieving persons (like me, who’d like a pet sheep) out, was a smaller fence around the burrow base. A fence with in a fence, which fortunately the owlitos accepted as well. Shoot, they even perch on it sometimes.

Who’s making all this effort for the avians, you might ask?

Answer: The City of San Jose. It’s their property after all.

You might have been wondering why there’s a patch of empty field in the middle of industrial, incorporated Americana? That’s because the city owns it, it’s part of the VTA - Valley Transit Authority land, used for bus and van maintenance and storage. In a sense, the owl field is their driveway, and they’ve taken a liking to small raptors on the premises. Many a time, I’ve been stopped at the intersection and watched municipal employees affectionately wait and watch the owlitos from their autos. They’re the ones who probably put up the barricade, and I know they protect the burrow from human intrusion because they’ve brushed me off on occasion. "Get off our lawn!"
.
I’m tempted to call the SCPBRG, Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group, to set up a webcam next year, like they did for the City Hall Falcons. It's said Burrowing Owls stick to the same location, once they've chosen it.
Pues sí, you'd see some interesting bird behavior, the owlitos don't stay underground all the time. In fact, after they've hatched, the baby owls (cutely) like to hang 'round the entrance to the burrow, in anticipation of Mama or Papa bringing home vittles. You'd tune in to watch that, wouldn't 'cha?

I've been super, ultra lucky to be able to watch them during the night hours.

[Jarlaxle]

You managed to get Song Of The South stuck in my head. I hate you.