Saturday, October 4, 2014

Oct 3 (Day 276) - East winds killing me.....

For the second day in a row, east winds and high temps crushed the sea watching from Point Pinos. Knowing today would be a quiet day on the oceanfront, I took the morning to ride up to Jack's Peak Park. Situated about 5 miles east and 1,000 vertical feet above Monterey, this perch provided a fantastic view of the entire Monterey Bay on this incredibly clear day. I did a bit of birding while I was there, but, save for my second and third Hermit warblers of the year, there wasn't anything of any real note. Man, Purple finch is becoming a headache! They seem to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. They apparently just fly around without staying loyal to any particular area as far as I am concerned. I hear Andrew Molera State Park through which I will pass on Sunday en route to Big Sur is a good spot, so maybe I can put this simmering nightmare to bed at that time. My afternoon was spent at Point Pinos straining to see birds that weren't there. The 5 hours I spent there produced < 30 shearwaters, 10-12 Parasitic jaegers, a few Rhinoceros auklets, and a 1-hour nap. Despite less-than-outstanding wind prospects for tomorrow, I will certainly return to Point Pinos in the afternoon to close out my stay here in Monterey and Pacific Grove. I am not sure how I am going to utilize the morning yet, but I might have to get creative since things are so quiet around here right now.


The view of Monterey from up at Jack's Peak

The last 4-5 days have been very frustrating as I am fighting off the remnants of a stubborn cold that has me feeling very low energy at the moment. I have made references to midday naps the last two days; These have only been possible since I am so sapped from the cold. I guess it is a good thing that I am relatively stationary at the moment. Perhaps more worrying is that I feel at a motivational low right now. I am hoping that this will change when I start to feel physically better in the next few days.  The ride down to Big Sur coast is going to be very challenging, so I want to have this illness licked before Sunday!

Also, I created a Flickr page for the best photos I have taken this year. Check it out!

22 miles today

2 comments:

  1. The Flickr page is really great. It's nice to be able to see all those photos in one spot. It's really hot in Big Sur today, but a good cool-down is expected by Sunday and even more on Monday. Hope you are feeling better and the cooler temps make a difference for the trip south.

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  2. Love the photos on Flickr! What cute sweet birds and other critters! You take wonderful pictures. I sure hope that cold goes away fast.

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