• View of Half Dome and Washington Column in Yosemite Valley

    Yosemite

    National Park California

Yosemite Ranger Notes

About This Blog

Ranger-naturalists have been interpreting the natural and cultural resources of Yosemite for park visitors for nearly a century. In this blog, some of Yosemite's park rangers share recent observations from around Yosemite.

All posts are shown below, or you can view posts by topic.

2012 Christmas Bird Count

December 18, 2012 Posted by: BW - Volunteer Interpreter
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2012 Christmas Bird Count
Last Sunday over 40 enthusiastic birders braved the cold temperatures to participate in the 113th annual Christmas Bird Count.  This nationwide event is sponsored by the National Audubon Society and features local groups identifying and counting every bird they see in a given area for one day.

Nature Scene, Science in the Park, Bird Monitoring and Research, Yosemite Valley, BW
 

What's a Bird Like You Doing in a Place Like This?

October 10, 2012 Posted by: BR - Park Ranger/Resources Management & Science Liaison
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On October 2, 2012, local naturalist Michael Ross spotted a bird he had never seen before, at least not in Yosemite. After careful observation he determined it was a gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis).

Yosemite Valley, BR, Bird Monitoring and Research
 

Did You Know?

Vernal and Nevada Falls

In Yosemite Valley, dropping over 594-foot Nevada Fall and then 317-foot Vernal Fall, the Merced River creates what is known as the “Giant Staircase.” Such exemplary stair-step river morphology is characterized by a large variability in river movement and flow, from quiet pools to the dramatic drops of the waterfalls themselves.