July 24, 1922

PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Volume 1 July 24, 1922 Number 3 W.B. Lewis, Superintendent. Ansel F. Hall, Park Naturalist.

SEA GULLS IN TUOLUMNE MEADOWS INTEREST VISITORS.

To see sea gulls in the mountains seems incongruous to most people. However the fact is that many of the sea gulls found along the coast nest on islands in the larger bodies of fresh water, in the interior. A colony of gulls nest each year on Mono Lake and they often forage around the nearby lakes and streams.

FIFTY-TWO TRAVERSE POHONO TRAIL SATURDAY

The all day field trips to the rim of the Valley offered by the Nature Guide Service, continue to be very popular. Fifty-two made the trip along the Pohono Trail on July 15. Red fir forests, flower covered meadows and wonderful views from the points overlooking the Valley made a deep impression on all. Sierra grouse and White-headed woodpeckers were among the notable birds seen, and the Washington lily, Coral-root and Mountain bluebell attracted the greatest attention among the flowers. Deer and Pine squirrels were also seen. No wonder the Pohono is considered the finest trail in the Park. One more excursion along this trail will be offered on August 10 and 11, Friday night being spent at Glacier Point.

TAME CINNAMON BEAR AT GLACIER POINT

Luck was with the nature guides on July 14th, when a large group of people made a trip to the bear pits at Glacier Point. A large cinnamon bear, a color phase of the black bear, came in to feed and even took food from the hand of one of the party.

GOLDEN EAGLES REPORTED SEEN

A pair of golden eagles continue to inhabit the region near Glacier Point and several persons have reported seeing them.

WHITE-TAILED JACKRABBITS INHABIT HIGH COUNTRY

Those who travel to Tuolumne Meadows should watch for one of the rarer animals of the Park, one called the White-tailed Jack Rabbit. Last year one was even seen in the Sierra Club Camp near Soda Springs and this year one has been observed just above Tuolumne Meadows Lodge. This rabbit turns white during the winter and develops snow shoes like the snowshoe rabbit. The white tail is distinctive.

AN OLD FALLACY

Much of the time of the attendants at the Yosemite Museum is spent in explaining that the porcupine does not "shoot" its quills. These sharp-pointed quills do, however, penetrate the flesh of whatever animal is incautious enough to try to attack the otherwise defenseless rodent, and the exceedingly small barbs cause them to work deeper and deeper. The porcupine's favorite food is the tender inner bark of young pine trees and traces of its activities may be seen in the gnawed upper branches and trunks of the smaller pines especially on the Lodgepole Pine, in the region above Yosemite Valley.

MARMOTS MAY BE SEEN ALONG TIOGA ROAD

Many autoists crossing Tioga Pass see a large bushy tailed animal disappear in a hole in the rocks and many are the guesses as to its identity. The Sierra Marmot, which is sometimes called woodchuck or ground hog is abundant near Merced Lake, Lake Tenaya, Tuolumne Meadows and at many places along the Tioga Road. It is in reality a large type of ground squirrel.

CHILDREN'S TRIPS OFFERED

Special field trips for children are offered twice weekly by the Nature Guide Service to help encourage nature study among children and stir up an interest favorable to wild life conservation.

Digitized by Yosemite Online Library Dan Anderson