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Camp Tawonga has been going great and somehow I am already halfway through 2nd session. A few days ago I led my first backpacking trip (up until then I was leading day hikes). My destination was Chilnualna Falls in Yosemite with the bunk of B-9. There were 2 counselors 12 campers and me and we sure had a trip in store for us. This trip is one of the more challenging ones and consists of a 5.6 mile hike in with over 2000 ft of elevation, however the views make it all worth it when you arrive at the top of the ridge around 8000 ft and have the mist of the falls hitting you. Anyways we made it to the top, although we couldnt do the river crossing to the actual campground due to dangerous water levels so set up camp at a low point on the ridge. I set up a ridgeline and tarp shelter because I could see clouds rolling in and made sure it was bombproof… Later I began a fantastic dinner which consisted of: quinoa, asparagus, sun dried tomatoes, broccoli, onion, garlic, mushrooms, coconut milk, cheese, and avocado. Dinner was success! After dinner I made the kids chocolate tortillas and hot water. As soon as camp was cleaned up everyone got in their sleeping bags and went to bed. This is when it all started…. I was the last to lay down and once I did the rain began to pour and I instantly had everyone move under the tarp. Lightening and thunder began and the wind picked up. Luckily I had taught everyone the lightening position (works to minimize surface area on the ground to reduce chance of getting shocked). Everyone got soaked at night and this freak storm was very intense. Once the rain began it did not let up even as we arrived at the car the next day. All throughout the night I was awake checking on campers and making sure everyone stayed warm, although soaking wet. I checked in with the counselors at 5am and decided to let a little more time pass hoping the rain would let up, but it never did. At 530 am I made the call to layer up and pack up. A few of the kids were very cold and I worked hard to get them warm and moving. There was no time for breakfast and any waiting could result in even colder campers. Once our camp was cleaned we packed up and dashed down the trail at around 630am. It originally took over 6 hours to get up, and we made it down in 2 hours. Once arriving at the trail head 15 people crammed into one suv and I blasted the heat and gave kids cookies and other snacks. It was one hell of a first trip and the gravity of the situation could have been bad… All in all everybody was safe and sound and there were still lots of good times. After the other car arrived to pick us up I learned that all the other bunks out backpacking also got hit by the storm and some even had to be evacuated and faced serious medical concerns. It was great to return and I received a lot of praise from camp for good risk management and decision making. Anyways today Im scouting Yosemite for new backpacking spots with a friend and next week will be backpacking again.  The bird of the month is the Western Tanager which is flying around Tawonga and came here from Costa Rica!   

This is a video I took of waterfalls occurring down the river from the hetch hetchy dam. Photos from Remys Graduation can be seen here http://flic.kr/s/aHsjuUXxqe.  Well I will be out till August 17th at Camp Tawonga having an amazing summer. If anyone needs to reach me you can contact me at 

Zachary A

Camp Tawonga

31201 Mather Rd.

Groveland, Ca 95321

or on a shared answering machine @ 209-962-5186 and also 209-962-5280.

Hope everyone stays safe and healthy!

This is a video I captured showing a large flock (estimated at 50,000) flying in unison. Click on the^ title^ to watch the video on youtube! 

Well one week left in Olympia…. Things are going quick and it seems there are endless things to preoccupy myself with.  I have been investing lots of time in the metal shop and cafes to work on my paper. This morning I went to the grand opening at REI in Olympia and received a free water bottle and a $20 gift card for filling out a credit card app…  It was a huge event and the building was lined with people all around it!  I also exchanged my stove while I was there and picked up one that will work at higher elevations and colder temperatures. I’m currently foraging a knife at the metal studio using a high carbon rail road stake (stronger than most steel) and will make a sheath for it also.  In addition to that I’m working on a steel mug. I’m finally getting the hang of most of the machinery at the shop and am getting a feel for welding also…  It is incredibly difficult to get a pool of metal to fuse without making holes, but I have achieved it now and can start making anything!! My old roommates from last year are back in Olympia and I will be driving back with Zeph next weekend. The weather has been beautiful and its hard to not get sun burnt. I have been biking around as much as possible and it is really helping to keep me sane. I’m officially done working at the Rec Center for this year. The rec center has improved so much in the past year and its really exciting to see positive change. I have been working with my boss, as a member of the advisory board, to brainstorm ways to make improvement and he has been surprisingly receptive and works really hard. Every staff member has to reapply for a job and there are some new supervisor positions I might try…  I’m also going to apply to be a lifeguard so we will see what happens.  I registered for class a few days ago and am enrolled in The Fungal Kingdom which is an upper division science program.  This class will teach use how to use lab instruments to identify fungus. Only 5% of the estimated 1.5 million species have been identified and this program will teach me how to classify fungus through keys, chemical, and other forms of analysis. The field of mycology has a lot of potential and could prove promising in the future… Well for now I must go and rest up!  The bird of the day is the western sandpiper…  The picture is of a juvenile which weighs less than an ounce!          

Well the past week as usual has been very busy despite taking off a few shift from the Rec Center.  On Thursday I learned how to forage in metal working which is a very incredible process that blacksmiths used to do back in the day, and still do now.  It involves placing metal in a very hot furnace and getting it bright orange they manipulating with hammers and other tools!  On Friday I decided to go to Grays Harbor for another weekend to collect more data for my research project. When I arrived I first went to the species count list and was very surprised to see that about 90% of the shorebird population has continued onward with there migration.  I then geared up and walked out to the board walk viewing spot.  After scanning the area I realized that I wouldn’t be able to gather any more data.  The tidal cycle is also very low right now, and its best to see the birds at high tide because the water pushes them closer to the viewing spots.  There was probably around a thousand birds that I could find.  So I decided to make the best of the day and enjoy the temporary sun.  I started focusing on the other birds around the grass lands and trees and found some interesting species.  The Wilsons Warbler had arrived from Mexico where it hangs out with the keel-billed toucan.  So I ended up seeing a lot of Wilsons Warbler that were in migration slightly later than the shorebirds.  I also got to see Washingtons State Bird which is the American Gold Finch.  Since it is breeding season the plumage and beak color actually change!  Well Im going to spend this weekend furiously writing and preparing for the end of the month.   

The bird of the day is the Stellar Jay….  You might notice them dive bombing your cat or even yourself! These are very aggressive curious birds…  Anyways some of you might be curious about the title of this blog….

Well here you go…

ORAGIOUS=stormy ONEIROCRITIC=a person who interprets dreams

 ORNITHOMANCY=Ancient Greek practice of reading omens from the actions of birds

They all seem appropriate in there own way… GOOD NIGHT!

Well 10 pages down so far, but still a lot of refining and data analysis to take care of.  I have spent many hours, the past week, at a funky little cafe on the east-side of Olympia and it has made me very productive…  I also started the rough powerpoint presentation for my project.  Today’s bird of the day is the Red Knot. This is a shorebird that is very rare in these parts but they can be found.  In the northwest they ask people to report when they spot this species with red bands on the legs because it means they are part of a bird banding program and it aids in tracking migration routes.  Most of the Red Knots fly up from Argentina!  Time to relax tonight.

The birds of the day are the red breasted sapsucker and the belted kingfisher.  On Wednesday I went on a nature walk early in the morning with part of the class at McClain Creek in Olympia. The first thing we noticed was a loud sound of hammering or gunshots….  Turns out a piece of sheet metal was attached to a tree and the sapsucker was pecking at it and did not stop even as we all stood by it….   We also saw a pair of kingfisher which are very unique and hover over the water then dive head first to catch fish.  Thursday was a crazy day as usual but it always goes by quick.  At night I learned a new form of welding called MIG.  This involves an electrical current and molten steel.  We have to wear huge blackout masks so we don’t get blinded in addition to leather suites so we don’t get burnt.  This weekend I’m spending lots of energy to write my science research paper and I’m hoping to collect more data on Sunday and Monday if the weather allows.  Less then a month left, its grind time!

I spent the weekend camping at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge.  It was the annual bird festival and throughout the weekend I saw around 150,000 birds and 30 or so species.  The video I recored here shows the flock flight reaction.