Noises from the bushes

It is rather nice being in a country that has a reasonably diverse mammal fauna; it does have the odd downside mind. As happens on all trips to new destinations, the first few days are a steep learning curve on the songs and calls front; I tend to pair species up to aid the memory, so a party of Bushtit sounds not unlike a party of Long-tails and Wrentit song is vaguely like the 'spinning coin' bit of Wood Warbler. However, it really doesn't help when Californian Ground-squirrels chime in, or indeed Western Grey Squirrel and then, of course, the insects come to the party, jeeez. The strangest noise today though was a regular 'slap,... slap,... slap,... slap' coming from behind me, alongside a thin strip of riparian woodland near Lake Solano, very odd. Spun round and had the shock of my life,... the last thing I need is to be stalked by middle-aged women with ill-fitting bikinis on ill-fitting bodies wandering round in ill-fitting flip-flops. Urgh! Thank jumpin jim-jam wearing jehovah I'd had my lunch.

And now a couple of pics to calm the nerves,...