JOIN US AS WE VISIT THE HOME OF SOME OF THE LARGEST TREES IN THE WORLD.

LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRAS OF CALIFORNIA SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST PROVIDES A VARIETY OF HABITATS... NEXT ON NATURE SCENE.

A PRODUCTION OF: NATURE SCENE IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY A GRANT FROM SANTEE COOPER WHERE PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF OUR ENVIRONMENT ARE EQUAL IN IMPORTANCE TO PROVIDING ELECTRIC ENERGY.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS PROVIDED BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU MEMBERS OF THE ETV ENDOWMENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

♪ HELLO, AND WELCOME TO NATURE SCENE AT THE SOUTHERN END OF ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST MOUNTAIN RANGES THE 400-MILE-LONG SIERRA NEVADA.

I'M JIM WELCH WITH NATURALIST RUDY MANCKE AND WE'RE AT SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST NOT FAR FROM KERNVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

RUDY, THERE'S OVER A MILLION ACRES OF EXCITING THINGS AND IT'S HOME TO THE WORLD'S LARGEST LIVING THING.

YEAH, AND I THINK IT'LL BE INTERESTING, TOO TO SEE THE WAY THE WORLD CHANGES STARTING OUT HIGH AND WORKING OUR WAY DOWN AND SEEING A GREAT VARIETY OF HABITATS, TOO... AND WE'RE HERE AS SNOW IS STILL ON THE GROUND.

AT THIS ELEVATION YOU CAN SEE THE SNOW AND ICE, REALLY, ALL AROUND US AND WE'RE BASICALLY IN A CONIFEROUS FOREST.

GEOLOGY IS EXCITING, THOUGH, HERE, TOO-- TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE GRANITE THAT I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT, UH, ALL AROUND US BUT MAYBE A FEW TREES FIRST, JUST TO GET US IN LINE-- SOME TALL ONES, TOO.

BIGGEST ONE HERE, AT LEAST CLOSE IS, UH, INCENSE CEDAR.

LOOK AT THE COLOR ON THE BARK-- REDDISH... CINNAMON RED, AND SOME FOLKS MIGHT MISTAKE IT FOR, OF COURSE, THE SEQUOIAS WHICH ARE MUCH, MUCH LARGER.

LOOK AT THE FLAT NEEDLES ON THAT.

REALLY ONE OF THE LARGER CONIFERS HERE.

AGAIN LI...

LOVES A LITTLE EXTRA MOISTURE.

THIS LEVEL IS PERFECT FOR IT.

THAT'S AN EASY ONE TO IDENTIFY, ALSO.

SEE, LOOK AT THE PONDEROSA PINE OVER HERE.

"YELLOW BELLY" SOME WOULD CALL IT.

( chuckling ): YEAH.

YEAH.

THAT'S ANOTHER CONIFER THAT REALLY DOMINATES AT THIS LEVEL AND, AGAIN, BOTH OF THEM SHOOTING UP TOWARD THE SKY... LEAVES ON THROUGHOUT THE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE WINTER.

LOOK IN THE TOP HERE.

JUST CAME IN.

LOOK AT THE... LOOK AT THE TOP RIGHT THERE.

WOODPECKER WORKING.

WHITE HEAD... WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER-- THAT'S A GOOD COMMON NAME FOR THAT, ISN'T IT?-- WAY UP IN THE TREE, LOOKING FOR A MEAL.

WOODPECKERS ARE LOOKING MAINLY FOR INSECTS USUALLY.

LOOK AT HIM MOVING AROUND.

ALMOST A CLOWN-LIKE MASK ON HIS FACE.

OH, YEAH... AND THAT SPECIES NOW IS TYPICAL OF SITUATIONS, UH, LIKE THIS.

OH, THAT'S NICE.

AND THEN COMING DOWN YOU CAN HEAR AND SEE THAT WATER.

AGAIN, ICE IS WATER, JUST IN SOLID FORM.

THE LIQUID WATER IS ALSO REARRANGING THE WORLD UP HERE ALONG WITH THAT ICE.

AND THE TREES ALONG THE SIDE... ALDERS?

YEAH, ALDERS WITH THE FLOWERS-- SEE, THE CATKINS THEY'RE CALLED-- UNROLL.

THOSE ARE THE MALE FLOWERS, PRODUCING SOME POLLEN.

I CAN SEE SOME OF LAST YEAR'S LITTLE CONE-LIKE STRUCTURES ON THEM.

BUT, NOW, THOSE TREES ARE TYPICAL OF LOW, WET AREAS LIKE THIS COMING IN PRETTY QUICKLY.

AND THEN A FEW OAKS AND OTHER THINGS AND I SEE ON THE FOREST FLOOR... LOOK AT THAT THING.

IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A FERN.

OH, THE SMALL... YEAH, WHAT IS THAT?

MOUNTAIN MISERY IS ONE OF THE COMMON NAMES FOR IT.

IT'S GOT A LOT OF RESINS IN IT AND, REALLY, IT CATCHES FIRE PRETTY QUICKLY BUT WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH IT IT GETS STICKY STUFF ALL OVER YOU SO, THE COMMON NAME, MOUNTAIN MISERY BUT THAT'S ONE THAT'S TYPICAL OF-OF, UH, THIS AREA ON THE GROUND.

CLOSE BY, RUDY, THERE'S-THERE'S SAND OR-OR EARTH PILED UP, ALMOST IN LITTLE MOUNDS.

ISN'T THAT ODD?

YEAH.

NOW, LOOK AT THAT.

THAT IS POCKET GOPHER SIGN.

WH-WHEN THE SNOW WAS THICKER RIGHT THERE THE POCKET GOPHER WAS NOT BURROWING IN THE EARTH.

HE WAS BURROWING IN THE SNOW AND THEN AS THE SNOW BEGAN TO MELT HE STARTED BURROWING IN THE EARTH AGAIN AND HE FILLED THOSE SNOW BURROWS WITH THE S...

THE DIRT THAT HE WAS DIGGING OUT AND, NOW, THE SNOW'S GONE AND YOU SEE THOSE "CORES" THEY'RE CALLED.

( laughing ): NEAT SIGN OF THAT ANIMAL.

THE END OF FEBRUARY, AT THIS ALTITUDE, ABOUT 7,000 FEET, THERE COULD BE MORE SNOW BUT THIS IS AS HIGH AS WE CAN GO.

YEAH, YEAH, THIS-THIS KIND OF BLOCKS US.

I LOVE THE VIEWS, THOUGH OF THE ROCKS HERE.

THAT'S ANOTHER PART OF THE STORY.

LOOK AT THAT OUTCROP THERE OF GRANITE ROCK... REALLY A PART OF A LARGE MASS OF GRANITE USUALLY REFERRED TO AS A BATHOLITH-- THAT MEANS "DEEP ROCK"-- BECAUSE IT FORMS UNDERGROUND A GOOD DISTANCE DEEP WITHIN TH-THE CRUST OF THE EARTH, COOLS THERE AND THEN NOW THIS STUFF HAS BEEN UPLIFTED STARTING ABOUT TEN MILLION YEARS AGO SHOVED UP AND EXPOSED.

LOOK AT THE WAY IT WEATHERS, SEE?

"EXFOLIATION" THAT'S CALLED.

IT PEELS OFF, KIND OF LIKE THE, UH THE LAYERS IN AN ONION WITH THAT NICE GRANITE ROCK STICKING OUT.

THAT'S NEAT.

LOOK RIGHT DOWN HERE.

A MOURNING CLOAK BUTTERFLY, RIGHT?

SIGN OF WARMER WEATHER-- MOURNING CLOAK OUT ON THAT INCENSE CEDAR... HIBERNATES AS AN ADULT, SEE... COMES RIGHT OUT WHEN IT GETS WARM.

LET'S GET STARTED.

THESE MOUNTAINS ARE MADE OF GRANITE AND PEOPLE COME JUST TO STUDY THE GEOLOGY BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A FASCINATING STORY.

YEAH, AND TO THINK THAT THIS WAS ONCE, YOU KNOW, LIQUID DEEP, DEEP WITHIN THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH SOLIDIFIED THERE, AND THEN WAS UPLIFTED AND, OF COURSE, NOW, THE MATERIAL THAT WAS ABOVE IT HAS BEEN ERODED AWAY AND EVEN THE GRANITE IS BEGINNING TO BREAK DOWN.

HEY, IT GIVES YOU SOME GREAT VIEWS, DOESN'T IT?

THE SIERRA NEVADA-- THE "SNOWY RANGE" IS WHAT IT STANDS FOR-- THAT'S PROBABLY HALF THE HEIGHT OF THE TALLER PEAKS.

THEY GO UP ABOVE 14,000 IN SOME PLACES.

THAT'S BEAUTIFUL, WITH THE SNOW ON IT AND THE-THE CONIFERS THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT OVER THERE.

NICE DISTANCE SHOT, BUT THEN AGAIN HERE, RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, YOU CAN SEE THE WAY THAT GRANITE'S WEATHERING AWAY...

BREAKING DOWN, SLOWLY BUT SURELY WITH CRACKS IN IT AND FISSURES.

ICE, I SUPPOSE, HELPS MAKE THOSE CRACKS.

YEAH, AND EVEN THE PLANTS COMING IN WILL-WILL PHYSICALLY BY THEIR ROOT STRUCTURE GOING IN, BREAK THE ROCK AWAY AND-AND EVENTUALLY IT WEATHERS INTO SANDY SOIL.

I SEE A FEW DIGGER PINES COMING IN DOWN THERE, TOO.

WE'LL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THEM IN-IN JUST A WHILE.

CONIFERS ALL AROUND US BUT WHAT ARE THESE, UH, SMALL, UH, REED-LIKE PLANTS IN FRONT OF US?

YEAH, WELL, NOW, ISN'T THIS INTERESTING?

HERE'S A BRAND-NEW HABITAT BY THIS FLOWING WATER-- CATTAILS, NARROW-LEAFED CATTAIL.

CAME INTO A LITTLE LOWER AREA.

I GUESS IT WAS WEAKER ROCK HERE SO IT-IT CRACKED QUICKER THAN THE REST.

LITTLE BIT OF SOIL BUILDS UP AND THE PLANT DOES FINE.

WHENEVER YOU LOOK AT WATER LIKE THIS YOU'RE REMINDED OF THE GLACIERS THE FROZEN WATER THAT WAS WORKING IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN THE SIERRAS BUT EVEN THE LIQUID, NOW, CAN DO ITS WORK.

EVEN AS WE SPEAK, LITTLE BY LITTLE BY LITTLE.

TAKING IT DOWN, BREAKING IT DOWN TAKING IT AWAY...

DUMPING IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.

NEVER-ENDING STORY, IS IT?

THAT'S IT.

LET'S KEEP GOING.

ABOUT TWO-AND-A-HALF MILLION PEOPLE A YEAR COME TO SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST MANY OF THEM TO VISIT THE SEQUOIA GROVES.

AND TO SEE A TREE LIKE THAT, HUH?

OH...

THIS... A GIANT SEQUOIA IS AMAZING.

LARGEST THING OF ANYTHING ON EARTH...

LIVING THING.

( chuckling ) LOOK AT THE SIZE AT THE BASE.

I MEAN, IT'S TREMENDOUS DOWN HERE-- NICE REDDISH COLOR ON IT-- AND THEN AS YOU LOOK UP...

I MEAN, IT'S-IT'S BIG UP THERE, TOO.

IT'S WIDE AT THE... AT THE MIDDLE JUST LIKE IT IS AT THE BASE AND LOOK AT THOSE LARGE BRANCHES COMING OFF.

OH, THAT IS AMAZING, YEAH.

HUMBLING EXPERIENCE TO BE CLOSE TO SOMETHING THIS BIG.

AND THESE THINGS SEEM TO GROW ON L... UNGLACIATED, UH, MOIST, UH, RIDGES SCATTERED GROVES, YOU KNOW, HERE AND THERE.

NOT AS BUN... AS ABUNDANT AS THEY WERE 60 MILLION YEARS AGO, FOR SURE.

MORE GROVES HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE ON EARTH.

MMM.

WALKING AROUND IT-- LOOK AT THIS THING.

( chuckling ) GIVES YOU A FEELING FOR THE SIZE.

OH, MY GOODNESS.

SUCH A TREE.

LOOK AT THIS, TOO.

AH, NOW, THESE BREAK OFF AT TIMES?

WELL, ONE OF THE NEAT THINGS ABOUT THIS TREE IS THAT SOME OF THE BRANCHES ARE AS BIG AS OTHER ENTIRE TREES AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED AS WE WAS WAL... WE WERE WALKING AROUND-- LOOK UP AT THE TOP.

THE BRANCHES REALLY DON'T COME DOWN VERY FAR.

I MEAN, THEY-THEY- THEY'RE WAY UP BEFORE THEY START COMING OUT OF THE SIDE.

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THOSE THINGS, THOUGH.

THICK, THICK BARK.

AND PRETTY SOLID TREE, YOU KNOW.

IT REALLY IS RESISTANT TO INSECT DAMAGE AND, UH, TO MOLD/MILDEW SORTS OF PROBLEMS, DISEASES.

I SEE THAT FIRE HAS COME IN HERE A LITTLE BIT BUT SOMETIMES THAT'S GOOD, GETTING RID OF THE LITTER BELOW AND THEN THOSE LITTLE TEENY SEED CAN GET TO THE GROUND AND GET STARTED AGAIN.

AND THE AMAZING THING, RUDY-- YOU CAN SEE CONES AROUND THE GROUND HERE AND THESE CONES ARE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A HEN'S EGG.

IT'S ALWAYS AMAZING TO SEE THE SIZE OF THE CONE COMPARED TO THE SIZE OF THE TREE AS YOU'VE ALREADY MENTIONED.

AND LOOK AT THIS ONE-- OLDER CONE.

SEE THE LITTLE CREVICES THERE WHERE THOSE TINY SEED HAVE WORKED THEIR WAY OUT AND HOPEFULLY, DOWN INTO THE SOIL HERE.

ISN'T THAT AMAZING, THOUGH?

THE SIZE OF THAT THING!

AND THE SEEDS SO TINY IT TAKES 90,000 TO MAKE ONE POUND.

AND YOU CAN SEE SOME WIND DAMAGE, I SUPPOSE-- OR ICE DAMAGE-- PULLED THAT ONE OFF.

NOW THAT'S A FRESH ONE, RIGHT?

WITH SEED DEVELOPING INSIDE.

STILL NICE AND GREEN.

AND REALLY, ON THE BRANCH LOOK HOW SCALY THAT BRANCH LOOKS.

IT'S AMAZING WHEN YOU THINK THAT THIS SPECIES IS ONLY FOUND ON THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE SIERRAS IN CALIFORNIA.

AMAZING PLANT.

INTERESTING PLANT.

MORE TO SEE, THOUGH, JIM.

LET'S HEAD OUT.

MUCH LOWER ELEVATION NOW AND A GREAT DEAL DRIER.

USUALLY CALLED THE SCRUB OR CHAPARRAL ZONE BECAUSE OF THESE LITTLE SHRUBS THAT DOMINATE HERE BUT THERE ARE A FEW TREES THAT COME IN.

FEW TREES WITH THESE LONG, BLUISH-GREEN NEEDLES AND RED BARK.

A VERY COMMON TREE IN THE AREA.

COMMON NAME IS DIGGER PINE.

AND IT DOES SEEM TO DOMINATE IN THIS PART OF THE FOREST.

IT WILL GET EVEN LARGER THAN THIS HIGHER UP.

THREE NEEDLES PER BUNDLE-- LOOK AT THAT.

PRETTY LONG, TOO, REALLY.

AND KIND OF A REDDISH BARK ON THE TREE.

TWISTED A LITTLE.

AGAIN, THIS IS NOT THE PERFECT HABITAT FOR IT BUT IT SEEMS TO GET UP ABOVE THOSE SHRUBS RATHER NICELY.

CONIFER, OF COURSE, MEANS "CONE BEARER" AND THESE CONES, RUDY, ARE HUGE.

I'M SURE THAT'S A HEAVY CONE, TOO BECAUSE LOOK AT THE THICKNESS OF THE SCALES ON THAT THING.

HEAVY, AND THE BRACKS ARE VERY SHARPLY POINTED.

AND THE SIZE.

WELL, YOU CAN SEE THE SPACES IN THERE, TOO WHERE THOSE LARGE SEEDS USED TO BE AND YOU FIGURE THIS PLANT PROVIDES LOTS OF FOOD FOR ANIMALS HERE.

BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST AND PROBABLY THE HEAVIEST CONES THAT I'VE EVER SEEN.

LITTLE BIT OF RESIN STICKING OUT ON THE SIDES OF THOSE SCALES, TOO, RIGHT?

THERE ARE 54 CONIFERS FOUND IN THE STATES AND MORE THAN HALF, OR ABOUT HALF, ARE ENDEMIC.

THIS ONE IS JUST COMMON TO THE STATE.

MM-HMM.

THAT'S A NEAT CONE.

AND THOSE PINES NOW RISE ABOVE THE SHRUBS BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF INTERESTING ONES HERE RABBIT BRUSH IS ONE.

THAT'S A WIDESPREAD ONE.

RABBITS FEED ON IT A LITTLE AND CERTAINLY USE IT FOR SHADE.

BUT YOU SEE IT LOVES DRY AREAS LIKE THIS.

AND THEN BUCK BRUSH-- UM, ANOTHER COMMON NAME REFERRING TO AN ANIMAL-- IS RIGHT BEHIND IT.

IT'S JUST ABOUT READY TO FLOWER.

AND DEER, YOU FIGURE, COULD HIDE IN THERE AND SEEK SOME REFUGE THERE.

THOSE ARE TWO SHRUBS THAT GET PRETTY HIGH HERE.

UH... YERBA SANTA IS THAT STRANGE-LOOKING LITTLE OLD PLANT DOWN THERE WITH THE NARROW LEAVES.

THEY'RE SHINY ON THE TOP, SEE?

MM-HMM.

LOOKS ALMOST STICKY ON TOP.

YEAH.

AND THAT'S A SPECIES THAT REALLY COMES IN AFTER FIRES AND I IMAGINE THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS, THIS CHAPARRAL THAT WOULD BURN PRETTY QUICKLY.

BUT THAT SPECIES SEEMS TO COME IN AND DO BEST AFTER FIRES.

HUMMINGBIRD, JIM.

RIGHT THERE.

SEE IT PERCHED RIGHT ON THE TOP OF THAT SHRUB?

CAN YOU MAKE THE BIRD?

WELL, HE'S MOVING AROUND A LITTLE BIT.

OLIVE ON THE BACK; SHINY, METALLIC.

RED ON THE THROAT... BROAD-TAILED, MAYBE?

MAYBE A LARGE, LARGE HUMMINGBIRD.

KIND OF HARD TO SEE BUT THAT'S NEAT AGAINST THE TOP UP THERE.

AND THEN, SINCE WE'RE LOOKING IN THAT DIRECTION-- DIGGER PINE, UP HIGH-- THERE'S THE, UH...

SOMETIMES CALLED THE CALIFORNIA JAY BUT SCRUB JAY IS A LITTLE BETTER NAME FOR IT.

AND THIS IS A PERFECT PLACE FOR IT.

I MEAN, THE SCRUB ZONE, CHAPARRAL ZONE, IS TYPICAL.

SEE, THAT'S A BIG BIRD!

VERY BRIGHT BLUE BUT A LITTLE BROWN ON THE BACK, YEAH.

AND A LITTLE BIT OF WHITISH ON THE FRONT.

MM-HMM.

HE'S LOOKING RIGHT AT US, THERE IN THE SUNLIGHT.

BUT THAT'S SO TYPICAL.

THAT'S AN ANIMAL THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE RIGHT HERE AND, WELL, THERE IT IS.

BUTTERFLIES OVER HERE ON THE BUSHES.

COMING TO THE FLOWERS.

LOOK AT THAT.

THAT'S ONE OF THE RIBES OR GOOSEBERRY PLANTS WITH YELLOW FLOWERS ON IT.

AND THERE'S NECTAR AND SO HERE COME THE, UH, BUTTERFLIES.

MILBERT'S TORTOISESHELL IS THE ONE... LOOK AT THE ONE THAT'S SO BEAUTIFULLY COLORED WITH A VARIETY OF COLORS ON IT.

THAT'S A RELATIVE OF THAT, UH, MOURNING CLOAK THAT WE SAW EARLIER SAME GENUS, DIFFERENT SPECIES.

A LITTLE MORE BRIGHTLY COLORED, YEAH.

AND THEN GETTING A SIP OF NECTAR, YOU SEE?

GIVING US A PRETTY GOOD VIEW OF THE, UH, OF HIS BODY.

WHAT'S THE OTHER ONE THAT LOOKS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR, BUT NOT EXACTLY?

THE ONE ON THE, UH, BRANCH OVER THERE BY IT YEAH, THE OTHER PLANT OVER THERE IS THE, UH, CALIFORNIA TORTOISESHELL.

THERE ARE A LOT OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS NAMED AFTER THIS STATE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH VARIETY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

AND THAT, AGAIN, IS ONE OF THE TORTOISESHELLS-- SAME GENUS AS MILBERT'S SAME GENUS AS THE, UH, MOURNING CLOAK.

ALL OF THEM OVERWINTER, AS ADULTS YOU KNOW, HIBERNATE.

COME OUT AND, UH, SPREAD THEIR WINGS IN THE SUN.

I SEE ANOTHER LITTLE BUTTERFLY ON THE YELLOW FLOWERS.

YOU SEE THE ELFIN?

OH, DOCKER... A BROWN... WESTERN ELFIN-- TINY LITTLE THING.

AND, AGAIN, ADULT BUTTERFLIES...

I MEAN, THEY DON'T GET ANY BIGGER... ONCE THEY GET WINGS, THEY DON'T GET LARGER.

THAT'S JUST A TINY SPECIES TYPICALLY FLYING IN THE SPRING.

LET'S HEAD ON DOWN TOWARD THE KERN RIVER.

TRY TO WORK OUR WAY DOWN CLOSE TO THE RIVER HERE.

THIS IS THE NORTH FORK OF THE KERN RIVER AND THERE'S 54 MILES OF IT IN THE NATIONAL FOREST HALF OF IT, RUDY, IN WILDERNESS AREAS.

OH, BEAUTIFUL, TOO WITH THOSE MOUNTAINS RISING BEHIND IT.

AND SLOWLY BUT SURELY, NOW THIS RIVER IS INVOLVED IN WEARING THOSE MOUNTAINS AWAY.

AND WATER RUSHING BY-- YOU SEE THE WAY IT'S REALLY MOVED THESE THINGS.

IT DOES, AND ALL THE WATER GOES INTO LAKE ISABELLA EVENTUALLY.

NEAT VIEW DOWN THE WAY, TOO.

AGAIN, SLOWLY BUT SURELY NATURE'S REARRANGING THE WORLD AND CREATING A PRETTY INTERESTING LITTLE RIPARIAN AREA ON THE SIDE.

RIPARIAN BEING SOMEWHAT WETTER... YEAH, RIGHT BY FLOWING WATER.

AND COTTONWOODS ARE THERE.

LOOK AT THE COTTONWOOD TREES.

LOOK AT THE THICK BARK-- FURROWED BARK-- ON THOSE TREES.

THAT'S SO TYPICAL.

A FEW LEAVES HANGING ON, BUT MOST OF THEM GONE.

THAT'D BE FREMONT COTTONWOOD HERE.

LOOK AT THE, UH... LOOK AT THE NEST.

SEE THE LITTLE BOLUS NEST-- THE ONE THAT'S HANGING DOWN?

THAT'S AN ORIOLE, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.

ONE OF LAST YEAR'S ORIOLE NESTS, STILL UP THERE.

MUST BE MADE OUT OF SOME PRETTY STURDY MATERIAL.

WHERE YOU SEE ONE THERE ARE GOING TO BE SEVERAL OTHERS AROUND.

OH, YEAH.

THEY'LL BE COMING BACK A LITTLE LATER IN THE, UH...

IN THE YEAR.

IT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR BIRDING BEING NEAR RECREATION AREAS... LOOK IN THE, UH, COTTONWOOD THERE WITH THE CATKINS.

WHAT IS...

UH, LADDER-BACK WOODPECKER WORKING THE CATKINS, I THINK.

YEAH, LADDER-BACK WOODPECKER.

LOOK AT THE BLACK AND WHITE LADDER-LIKE LOOK ON THE BACK.

GOING TO THE CATKINS WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, FLOWERS BUT I BET IT'S GETTING INSECTS.

THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT IT'S GETTING MORE THAN ANYTHING.

OH, THAT'S NEAT.

ANOTHER WOODPECKER CLOSE BY AND NOT A LADDER-BACK BUT VERY SIMILAR MARKINGS.

BLACK AND WHITE LIKE... LOOK AT... YEAH, BIG BEAK, TOO, NOW.

THAT'S A HAIRY WOODPECKER FOR SURE WORKING HIS WAY UP THE SIDE OF THAT TREE I GUESS, GETTING SOME INSECTS UH, FROM UNDERNEATH THE BARK OR MAYBE ONE OF THOSE BROKEN AREAS.

RUDY, THE DOWNY WOODPECKER WOULD BE MUCH SMALLER.

YEAH, IT WOULD BE SMALLER THAN THAT AND HAVE A LOT SMALLER BEAK.

NOW, BACK IN THE CATKINS, ISN'T THAT A... THAT'S A TITMOUSE-- THE PLAIN TITMOUSE.

OH, YEAH.

SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A CREST?

AND, AGAIN, I'M SURE HE'S NOT GOING FOR THE FLOWERS, REALLY.

HE'S GOING FOR INSECTS THAT HAVE COME TO THOSE FLOWERS IN THE CATKINS AND WORKING, SLOWLY BUT SURELY.

AND IS RATHER PLAIN COMPARED TO MOST OF THE OTHER, UH, TITMICE.

AND THAT TREE IS ABSOLUTELY FULL OF THINGS BECAUSE THERE'S A RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE, A MALE.

LOOK AT IT UP TOP THERE.

SITTING RIGHT THERE SO PERFECT.

LOOK AT THE COLORS.

OH, YEAH.

AND THE RUFOUS SIDE-- YOU CAN SEE THAT CLEARLY AND THE BLACK AND THEN SOME WHITE ON THE WINGS.

OH, THAT IS A NEAT BIRD RIGHT UP THERE IN THE SUNLIGHT.

RUDY, HERE'S ANOTHER OF THE JAYS A SCRUB JAY WITH THAT BLUE AND SLIGHT BROWN.

OH, YEAH, THAT'S A NICE BIRD.

AND THIS IS A CAMPGROUND AREA CLOSE TO HERE SO I'M SURE HE'S COMING TO FIND A FREE MEAL.

LISTEN TO THAT CALL.

( screeching ) AND THAT'S KIND OF TYPICAL YOU KNOW, FOR THAT BIRD.

PERCHED UP HIGH AGAIN, LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW THAT THIS IS HIS TERRITORY.

HERE'S ANOTHER BIRD THAT'S SO UNUSUAL.

YOU CAN TELL THE PHAINOPEPLA WITH THAT BRILLIANT BLACK-PURPLISH COLOR AND THAT CREST.

A MALE, CLEARLY.

YEAH, MUCH BRIGHTER AND THAT METALLIC LOOK AND THAT ORANGISH EYE.

LOOK AT THE IRIS IN THE EYE AND THE NEAT CREST BEING BLOWN A LITTLE BIT BY THE WIND.

SITTING, NOW, CLOSE TO MISTLETOE.

THAT IS A BERRY-FEEDING BIRD SO HE'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF MISTLETOE FRUIT CHANGE IT INTO PHAINOPEPLA.

TYPICAL OF THIS PART OF THE UNITED STATES AND, UH, NOWHERE ELSE.

WE GOT BIRDS EVERYWHERE WE LOOK.

IN THE TOP OF THE TREE AGAIN, THERE'S ANOTHER WOODPECKER.

FLICKER.

NORTHERN FLICKER IS THE NAME NOW.

THE OLD NAME WAS THE RED-SHAFTED FLICKER ON THAT BIRD.

YOU SEE A LITTLE BIT OF RED-- ALMOST A MUSTACHE-- ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD.

BUT THAT'S REALLY, UH, REALLY A NICE ONE.

ONE OTHER BIRD-- THE TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, JIM.

IT LOOKS ALMOST LIKE A MOCKINGBIRD WITH THAT GRAY COLOR.

BUT LOOK AT THE LITTLE TINY BEAK.

THAT FEEDS ON INSECTS A LOT IN THE SUMMER BUT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR THAT'S LOOKING FOR BERRIES AND OTHER FRUIT.

PROBABLY, AGAIN, LOOKING FOR SOME OF THE FRUIT ON MISTLETOE.

THAT'S AN INTERESTING BIRD TYPICAL OF THIS PART OF THE UNITED STATES.

IT'S A TOUGH BIRD TO CALL, RUDY.

OH, YEAH, IT IS.

THIS IS A GREAT PLACE FOR BIRDS, THOUGH-- WHERE THERE'S MOVING WATER LOW AREAS LIKE THIS.

THIS TIME OF YEAR, A PERFECT PLACE TO COME.

LET'S HEAD DOWNSTREAM.

ALL RIGHT.

I'LL FOLLOW YOU.

IT MIGHT SEEM ODD TO SOME TO THINK THAT WE'RE STILL IN THE SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST IN THIS SORT OF A SETTING BUT THIS ALL PART OF IT.

WELL, IT CHANGES AS YOU COME DOWN IN ELEVATION THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

BUT AS WE'VE MENTIONED GRANITE IS ONE OF THE ROCKS HERE THAT SEEMS TO DOMINATE.

AND WHEN YOU EXPOSE GRANITE TO THE ELEMENTS IT BEGINS TO WEATHER LIKE THIS AND IT ENDS UP IN SOME STRANGE SHAPES.

SO THAT EXFOLIATION ON BIG MASSES THAT PEELING OFF CONTINUES WHEN YOU GET SMALLER AND SEE, YOU END UP WITH ROUNDED FEATURES HERE, JIM?

ALMOST LIKE HUGE ROUNDED BOULDERS.

YEAH, SPHEROIDAL WEATHERING, IT'S CALLED AND GRANITE IS TYPICALLY WEATHERING THAT WAY-- ROUNDING OFF FROM ALL SIDES.

YOU CAN SEE DARKER MATERIAL IN THERE, TOO MAYBE SOME OF THE ROCK THAT WAS THERE AS THE GRANITE CAME IN AS LIQUID.

AND, OF COURSE NOW ALL THE ROCK THAT'S ABOVE IT IS GONE.

THAT PRESSURE THAT THAT ROCK HAD IS RELEASED AND THE CRACKS FORM AND THEN WATER GETS IN THERE AND FREEZES.

GOSH, THAT'S NEAT.

AND BREAKING DOWN... YOU CAN SEE WE'RE STANDING IN SANDY MATERIAL HERE.

THAT'S WHAT'S LEFT OF THE GRANITE ROCK ONCE IT WEATHERS AWAY.

COARSE PIECES.

LOOK AT THE HAWK UP HERE.

AND IT'S SOARING RIGHT UP THERE.

YEAH, OH, YEAH.

GOT TO BE A RED-TAILED HAWK.

THAT IS A WIDESPREAD BIRD.

NOW, YOU SEE THAT OVER MUCH OF THE UNITED STATES.

JUST SOARING WITHOUT EVEN SHAKING HIS WINGS RIDING A LITTLE, UH, WARM-RISING AIR CURRENT THERE.

LOOK AT THE RED TAIL, THOUGH.

THAT'S TYPICAL.

OH, THAT'S A NEAT BIRD.

AND A GOOD PLACE TO HUNT.

IN THE OPEN AREA HERE YOU WOULD EXPECT RODENTS TO BE AVAILABLE HERE.

WOULD IT BE THE MOST COMMON HAWK THAT WE WOULD SEE ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

PROBABLY, YEAH.

I SEE SOMETHING ELSE OVER HERE, TOO.

IN THE LITTLE COTTONWOOD THERE?

COUPLE OF RAVENS, I WOULD SUPPOSE.

AREN'T THEY?

THAT ROMAN NOSE, YEAH.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

COMMON RAVENS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T DOUBT THAT THEY NEST IN THE PILE OF BOULDERS BEHIND US HERE.

THIS WOULD BE A GOOD NESTING AREA AND THEN, OF COURSE FORAGE FOR FOOD OUT FROM HERE.

BIRDS SINGING AROUND US.

YEAH.

LOOK AT THE SPARROW RIGHT HERE IN FRONT, TOO.

OH, YEAH.

I THINK THAT'S A GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW.

THAT'S ONE YOU WOULD FIND IN THIS PART OF THE UNITED STATES.

YOU WOULDN'T GET IT MUCH FARTHER EAST THAN RIGHT HERE.

BUT, UH, PINK BEAK, LITTLE PINKISH LEGS AND THAT GRAY BACK WITH THE DARKER LINES ON IT.

YEAH, I THINK THAT'S WHAT THAT IS.

AND A LITTLE YELLOW ON THE HEAD THERE.

YEAH, THAT'S ONE I HAVEN'T, UH I HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE.

BUT, AGAIN, A SPECIES THAT'S TYPICAL OF THIS AREA.

WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO LAKE ISABELLA NOW.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT NEXT.

BOY, THAT'S A CHILLY WIND THAT'S BLOWING, ISN'T IT?

IT'S GETTING TO THE END OF FEBRUARY AND GETTING CLOSE TO OPEN BODY OF WATER.

WHAT SURPRISES ME-- THESE CLAM SHELLS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

ASIATIC CLAMS-- THAT'S A NON-NATIVE SPECIES THAT WE'RE NOT SURE HOW THEY GOT TO THE UNITED STATES BUT THEY REALLY DOMINATE IN MANMADE BODIES OF WATER LIKE THIS, JIM.

OH, THIS IS NICE.

STANDING WATER-- LOOK AT THE MERGANZERS.

LOOK AT THAT DUCK.

FISH-EATING DUCK, AND THERE ARE SO MANY.

THAT'S PROBABLY MORE THAN I'VE EVER SEEN IN ONE PLACE.

COMMON REGANZERS-- THAT RED ON THE TOP-- SEE, ALMOST A LITTLE BIT OF A PROJECTION BACK OFF THE BACK OF THE HEAD.

WHAT ARE THEY TYPICALLY FEEDING ON?

OH, THAT'S FISH.

FISH-EATER, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE JUST OUT OF THE WATER AND RELAXING NOW.

BUT THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD GROUP OF THEM OUT THERE.

THOSE ARE NEAT BIRDS.

LOOK OVER HERE.

THESE, UH, LOOK LIKE...

THEY'RE WHITE ON THE BODIES... WESTERN GREBES.

LOOK AT THAT LONG NECK.

I MEAN, VERY, VERY SLENDER NECK.

BLACK ON THE BACK OF THE NECK THERE WHITE ON THE FRONT YELLOWISH BEAK.

ISN'T THAT NEAT?

WESTERN GREBE.

VERY GRACEFUL ANIMAL, TOO.

YEAH, WATCH THEM MOVE THROUGH THE WATER OUT THERE.

THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE UH, BOTHERED BY THE WIND AT ALL.

NICE AND EASY AS THEY MOVE ALONG.

ALMOST SWAN-LIKE.

YEAH, SWAN-LIKE NECK, IT LOOKS LIKE.

A VERY GRACEFUL BIRD.

THAT MAY BE A LOON OUT THERE.

THAT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE... THAT COULD BE A PACIFIC LOON.

YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THAT FINE BILL... BEAK, NOT VERY LARGE AND THE COLORATION ON THE NECK.

I THINK THAT'S A PACIFIC LOON THAT'S JUST SPENDING SOME TIME ON THIS LAKE.

IT WOULD BE MORE DELICATE THAN THE COMMON LOON.

YEAH, AND SMALLER.

AND NOW THE, UH, THE COUPLE OF COOTS.

OF COURSE, YOU WOULD EXPECT COOTS THAT REAL DARK BIRD ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH THE WHITER BEAK.

NOW, I SEE SOME SCALP COMING BY, TOO A GROUP OF THEM.

SEE THEM?

OH, SURE.

KIND OF MOVING IN OUR DIRECTION.

THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD VARIETY OF BIRDS ON A DAY LIKE THIS.

AND, AGAIN, STANDING WATER LIKE THIS BRINGS THOSE WATER BIRDS IN.

NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

WHAT A GREAT VISIT AND WHAT A HEALING VISIT HERE IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRAS OF CALIFORNIA.

OH, IT'S A SPECIAL PLACE.

IT'S AN UNFORGETTABLE PLACE AND WE WERE ABLE TO SEE IT STARTING UP HIGH AT THAT 7,000-FOOT LEVEL WITH THE SNOW AND THE CONIFEROUS FOREST.

TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ROCKS YOU KNOW, THE GRANITE AND THE WAY IT WEATHERS.

THAT WAS INTERESTING, I THINK, TO SEE.

AND THEN, OF COURSE THE MOST SPECTACULAR TREE OF ALL, THE GIANT SEQUOIA THAT GIVES THIS FOREST ITS NAME.

AND THEN DOWN TO THE CHAPARRAL.

AND, OF COURSE, WE SAW EXACTLY WHAT WE EXPECTED, RIGHT?

THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS TODAY.

AND THE DIGGER PINES.

DIGGER PINE, THE SCRUB JAY AND THE REST.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE KERN RIVER THE CAMPGROUND WITH BIRDS, BIRDS AND MORE BIRDS MORE THAN I WOULD HAVE EVER EXPECTED.

AND THEN, OF COURSE EVENTUALLY DOWN AT THIS RESERVOIR.

VERY INTERESTING VISIT.

LOTS TO SEE HERE.

SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST NEAR KERNVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

COME AND SEE IT FOR YOURSELF.

IT'S GREAT ANY TIME OF YEAR AND JOIN US AGAIN ON THE NEXT NATURE SCENE.

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