This was a fun find! Normally, I hear Wilson’s Snipes from far above, winnowing in the Spring to attract a mate. I saw this bird from quite a distance with its bright white belly and I managed to creep in closer for a better view. The closer I got, the more it hunkered down and then when I backed away, it began to stand tall again. These images are all cropped and from a 600 mm lens.
We’ve had some much needed rain this week and it’s beginning to feel like fall, suddenly it seems.
Willow and I got away for a few days to the mountains of northwest Washington to escape the never-ending days filled with choking wildfire smoke in our little valley. It was a little smoky over there but nothing like here. We were overjoyed to hike in the mountains again and Willow spent lots of time in clear cool water. It was past the peak of wildflower season but still some of the fireweed, asters and monkeyflowers were putting on a good show. Sometimes a person needs a change of scenery.
I was camped next to a glacier-fed river last week and one morning got to watch an American Dipper (formerly known as a Water Ouzel) forage in the clear cold water.
Oh gosh, it’s never ending. Scenes from a smoky week at home when I had planned to be camping next to a mountain lake. Many birds have left. The dogs seem to have a pretty good attitude but the smoke is bad for them too.
