We have had some nice weather when the wind doesn’t blow, and I got out with my kayak on one of the local lakes earlier this week. It was quite lovely. There were fewer birds than I expected, a few people fishing and that man with the strange board buzzing around everywhere at high speed.
Willow and I took a little drive to see something different, walk somewhere new and maybe find some birds. We had a good walk and saw a few birds, but not very many. It seems like there are fewer birds around this winter. Has anyone else noticed this? At the old cemetery with a nice view, we did hear Pygmy Nuthatches and Red Crossbills and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. Our hike in the hills through what appeared to be good winter habitat with little snow only yielded a flock of House Finches, a couple juncos and flickers. The Common Loon in basic plumage was on the big river. I did drive by a Northern Shrike and later found a Northern Saw-whet Owl. The squirrel was just cute and cooperative.
The day we saw the bighorn sheep, we also saw some other fun animals. Otters running and sliding on the ice and ducking in and out of the frigid water with their friends, the swans. Bald Eagles maybe digesting or waiting for their next meal to come along. Clark’s Nutcrackers foraging for their pine seed caches. More swans and a group of partridges near the road as the sun finally started to show up.
We went for a bird walk this morning in the snow flurries. There were not a lot of birds except mergansers and goldeneyes but they were too far away for photos.
I enjoyed watching this Ring-necked Duck trying to herd her ducklings while I sat quietly in my kayak.
My Everyday Photos 