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Category Archives: birds

Some days the sun shines and the promise of spring is everywhere. Other days, like today, we wake up to snow and then rain, gray skies that do not help melt the heavy snow or dry up the mud. Wednesday was a day that featured the promise of spring with birds singing and outstanding views and water rushing down the road, creatiing rivulets and puddles and imitations of Lake Missoula flooding everything in its path. 

Says Phoebe

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This handsome bird showed up under our feeders with a big mob of Red-winged Blackbirds. The blackbirds seem to be bent on eating us out of house and home and we are seeing fewer of the other birds who have kept us company all winter. The Varied Thrush didn’t seem to take any guff off of them and shared his seeds with Mourning Doves, Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Flickers and the blackbirds. He stayed for several hours. I hope he returns tomorrow. I looks forward to his ethereal song in the forest.

Varied Thrush

Varied Thrush

Varied Thrush

I spent some time Sunday near the river hoping to get photos of the hot air balloons. Instead, I mostly watched birds as the balloons floated overhead and down the other side of the valley. To see images of the balloons from Saturday go to my Reflected Light blog

Methow River

Mallards

Mallards

Mallards

Mallards

Mallards

At home, this Hairy Woodpecker was oblivious to the balloons landing across the valley.Hairy Woodpecker

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We saw this migrating flock of shorebirds in a farm field just south of Soap Lake on highway 17 as we returned from the Sandhill Crane Festival. They were all foraging or resting.

Long-billed Curlews
Long-billed Curlews
Long-billed Curlews
Long-billed Curlews
Long-billed Curlews
Long-billed Curlews
Long-billed Curlews

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Sandhill Cranes migrate through central Washington each Spring and Fall. Large numbers congregate along the Royal Slope area, feeding on spent corn in the irrigated ag fields. The small community of Othello celebrates these magnificent birds with a festival each March.

Cranes at the Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
Cranes at the Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
Cranes at the Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
Cranes at the Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
Cranes at the Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
Cranes at the Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
Cranes at the Othello Sandhill Crane Festival