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A Tiny Guest at Breakfast

Early last week I sat down to eat breakfast and noticed that I had a guest. Just outside the window was a Northern Pygmy-owl perched on the deck railing. So close I could almost touch the bird. These owls are very small – less than seven inches long with a wing span of twelve inches and weighing 2.5 ounces! They have false ‘eyes’ on the back of their head in order to confuse potential predators. They nest in tree cavities in conifer or deciduous forests in the mountains and move to lower elevation when the snow falls. They eat small rodents and songbirds as well as insects. This bird was watching my feeders where there were at least three types of finches to choose from – House Finch, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskins.

My breakfast got cold as I watched and photographed the owl. It didn’t mind when I moved around inside the house, trying to find a place where the windows weren’t too dirty. My camera was more interested in focusing on the dirty windows rather than the owl! Finally Sky noticed the owl and walked towards it with evident curiosity. At first the owl didn’t seem bothered by her but then she barked and the owl flew to a new perch.

Lookout Mountain in November

This was the third time I’ve been to Lookout Mountain this year. And each time some clouds obscured the views allowing only peek-a-book scenes of the mountains all around. Each time I started in a different place too – the first time in Smith Canyon, making it a longer hike, the second time at the trailhead and this week – more than a mile down the road from the trailhead due to a road closure to protect mule deer. It’s always up, up, up though.

We started with sunny skies but fog had formed in the valleys below us and as we went uphill, so did the fog, sometimes completely obscuring any view and other times revealing bits and pieces of it. When we got near the ridge top, the trees were covered with ice crystals and the temperature was rising slowly. As the air warmed, many of the crystals loosened their grips on the needles and branches and began to tinkle to the ground making a magical sound. They would fall in waves and then stop. We were careful not to stop under any heavily laden trees.

Fall is certainly past its peak and winter is beginning to take over the landscape. However lots of color reminds us of the season just past.

Here is how it looked in May.

The Alder mine still affects water quality near Twisp
Luna collected stuff in her fur
Snow-capped mountains to the west
Icy flakes of crystals tinkling to the ground
Ice crystals
Ice crystals on lichen
Ice crystals fallen to the ground
Bits of scenery
Piles of ice crystals
Wind-blown ice crystals?
Lookout through the fog
And then the fog parted
Ice crystals on the lookout
Ice crystals piled up under the lookout
The lookout on Lookout Mountain
Bitterroot leaves already growing for next year’s flowers
Twisp
Winthrop in the distance. The lake is called Buck, Shaw or Frost Lake.
Rose hips
Lingering aspen leaf
Aspens
Cottonwood and aspens

A Great Egret Near Twisp

Last week I got to watch this stately bird preen and preen some more in the morning sunshine. The bird didn’t mind me watching and taking pictures and was a lot more cooperative than the Mallards in the nearby pond. Great Egrets nest south of here in central Washington and after they fledge, they disperse to various areas, some going north like this one. Hopefully it will get some sense and migrate south soon, before the beaver ponds freeze over. There was a skim of ice that morning when I watched it and we’ve had smatterings of snow twice this week already.

Dogs Just Want to Have Fun

Early snowfall in the North Cascades makes everyone happy around here. After two low snow years, we are hoping (against predictions) for lots and lots of snow for fun and to replenish the depleted aquifers and streams and maybe to give us a reprieve from wildfires next year.

MA and I loaded the dogs and various layers of winter clothes and drove to Rainy Pass where we found ten inches of snow on the ground and hardly any tracks. We were the first to walk to Rainy Lake. It looked like some folks had gone to Maple Pass – nothing we wanted to try in winter conditions. The dogs and especially Luna were delighted to see snow again! It seems like so much more fun for them to run and romp hard with a soft white blanket to cushion the crashes.

At the lake I attempted to re-create a portrait of Sky that I made two years ago when she was a three month old puppy. You can see the original here. It’s similar but she is looking the wrong direction. My fault!

Like a Christmas card.
Quincy and Luna
Frida
Everyone in one image
But mom, she took my stick
So quiet in the snow-covered forest
Rainy Lake looks cold
Please throw the stick
We’re not so sure about that idea
Throw the stick
Like two years ago
I’ll get it!
The older dogs slowed down on the way back
What’s over there?
An attempt at a four dog portrait

On the Road with Sky

Sky and I went to Loon Lake, WA last week for a NADAC agility trial. We met several friends there and had a terrific time. Out of fifteen runs, we had three qualifiers and three runs with only one error. For us, that’s a very good showing. We know our weak spots and what we need to work on before the next event.

Along the way in both directions, I stopped as often as possible to explore the landscapes. It is really a beautiful part of the state and with fall colors, even more so. We crossed the Loup (Loup Loup Pass), went down the lower Okanogan and across the Columbia, up to Grand Coulee and then south to Wilbur at highway 2. From there we went north at Reardan to Springdale and over to Loon Lake. There’s a lot of little towns in Washington and the highways don’t often go directly from one community to the next. This sounds like a complicated route but really, it’s the quickest way. On the way home, we went from Springdale to Fruitland and then down to Creston, making for a longer trip with an overnight stop but it was worth it to meet new friends and see the mountains between Springdale and the Columbia and various wildlife too. I saw lots of white-tailed deer and wild turkeys and a coyote and a porcupine. I also got to see some of the Carpenter Canyon wildfire that burned this summer.

On the way to Loon Lake

Heading down our road I realize I’m going to need new wiper blades in addition to a latte before I get out of town.
Up the Twisp River to drop Luna off with her friends Quincy and Frida til Ken can pick her up that evening.
Also along the Twisp River. Evidence of the fire that burned this summer. Retardant makes the trees even more colorful than usual.
We stopped to walk on the x country ski trails at the Loup.
The trails are carpeted with larch needles.
Larch needles on a rock.
Ponderosa pine cone and larch needles
Wolf lichen on a pine tree.
Oh look, Sky found a stick.
I think these are kinnikinnick berries.
Some larch needles remain on a small tree
Lichen at the end of a cut tree
More lichen
This is sort of like one of those silly Halloween images
Waiting for a treat
Is this a stick or a log?
Pine drops
Beautiful western larch treees
I love these sculpted by wind sand hills
Winter wheat in Lincoln County
Long straight road to Wilbur
Maple tree clothed in yellow
Mountain ash berries
Tiny mushrooms
A hydro power plant on the Spokane River
What do you mean we have to get back in the car? I’m just starting to have fun.

 

Two videos from the agility trial

 

On the way home

Bufflehead ducks
Canada Geese