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Another Spring Hike

The hillsides are really drying out quickly this year. Mud season usually seems to last weeks but this year it has been short. My favorite vernal pond isn’t a pond. I’ve seen salamanders and spadefoot toads there some years. I wonder how long they can stay dormant underground til the water returns?

Dry hillsides make for good hiking so the girls and I are enjoying it while we can. It won’t be long til we will be able to get up into the mountains!

aspens
last year’s yarrow
willow
last year’s nest
Hairy Woodpecker
Look, I’ve got a stick!
still has a bounce in her step
I got a heavier stick!
Mallard
Barrow’s Goldeneye
grouse

Early Spring Hike

The girls and I enjoyed a good hike in the hills on Saturday.

Remnants of ranch life
Lots of water from snowmelt
This male bluebird was trying really hard to impress a female with his choice of a nesting cavity
Dusky Grouse
Stunning mountain views
Dead aspens
Aspens returning
Last year’s mariposa lily
Last year’s fireweed
My twelve-year-old hiking girl
Let’s go!

Spring Bird Song

As the days grow warmer, new birds migrate to the nesting areas and begin setting up their territories, declaring them from tree tops, fence posts and signs. During yesterday’s early morning walk, I heard bluebirds, sparrows, finches and meadowlarks. Owls wake us up at night with their hooting. There is so much to see and hear!

Here is the song of the Western Meadowlark from the Cornell website.

Morning light on yonder hills
Western Meadowlark
Mountain Bluebird
Red-tailed Hawk
Great Horned Owl

A Walk by the River

This time of year it is difficult to find good walking places. They are either covered in soft, unpredictable snow, or slush and mud, or just plain mud. The girls really like a little variety in their lives so I do try to get them out and about to various places. This morning we visited a small piece of public land on the river. It was a mix of soft and hard packed snow, very wet slush and occasionally wet ground. They were ecstatic. And Sky found sticks. Lots of sticks. What more could she want? Luna found smells. Lots of good stinky smells. It was a perfect dog walk.

Happy!
Throw it! Please!
Lichens are in full color
Who will be the lucky birds for #6?
Busy beaver work
Please!

Spring Birds

My birthday is the first day of Spring – the Equinox – and I like to celebrate it out in nature. This year the snow lingers most everywhere in our region making hikes or even long walks pretty challenging. So we went down to the big river – the Columbia – where the temperature is more moderate and the snow melts more quickly. Still, there was snow on the ground. Not everywhere so we all were happy to walk or in the dogs’ case, run on ground for a change. And Sky got to jump in the river so all of her wishes came true.

Ken and I watched birds and enjoyed the diversity of species we got to see. Sometimes in winter there are just not many birds around. Spring and migration change all that. We saw over fifty species in a few hours of birding. That includes the birds at home. One of those was a Great Horned Owl that woke me up before dawn, hooting from a snag in our yard. I had hoped to maybe see Sandhill Cranes but it seems that they are put off by all the remaining snow. I imagine when they do head north, they won’t stop here very long since they need to get to their nesting grounds. We did see lots of ducks and geese and swans too.

I think these are all Tundra Swans
Mixed flock of Mallards, Northern Pintails and maybe some American Wigeons too.
A lone Snow Goose with a group of Canada Geese
First Killdeer of the spring
Horned Grebe
This beaver kept a close eye on us as we ate our lunch from the tailgate
Common Loon
I never did get a clear view of this not quite grown up Bald Eagle