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Tag Archives: Methow Wildlife Area

The Weather is not Boring

Willow and I spent much of the first half of December walking the hills around the valley on the Methow Wildlife Area. The state closed those lands yesterday for mule deer habitat til next Spring. We never did see a deer all the time we walked out there. We only saw a few birds. We did find some beaver dams and lodges and ponds but didn’t get to see the beavers.

It’s been a mixed bag of weather, that’s for sure. We started out with snow on the ground, thinking we would soon be cross country skiing but no, it rained. It rained inches! There has been flooding in the upper valley and severe flooding in other parts of Washington. We are fortunate here and just had some erosion on our driveway. The rain melted the snow and then we had lots of fog but also a couple sunny days. One day, we got just above the top of the fog. It was beautiful.

Now the hills are closed to us and it’s pouring rain, again. ‘They’ say we will start getting snow again on Thursday. Fingers crossed.

Wildflowers, Birds and Butterflies

The girls and I had a good hike this week. We covered a whole variety of habitats and saw lots of great wildflowers, some baby birds and beautiful blue butterflies. I had hoped the fireweed would be in full bloom but it was too early. The buckwheat and paintbrush were the real stars of the wildflower show. There were Mallard and goldeneye ducklings and I found two Lewis’s Woodpecker nests in burned snags. The aspens were full of bird song. I came across an active burrow that is home to what? Maybe a badger? The girls enjoyed cooling off in a lake and tussled over a stick too.

Who recognizes the location of the first photo?

Late Winter Hike

The girls and I ventured out into the hills last week. Our path was sometimes covered with crusty or soft snow, mud and occasionally dirt. The steep south-facing slopes are bare and dry but other locations not so much. At the top of our climb, it was windy. Very windy. No flowers yet and very few birds but that’s changing quickly.

Remnants of an old foundation
Watch out for old barbed wire
New growth
Looks like she could fly right into that wind!
bunch grass
Last year’s balsamroot
Too much knapweed, or barnaby as they call it around here
Looking down valley
Squalls in the mountains.

Scenes from a Walk

Not enough snow for skiing but cold enough that a person needs to wear warm clothes. The dogs don’t seem to mind. Few birds around. I did see my first of the season Northern Shrike. Also Black-billed Magpie, Mountain Chickadees, Common Raven, Northern Flicker and Red-tailed Hawk.

Ponderosa pine cone
Wolf lichen on pine bark
Sagebrushh
Pockets of blue sky
New growth

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!