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Tag Archives: Methow

Flycatchers nesting

Empidonax species. I have never mastered the ID skills for this group of birds. I’m not alone. There are several Empidonax flycatchers that appear in this area including Hammonds, Dusky, Gray, Willow, and Pacific-slope (Western). There’s a Cordileran too but I’m not sure how the Pacific-slope, Western and Cordileran all fit together. They are either one species or two. Not to confuse the matter further. (insert smile here) Obviously, I’ve not been taking this matter of Empidonax identification seriously.

Anyway, these two birds have a nest at a house on the river by the cottonwood forest. This is the same place that had the Cedar Waxwing nest. If you have a thought on their ID, do let me know. For those that pay attention to these things, the bird on the wire bobbed its tail up and down. Maybe Hammonds?

From someone who knows these birds better than me: Lots of yellow on the belly during the breeding season, strong eye-ring with a bit of tear drop look, large and wide bill with orange lower mandible, and the nest is on a building (probably lined with moss or lichens) means ‘western’ type, probably in our area Pacific-slope although there is a possibility of Cordillean Flycatcher here as well.

Scenes from the Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival

Thursdsay was our first time ever to attend a performance of the annual, week-long festival held high on a hill above our house. The Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival attracts musicians of incredibly high caliber from places near and far. Our friends brought East 20 pizza and some refreshments and we arrived early to picnic on the lawn and visit and enjoy the evening light.

Weather is at long last, simply perfect. Signal Hill Ranch, the festival venue, overlooks the valley with the North Cascades in the distance and it is a lovely setting to celebrate music and musicians and the folks that appreciate them. The old enormous barn has been updated for acoustics and audience comfort. I did not take my camera gear however the owner of the ranch suggested I use his to get a few pictures of the evening. Unfamiliar equipment, location and lighting made it a challenge and a learning experience. I always enjoy photographing music so it was interesting and I’ll give it a try again next year.

Oh, and the music – it was fabulous.

 

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Cedar Waxwings in a Nest

A lady who lives up river a ways from us gave me a call the other day to say there is a nest of Cedar Waxwings at their house and would I like to photograph it. Well, yeah. Just had to find the time this busy week. This morning I got down there around 8:30 and was delighted to see four babies squeezed into the nest and also got to see a parent come to them three different times. The adult never stayed long. These young birds are almost fully feathered and will soon be on their own, trying to figure out where the food comes from. The nest is in an old apple tree so maybe they will return in the fall when the fruit is ripe.

 

 

 

Many thanks to Nancy for sharing!

Salsify Seeds

Ok, so salsify is a weed and there sure is a lot of it this year. All those not so pretty yellow flowers are turning into fluffy dandelion-like seeds, ready to be wafted away by the slightest breeze. There is a certain pleasure in observing their geometric elegance before they disperse.

 

 

Morning on Patterson Lake

This morning started out to be another ho,t still day, similar to yesterday. At Patterson Lake, birds were singing, insects buzzing and a few early risers were out fishing and stretching their muscles on the water. I paddled my kayak from one end to the other and back, listening to birds and buzzing insects from the trees. I saw an Osprey catch a fish; heard woodpeckers tapping on trees; saw turtles sunning themselves on logs. It was a good morning to be out on the water.

 

 

 

a Common Goldeneye chick

 

Here the chick is reunited with its family

 

I saw this moth thrashing around in the water

 

and brought it onto my boat to dry its tattered leaves.

Later I left it in a tree.