Busy day!

Since it was the first day of another month, decided we should walk over to the park, and despite the fact it decided to shower on us pretty much the whole time, I’m glad we did! 

birds were all along the path….here a female American Robin and a White-crowned Sparrow….one of many White-crowned Sparrows!

The ‘log bay’ is no longer a ‘bay’ the logs are all totally submerged and the water is just about over the top and inching towards the bench.

There were a pair of Red-neck Grebes out there, could see some Bufflehead ducks way out and some gulls dipping and diving and since a big flock of Bonaparte Gulls was reported at Harrison today, I suspect these were also Bonaparte’s they were just too far off to see clearly

I was watching this Black capped Chickadee, trying to decide if it was at a nesting cavity or not…

when I spotted this Mourning Dove…..

and then right behind me this Flycatcher, I think maybe a Hammonds but I’m really not great at Flycatcher ID.

there was a Song Sparrow sitting right under where the flycatcher was…everyone was trying to shelter from the rain, including us, although I was more worried about my poor camera than about us.

We wandered back to the viewing platform area, the district has put up a sign again to replace the one that was destroyed….it will be obeyed for the next 4 or 5 months since the path is full of water now, in fact another few days and the viewing platform will be inaccessible…

There were Red-wing Blackbirds out there in the Hardhack bushes but the lower part of all the bushes are now under water….

I’d been hearing a Hairy Woodpecker coming closer and closer….there it is,  that is as clear as I could get….I think it is kind of a neat picture!  There was a Rufous Hummingbird perched at the top of this same Willow, and another of the Flycatchers…all while the Woodpecker worked his way up the stem.

With the rain not letting up we decided to head for home…and spotted this Townsends Solitaire perched in a tree at the front of one of the houses

Then as we walked along Morris Valley Road, there were 3 more Townsends Solitaire perched on this chain link fence…unfortunately one of the multitude of logging trucks drove by and 2 of them flew, but this one remained – it looks a lot browner than they normally are….

The day didn’t end there….

I couldn’t resist taking some more Douglas Squirrel pictures as this cheeky little guy yelled at either me or my dog in my own yard….

and then, after supper I went out in my yard, looked across the street and here was this fellow munching on dandelions!!  I’m pretty sure it is one of the subspecies of Snowshoe Hare that are occasionally seen in this area and I believe are ‘listed’.

The subspecies is ‘washingtonii’ and the description sure matches – short brown to cinnamon coloured fur with coarser white tipped hairs on back and sides, outer margins of ears lined in black and white, large hind feet….

I’ll add one more….just another illustration of how important dandelions are to the creatures that inhabit this planet with us!