and here is what it looked like just before dark last night.....as it was though, we were luckier than a lot of places...
just a dusting on the ground come this morning. What the photo doesn't show was how cold it was with bitter outflow winds....not exactly what you expect the beginning of November...after all we are only half way through fall!
with no more moisture coming down off the mountains the water levels are really dropping so the gravel bars are showing up again.
just a small portion of the scene out there this morning....probably close to 300 Bald Eagles in the area this morning if you counted all the ones riding the thermals over head. Look at the river in the back ground. Wind was really strong out there....
with the wind out on the river the ducks were all in closer looking for shelter...all the varieties we've been seeing the last few days....wouldn't have been surprised if there were more than a thousand in the general vicinity.
it wasn't any warmer when we set out for our after lunch walk. This pair were just opposite our boat launch. The one on the right would be a 4 year old, just developing it's white head and tail.
bitterly cold at the log bay....there were Mallards sheltering along one side but not out here...
this trio of Tundra Swans were the only swans seen....this must be the same trio we saw a day or two ago....this time when I zoomed in I can make out just the tiniest speck of yellow on the base of the middle bird as well....
still lots of eagles out there...obviously there is just an inch or so of water over the gravel. That structure out there is the remains of a tower that was erected by the David Hancock foundation. The idea was to mount cameras on it so there would be live feed of activity on the flats. It only was successful for one season. The tower blew over during a wind storm about 3 years ago, but I see a sort of ladder against it now which I don't recall seeing before, so not sure what is going on...
Then for our feeder birds.....this bird showed up in our yard tonight, just before dark...
this is a Townsend's Solitaire. Almost robin size, basically all grey with a light eye ring and a touch of buff on the wing, this species is an unusual but fairly regular visitor to the area, usually seen during spring and fall migration and as a single bird, not in a flock. This isn't actually a 'feeder' bird as it doesn't eat seed. Solitaires eat berries and bugs. It stopped at our yard to pick the final 2 or 3 berries on our honeysuckle vine. Since not all birds eat seeds....planting your yard with birds in mind ...that is with as many berry producing plants as you can fit in, will help attract a wider range of birds.
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