Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary
The day was a bit overcast but we had to see if the Killdeer babies had hatched. Alas, they had not! On the bright side, they were still around, though the staff was much more vigilant and shooed me away from the tape fence. Turns out being a regular and a member doesn’t give me special access to sensitive birds 🙁
The Snow Geese out on the marshes took off and landed randomly and loudly, as is their way. But wait, it’s not just Snow Geese? It looks like a small handful of White-fronted Geese have joined them and… are migrating with them?
Well, I guess it’s possible. They start and end in more or less the same places, and it’s not the first time I’ve seen Snow × White-fronted interspecies friendships.
A Yellowthroat! I can always hear these little birbs but they’re even sneakier than Marsh Wrens!
Now I know House Sparrows tend to invade Tree Swallow nest boxes, which I believe is why they put up the round metal thing around the entrance, so swallows can get in but sparrows can’t.
(“They” being Reifel staff, not sparrows themselves, that would be silly.)
But it looks like in this case the metal thing wasn’t even necessary, because this doofus was trying to enter while still holding on to that twig. It’s a beautiful twig, no doubt, a load-bearing twig if I ever saw one, and will complement the feng shui perfectly, but it’s no good if you can’t get it through the damn door!
Hi hello you’re still here. I’ll just be going now!
ƛ̓éxətəm (Tlahutum) Regional Park
Ewww don’t touch your face with the foot that was just in that water!
Though it’s not like they have many options. And when you itch you gotta scratch!
We decided to do things a little bit differently, and went up the Sheep Paddock Trail then down the little trail leading to the parking lot right next to Hwy 7. And what did we see in the middle of the trail, having a bit of a dust bath? This Bewick’s Wren! Adorable. I didn’t even know they did that.
Piper Spit
A female Pintail, showing off her speculum!
