Summer's End

A Nice Morning at Running Deer....but before that, a quick look at a Sharp-shinned Hawk from our Fifth Grade field trip to the ELC yesterday:

Not sure why he stayed put...maybe he found the 80 or so rambunctious 

fifth graders good entertainment?

Maisie and I had a quiet, beautiful Fall visit to Running Deer today. Very few 

residents presented themselves, but our first, an

American Bittern, was a wonderful treat!

Mostly Red-winged Blackbirds at Running Deer today, but a few others too:

Kestrel, unimpressed by my interruption of his hunt!

and a few basically skulky White-crowned Sparrows. I'd have expected

a lot more of them...maybe in the next few weeks?

Fall Morning

North Shields Ponds this morning....

COLD, which was wonderful...though both Maisie and I need some mittens! No Great Blue Herons today, but a quiet Grebe to start the morning off. We walked, while waiting for the sun to warm.

So my newbie bird knowledge is gone. I'll call this a young

American Tree Sparrow [and then I'll be corrected] 'cause of

his chest mark.

A few lone sandpipers. [insert id correction here :)]

and then, at the end of our walk, a fabulous TREAT! A giant flock of 

Cedar Waxwings, many of them young. (I think nearing 100)

I've never seen immature waxwings, and their streaked bellies were 

absolutely lovely.

In among the Waxwings, A Western Tanager :) How fabulous to see two 

of my favorite foothills residents on the move. (Especially since I've

been unable to get to the foothills as of late!)

Maisie was still napping when we reached the car, so we took a second lap:

Coopers/Sharpshinned manning the river.

and my snnuggled-up walking buddy.