Fall at Crow Valley

Cold enough to wear my sweatshirt and still feel a little chilly this morning at Crow Valley.

Sunrise outside Ault

There were a few commotions at Crow Valley today.

One of them centered around this puddle; robins and jays yakking

all over the place in between morning drinks.

Another commotion involved a pair of Merlins and some Blue Jays.

At one point the battle raged on directly above me. In my

excitement I think I saved the Jay, (at least temporarily)

but lost the shot.

I figured I'd get to see a lot of Wilson's Warblers hopping around CV today.

Expectation met.

Plumbeous vireo....judging by recent posts anyhow.

Don't know about this one...feels like a Warbling Vireo though.

UPDATE: Um, let's just say this is confirmed as Warbling. 

Cracks me up :)

On the way home, I looked for Burrowing Post Owls. No luck, only 

this guy. I was sad to see a recent fire had burned some of my 

favorite Burrowing habitat.

Also at Crow Valley Today:

Hermit Thrush

Brown Thrasher

a scruffy immature N Mockingbird

House Wrens

Flycatchers

Up at Lory Before Snow

Went up to the Mill Creek trail yesterday, before today's good dumping. No grouse, no turkey (I can always hope...) but a fellow hiker did point out MOUNTAIN LION tracks crossing the trail. Would have enjoyed seeing that lion (yes, from a safe distance...)

Water still running at a favorite spot - though cold as anything yesterday.

Chickadees and Nuthatches EVERYWHERE...

Townsend's Solitaire and

"?" Sparrow...Now known to be Cassin's Finch :)

Would have been fun today in all this snow!! But it was nice to stay inside and watch goldfinches :)

Crow Valley in November

Two new birds today, I think:  An American Tree Sparrow and my first Townsend's Solitaire (needed help identifying that one.)

On the way out, a nice view of an immature Bald Eagle:

The rest of the images: Crow Valley Photos