Odds and ends.

No drama, no scandals, no emotional anniversaries.   Just some birds and things I've been seeing around over the last few days or so...

On Sunday I drove my friend up to Olympia to deliver some shirts.   We stopped by Capitol Lake briefly before heading over to Wolf Haven International, a wolf sanctuary.

 Canvasbacks, etc.

The sanctuary was awesome.


Most of the wolves (all of them?) came to the sanctuary from people who tried to own them as pets.  The above gray wolf, Shadow, was bought by a college kid as a pup and raised in an apartment.  People are stupid.

A pair of Mexican gray wolves were my favorites- Gypsy and Diablo:


The sanctuary participates in a captive breeding program for this endangered subspecies, as well as with red wolves.  They've had some success, which is awesome.  All of the gray wolves are "fixed" so they can't reproduce in captivity.

I think this is London, another gray wolf

Anyway, on Monday I went in search of another Ross's Goose.  I couldn't find it, but here are a few other birds from the Vancouver Lowlands...

Sandhill Cranes

 Greater White-fronted Geese

On Wednesday I was making lunch when some bright red caught my eye outside- a gorgeous pair of Purple Finches were visiting!

Finch fest (though no siskins yet)

Yesterday morning before leaving on a dog walk I noticed this quite grey junco in the yard.  It was still kind of dark so the photos are fuzzy, but you get the idea.  Slate-colored or Cassiar?.


Either way, I think is the first non-Oregon junco my yard has seen.  And from our sub-freezing dog walk...

Common Goldeneyes

 Common Mergansers

 Brown Creeper

 Frosty heron stink eye

Sounds like it's going to be cold but sunny for the weekend so hopefully I can get out and wrangle some more good stuff for ya.  Good times!!

Comments

  1. I've been scanning my yard juncos like crazy looking for a state colored this year. I don't think I've ever seen one. I'm hoping this cold snap brings in some good birds. DP saw the shrike out at Jackson Bottoms and I hope I can get out there this weekend and see it too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great variety of birds, Jen! The wolves are cool too, love the gray one at the top. Great lighting on the Brown Creeper too. Great post and photos, happy birding!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice shots. Awesome birds. "People are stupid." Was that Sartre or Camus?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was just a statement, a point that cannot be argued if you will.

      Delete
  4. Yeah Cassiar's, too brown on the back for Slate-colored. Good luck this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm fascinated by watching coyotes and foxes in the wild and would love to see a wolf some day. Cool to see some up close like that. People are always taking on pets that they can's handle. In Connecticut people it seems to be the cool thing to get Pit Bulls for pets but most people end up getting rid of them and then they have to be put to sleep because it is difficult to find owners to adopt adult pit bulls. Good job catching the creeper and Frosty heron stink eye-ha ha! Sounds like a mixed drink you would make at a birders bar.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great flight shots! May I use them to annoy some of my students ?? They would love the practice, as would I.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Super action shots in this post you are tracking the flight dead on!!! Jealous over those cranes of course...I may not get to see them this yr...BUT NEXT YR FOR SURE. I was certain I would see them on my trip to CO as you know it was postponed till whenever..

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment