Sweet Robin

June 10, 2014

Spring in the Skagit Valley

Mmmmm! Lunch!

In Search of Spring

With the yard covered in snow and new snow on the deck, we're wondering where spring is.  It seems to have lost its way, so for now I guess I'll have to make do with remembered color.....

After the Rain

This evening we had a heavy shower, and after it cleared up I was taking photos of the raindrops on my flowers.  A robin surprised me when he landed on the BBQ grill very near me.

He was quite wet and shook very hard to dry off his feathers.

He then hopped over to a flower box to think about his options, and then down to the grass to begin hunting. In short order he had a caterpillar and hopped back to the flower box with it.  I can only think his contortions were to get a little better grip on the caterpillar before he dropped to the ground again to continue the hunt, all the while keeping hold of that caterpillar.  I imagine there are multiple open mouths back in the nest and one caterpillar wouldn't go very far.

Who knew that robins had so much white on their rump?

Scenes From My Backyard

Spring has arrived in my back yard.  The leaves are very close to popping out.  

There are still remnants of snow in a few shady spots, but most of the snow melt has disappeared and the ground is dry.

 My perennial beds are showing signs of life with Jacob's ladder, wild iris, columbine, rhubarb, ornamental onion, and more.

As we sat on the deck yesterday morning there was activity from the birds that have been arriving over the last few weeks.  The Robins and Juncos were bouncing around on the ground, and I saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler in the trees.  Flying overhead was a Seagull, and later I saw Ravens and a pair of Trumpeter Swans, which I didn't get photos of.  There were also several mechanical birds as they approached or took off from the little airport not too far from our house.

My favorite sighting though was an Eagle drifting along on the air currents, looking for a meal.  He's welcome to any of the many voles we've been seeing in our yard this year.

The day began with sunny skies but by late afternoon clouds began to roll in.  All in all it was a good day to do a little yard cleanup.

Scenes from Creamer's Field

Here are some more photos that I took at Creamer's Field on Monday.

Hitchin' a Ride

In the Backyard

Spring has definitely arrived in Fairbanks and is rushing headlong into summer as it usually does. Yesterday and today hit 70 degrees, and the forecast is to be in the mid 70s by Saturday and for the next week. Songbirds have arrived , one of the most noticeable the Robins. The first shot I took out the kitchen window this evening. Then a little later the pair that has claimed our yard as their territory were feeding and appeared to be searching for nesting material.

They don't seem to be too concerned when I'm in the yard, and allowed me to be quite close to them.

I also saw a White-crowned Sparrow who darted under the deck after the seeds that had been scattered this winter from the feeders. I've also spotted Juncos heading under the deck, but so far no photos.

I have been hearing and seeing a number of Yellow-rumped Warblers all week, but they tend to be high in the trees and are not cooperating for my photo sessions. For a small bird they have a very large voice, and although I can hear them I can't always see them. I like the photo that I took yesterday of one singing up in a tree as they spend a lot of time doing just that.

That photo was taken at 11:30 in the morning, and you can see the leaves were just starting to peek out. With the temperature warmer yesterday afternoon and today the leaves are really starting to pop. They are not open fully yet, but things are beginning to look green. This shot was taken about 8:00 tonight.

Things grow at a phenomenal rate with our long hours of daylight. Sunrise today was 4:18 a.m. and sunset was 11:17 p.m. and we are gaining 7 minutes of daylight a day. Of course, civil twilight ends at 2:23 a.m. and begins at 2:23 a.m. You've got it, it's not getting completely dark now. We'll keep getting more sunshine until June 21st, and then we'll begin the long downhill slide. For now, though, we're going to be cramming as much as possible into every day!

What's Happening at Creamer's Field

Every day at Creamer's Field right now there are different things to see. Most of the geese have departed for their nesting grounds, but more and more Sandhill Cranes are arriving. They are always interesting to watch--they even get the attention of the geese on occasion.

In the last few days the trails have dried out, so it is possible now to walk back along them without getting your feet wet. Today I saw my first Robin of the spring, always one of the sure signs of spring.

Yellow-rumped Warblers are also back. Look closely and you'll see one hiding in the birch tree.

The buds on the trees are prominent, and before too long we'll be seeing leaves.

When you walk along the trails back behind the barns at this time of year you find the seasonal wetlands. Large ponds have formed from the snow melt and will not seep into the ground until June when the icy ground below them melts. It's a good place to look for ducks.

Even without any birds, the beautiful reflections are well worth the walk.

Yesterday I walked along the Boreal Forest Trail. The majority of the trail is boardwalk and without the boardwalk there is no way you could walk through the forest at this time of year as it is mostly water.

I'll post more of the photos I took along the trail in a few days. Tomorrow we're off on a short road trip to Northway, down towards the Canadian border, in search of pieces and parts for the renovation of Marty's '56 Crown Victoria. Vicky's renovation has begun, and she is in need of many replacement parts. The list grows longer every day!