Hi Tweets,

as I was picking up sticks out front this morning, I heard a small gype like noise and found myself being watched by a very nice looking ruby-crowned kinglet. He was just about a foot from my head out in the open giving me the once over with one eye and then another. After about 30 or 40 seconds he went back to eating and never did leave the bush he was clinging to. So I got my bins out and found a nice flock of Yellow-rumps along with the golden and ruby-crowned kinglets, Chickadees, downy and hairys, juncos, morning doves, nuthatches, robins, goldfinches, house finches, evening grosbeaks, and steller's jays. I have seen at least one Pileated woodpecker every morning on the snags around here.
I also spotted a flock of swallows very high and moving out of sight behind the trees, so I don't know what kind they were. But thought they would have been gone by now.

when the Red-Tailed hawk flew in, no one was even concerned, though I bet the squirrels where hiding. She flew down the drive way and took up the center snag and peered into the back yard. I was standing not 50 feet from her in the yard, and she seemed not to care till I finally moved to get my camera from the car. She circled the house again and left. She is an immature female, and huge!

I saw this same hawk yesterday when I flushed her from something on the ground right next to our dirt road. Then she just flew up into a tree watching me watch her. I did find morning dove feathers that had been plucked right in the back yard. All of us in the area are blessed with Brush Rabbits and moles so she may have plenty to eat for a few more months yet.

I heard a loon call down at the lake, Varied Thrush are back here also as I heard one from the woods yesterday. I also saw a Coopers hawk carry off a morning dove last week on my way down the road. We have heard barred and barn owls the last few weeks also.

We have had lots of ravens in the area, and if they stick around it will be our 2nd winter with ravens here.

When we cleaned the chestnut-backed chickadee house out, we found lots of moss along with some pink insulation and a small egg buried under the nest cup that was lined with dog hair.

Thats it for around here, I love reading everyone's reports about what is going on in the back yards across the PNW.

Dawn Bailey
Eatonville, WA
mailto:dawnsdog at rainierconnect.com

If you were arrested for being kind, would there be enough evidence to convict you?