Tweets

I took advantage of the spectacular day outside to weed, mow, and watch wildlife in the yard.

Birds were everywhere with an interesting assortment moving about very high in the sky. I was watching about a dozen BLACK SWIFTS moving about when what I realized was a huge raptor came into view - I guessed Bald Eagle - but I was wrong - It was a GOLDEN EAGLE and it was soon joined by a second. These birds eventually moved down to only about 200 feet above me and I had great looks with a certain ID. The birds came in from the east and eventually updrafted and moved back that way after maybe 20 minutes. Later I watched a PEREGRINE FALCON that was soaring very very high go into a full stoop until it disappeared just on the other side of the river. I've seen many many BAND TAILED PIGEONS in that area over the past week and I'm guessing the falcon had a pigeon lunch. Other good birds were an ANNA's HUMMINGBIRD pair moving between the feeder, flowers and trees, a single BULLOCKS ORIOLE carring nesting material (very long strands of dried grass) from my upper field to somewhere across the river, and a RAVEN that was flying quite fast toward the north making a sound I've never heard a RAVEN make before - I can only describe it as sounding like a giant Red-Breasted Nuthatch "honk", but constant and very loud heard from the time the bird appeared (the sound got my attention) until it disappeared down river some 45 seconds later.

As I was pulling weeds I ran across at least 10 individual Garter Snakes - including 2 of the tiny ones I've been seeing for a couple of weeks - I caught one and measured it at just 4 inches long. I also had several Alligator Lizards moving in the stumps and rock wall. BUT the best Herp on the day (and likely of the year or years to come) was a RUBBER BOA that I found while cleaning the detritus out from under a giant sword fern. At first I thought I had a stick in my hand until it moved - I dropped the snake and it just sat at my feet for a few seconds before slithering slowly off into the brush. I have lived in the western US for my entire life and this is only the second rubber boad I've found. This snake was a beautiful silvery black (pewter?) color and I estimate it at maybe 24-27 inches long. My heart was really pounding for a few seconds, but what a great privelege it was to find this elusive creature right in my own yard. I later found a mouse nest very near where the snake was with 4 naked pink mice - I think I disturbed the meal run for the snake.

83 degrees today against the predicted 69 - what will tomorrow bring?

Cheers and good birding

Rob
Rob Conway Preston / Fall City, WAlatitude 47 32' 20" , longitude -121 54' 42" robin_birder at hotmail.com
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