A Walk in the Woods - Saturday's Critters

Hello Friends, come along with me

and we'll take a walk in the woods 

to see some of the wild-life 

that lives here in the foothills

of the Cascade mountains

 of western Washington State. 

The first bird we see is a common Robin. 

He has a Thimble Berry in his beak. 

These berries are named for their thimble-like shape. 

They grow on low shrubs with large, maple shaped leaves,

and are a favorite of birds. They were also used by

native peoples as an important food source. 

The Bitter Cherry trees are full of tiny fruits, 

which attract Cedar Waxwings. 

I love watching these talkative little birds

as they browse together in the tree limbs. 

Their greenish coloring is excellent camouflage. 

Another bird that loves Bitter Cherry is the Western Tanager. 

  This is a young, non-breeding male. 

Here you can see the breeding male with his bright, rosy head among the cherries. 

The brightness of this little bird's plumage

stands out against the backdrop of the evergreen forest. 

Every year we have a nesting pair. 

The male trills loudly during nesting, 

luring potential predators away from 

the nest. 

His bright flashes of color move quickly, 

and is an effective lure away from the 

camouflaged, greenish female while 

she sits on her nest; a cup in a horizontal

fork of a conifer tree, well away from the main

trunk, 20-40 ft. above the ground. 

They move so quickly, that it is difficult to 

get a photo, but I was persistent :)

They are insect and fruit eaters.

Another colorful bird is the Black-Headed Grosbeak. 

You can see the bright black and white wings and orange body

of the adult male. 

The female and young are greenish-brown with similar markings. 

These medium-sized birds will eat insects, seeds and fruit, 

but particularly love the black-oil sunflower seeds in the feeder. 

They migrate all the way to Mexico, Central and South America

and return each year to nest. 

This is our native Douglas Squirrel. 

They are small, quick, and fearless, 

and will sit in a tree and chatter and scold 

when you walk by. 

I was feeding the birds on the deck last winter

(an ill-advised thing to do, as it attracted mice)

and one little Douglas squirrel buried 

sunflower seeds in virtually all of my potted plants :)

undeterred by my two cats who regularly patrolled. 

He also ate or replanted all of my potted crocus bulbs. 

I had no crocus on the deck, but they 'inexplicably' 

turned up blooming in the side garden. 

So, a little surprise to counter-act the thievery. 

These little guys also love the sunflower seed. 

As we come to the gate at the end of the driveway, 

we see another surprise, across the lane

in the neighbor's field. 

A young Black-Tail buck in the low evening light......

With a lady-friend. Do you see her? 

As the evening light turns the field to gold,

we head back home, 

leaving them in peace. 

White Silene blooms in a forest meadow. 

These are pollinated by moths. 

They close up in bright sunlight. 

We have a pair of crows that have nested here for years. 

They are loners and don't belong to a flock

while nesting. 

Here, the fledgling is being guarded by the female, 

while the male stands watch nearby. 

After a little coaxing, the three of them fly off together. 

They return to the nest every day, coaxing and calling the 

young crow to follow.  

It is hard work watching over the young :) 

They will join the main flock in the fall and stay 

with them all winter, breaking away to nest 

once more in spring. 

I watch the flock fly over every fall and winter evening, 

on their way to roost in the foothills out of sight. 

They fly back every morning, on their way to feed

in farmer's fields all day. 

I hope that you have enjoyed coming along on 

this walk in the woods near my home

to see some of the wildlings who 

live nearby. 

xoxo

Today I am joining:

Viewing Nature With Eileen - Saturday's Critters