I actually took the camera out today to take pictures of Mountain Lion tracks. Last night a neighbor called to ask if we were seeing the big cats up by our house, and to let us know they were around if we didn’t know. We had heard rumors a few weeks ago. These large cats have a very big range, and we didn’t know they were so close.
There are two of them hanging around in the woods right below our house, and they’ve been seen crossing the road, most recently a few days ago. So, we knew were to find the tracks, and sure enough they were there. But it had snowed a bit and filled in the tracks enough to make a picture nondescript, not worth taking. In that regard, my picture taking was a failure.
These are the woods where the cats are hanging out. Anybody home? I would love to see one but going down to look for them doesn't sound like a really brilliant idea.
There are a lot of Snowshoe Hares in the Aspen grove adjacent to the woods, and cougars dearly love a hare for dinner.
We carried on down the hill and drove along the river, looking for Dippers.
These little fat gray birds have thick feathers, so thick that water doesn't penetrate through the outer layer.
This one was doing that a Dipper loves best, hunting in a shallow fast running edge of a river. Diving under the water and walking along, picking up small underwater insects and other yummy things, then popping back upon the rocks and snow, tiny drops of water cascading off like he was covered with Teflon.
The feathers trap air in the thick downy feathers, and these little guys stay toasty warm and dry.
We’ve seen them diving in a warm spring-fed water source at the outlet creek of a lake in Alaska, at -35F. It’s surreal and fascinating to watch these birds go about their business.
An adult Golden Eagle was soaring overhead, no doubt watching us watching him.
Last week we were within six feet of one of these birds, who was trying to remove a deer leg from the side of the road. That particular bird, when interrupted by our car, gave us quite the dirty look before flying off to a tree top close-by, to wait for our departure.
Further down the road, a couple of adult Bald Eagles were soaring around over the river. It is spring time, as far as they are concerned, and that is why we are seeing pairs soaring around, showing off to each other. Any day when you can see two species of Eagles, and a Dipper, is a very good day indeed.
It’s hard to believe, but in two months we are going to have hummingbirds back again. There is a foot of snow on the ground up by our house, but it won’t last long now that the days are getting longer and the sun is higher in the sky.
Thoughts turn to a greenhouse design plan, and a garden concept.