Snow, birds and coffee

Winter on the Pond, Lions Park, College Place WA  © Diane B. Reed

The snow has descended from the mountains and arrived in town. The pond is beginning to freeze, the trees have finally lost their leaves and the bird feeders are bustling. Nearby Fort Walla Walla Park is filled with sledders and snowboarders enjoying the slopes. It's a scene right out of Norman Rockwell.

House Finch, orange variant © Diane B. Reed

Time to get cozy and enjoy a good cup of coffee while I enjoy the winter aspect of the pond. Coffee is the subject of my latest "Ponderings" column that  appears in December's issue of Walla Walla Lifestyles magazine which arrived with today's Walla Walla Union Bulletin. The current issue of the magazine will be online soon.

Coffee Cravings on West Poplar, Walla Walla  © Diane B. Reed

Coffee is in the blood of Northwesterners, even transplanted ones like me. In an area known for its fine wine and elegant tasting rooms, don't forget that coffee aficionados are blessed to have lots of great places to find a great cuppa!  A good local source for coffee, Walla Walla Roastery has a wide variety of coffees both at the roastery near the airport, and at stores and restaurants in town. Coffee Perk on 1st Avenue also serves their coffee.

So why not settle in with a good cuppa and enjoy the season!

Turkeys and LBBs

Wild turkeys near Weston Oregon          © Diane B. Reed

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, so it seems appropriate to feature the turkeys we came across near Weston, Oregon. Yesterday, Blue Mountain Audubon had their annual Turkey Trot count in Walla Walla and Columbia Counties. Word has it that they saw 291 wild turkeys!  Outstanding!

A friend of mine told me that her husband went out turkey hunting every year for more than fifteen years, slogging around in the woods and getting cold, tired, and hungry. Despite his persistence, he never bagged a turkey. But when he and his wife went on hikes they saw lots of the big birds up close. He was so exasperated that he gave up turkey hunting and became a birder.

Pine Siskins and House Finches © Diane B. Reed

Speaking of birding, it's easy to get frustrated trying to identify the myriad of small birds that are found in our area. Even experienced birders have trouble identifying birds at a distance, and often refer to these unidentifiable birds as "LBBs" (little brown birds). If you have a bird feeder, or you're lucky to get close enough, you find that these seemingly nondescript birds can be much more colorful  and varied up close than you might expect. Our feeder attracts a number of different LBBs including Pine Siskins, Goldfinches, House Finches, Juncoes, and Chickadees.

House Finch (orange variant) © Diane B. Reed

There's a lot of competition at the feeders and it's entertaining to watch the flapping and fighting over a perch, even when there are plenty to go around. The instinct for survival is a deep-seated one, even when they're enjoying a free meal. At the same time they have to keep their eyes out for the Sharp Shinned Hawk and the neighborhood cats.

We should be thankful that we don't have to compete for our meals and  look over our shoulders for predators. I know I am.

Snow!

Snow in the Blue Mountains near Walla Walla WA        © Diane B. Reed

Woke up this morning to gray skies and snow on the Blues, almost reaching to the valley floor. By afternoon the skies cleared and by dusk the mountains were glowing in the late afternoon light. Downright magical! 

Snow in the Blue Mountains near Walla Walla WA                       © Diane B. Reed

Of course, the alpenglow only lasts for a few fleeting moments before darkness sets in (these days about 4:30). 

Moonrise over Fort Walla Walla  Park   © Diane B. Reed

 As the light fades, the moon rises over Ft. Walla Walla Park and the Blues fade into the twilight. I know we'll be tired of the snow soon enough, but at least for today I think I'll just enjoy the magic.

The Blues

The valley of the south fork of the Walla Walla River
from Lincton Mt. in northeast Oregon  (© Diane B. Reed )

In southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon, the Blue Mountains are just called "the Blues." We see our pond out our back windows, but we see the mountains out our front windows. Wherever we go around town the Blues are there. They rise east of the Palouse Hills, defining the eastern boundary of the valley, even as the various branches of the Walla Walla River and its tributaries make their way down the canyons from higher elevations of the mountains. 

The Blue Mountains, Oregon                                        ©Diane B. Reed

The Blues are not the Rockies, but they rise to more than 6,000 feet in places, and can be a formidable barrier to travel. There are few roads over them. The Oregon Trail crossed the Blues south of here (east of Pendleton) and provided the pioneers with a final difficult mountain passage into the Oregon Territory and their new homes. Even with today's interstate 84, travel over the Blues (especially in winter) is challenging.

The foothills of the Blue Mountains                                             ©Diane B. Reed

 Traveling up into the mountains reveals a progression of grassy foothills dotted with Rabbitbrush and Bitterbrush, leading into a forest of Ponderosa Pines and higher up Douglas Fir, Engelmann spruce and Larch.

These pictures were taken just a few weeks ago, when the Fall seemed reluctant to yield to the oncoming winter. The struggle is still evident as the snow comes and goes on the highest peaks, but soon the snow line will creep down the slopes, announcing the arrival of winter. We're waiting and watching.

The Cat Days of Winter

© Diane B. Reed

A hard frost hit overnight, and the grass and flowers are covered with frost. There's a faint wisp of steam coming off the pond. But it's been weeks since we knew winter was coming. Our cat always let us know when the cold weather is approaching by heading for her heated bed, which she ignores over the summer.

Many of you may wonder why an avid birder even has a cat. Let me reassure you that our cat is an indoor cat. Her only contact with birds is sitting in the window overlooking the bird feeders and the pond watching what we've dubbed "kitty TV." She keeps track of the birds, the squirrels, and visitors to the park out the pond window, and watches passers by and dog walkers out our front window.

She spends much of her time patrolling the house, upstairs and down, and keeping tabs on wildlife and the neighborhood cats that pass by.  But at this time of the year she spends a fair amount of time seeking out the warming rays of the sun in the window, or curling up in her heated bed. It's a good life. If there is such a thing as reincarnation I think I'd like to come back as a cat.

© Diane B. Reed

Terror in the Skies

Flicker © Diane B. Reed

Despite the approach of cold weather, there's still a lot of activity at the pond. The resident Mallards paddle quietly through the golden leaves that dot the pond's surface. Occasionally, the tranquility of the scene is  broken by the noisy arrival of a small flock of Canada Geese stopping over. A pair of Flickers have been probing the dead Lombardy Poplar in search of insects. Our bird feeders are bustling with House Finches, Goldfinches, and Chickadees. 

All of a sudden, there is an explosion of wings. Birds scatter in every direction, one hits the window in its haste to flee. Out of the corner of my eye I see a swooping Sharp-shinned Hawk dropping down off our roof. He's a master of surprise, flying low and unseen until he appears over the rooftop a split second before he descends on the bird feeder. Pity the poor bird that he singles out!  

This time he misses, so he lands on the walnut tree below and positions himself on a branch near the trunk where the leaves hide him from view. He waits patiently for an unsuspecting bird to land nearby or on the feeders. Finally, he seems to give up and flies to a nearby porch for one more look around, then soars off into the distance. 

Sharp-shinned Hawk                        © Diane B. Reed

A Surprising Visitor

Fall overlooking the pond, Lions Park, College Place WA                                                  © Diane B. Reed

It's hard to believe that November has crept up on us, it still seems like Fall hasn't fully arrived. Although we haven't had a hard freeze, the colors are spectacular.  I'm particularly fond of our Sourwood tree which has turned a brilliant red. It's a variety of tree that I hadn't been familiar with, but apparently it's quite hardy and drought resistant.

I've found that writing by my window on the pond isn't conducive to getting my work done, so I have to retreat to my office which faces the street and fewer distractions. But when I glanced out the window this afternoon I was surprised to see a small snake sunning itself on my front walk.  I went out to identify it and encourage it to move so it wouldn't be bothered by anyone coming up the walk. It was a young Western Terrestrial Garter Snake soaking up the few rays of sunshine that had warmed the sidewalk. Despite its small size (about a foot long) it went into defensive mode as soon as I approached, coiling and striking out at me as though it was a rattler. Finally it slithered off under a bush and out of harm's way.

Western Terrestrial Garter Snake                    © Diane B. Reed