Looking at Clouds

An interesting sky tonight, which makes me wish I knew more about cloud formations. But now I have that Joni Mitchell song, "Both Sides Now" running through my head:

 Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Duck, Duck, Goose and More

Duck diversity                                                                                                        © Diane B. Reed

Last year, several yellow ducklings appeared at the pond. They might have been Easter gifts that were later unwanted. We didn't hold out much hope for them because their bright color, unlike the Mallard ducklings, made them an easy target. But they made it, and turned into lovely white ducks. Now, they have families of their own, and daddy is a Mallard. One of the white ducks has a full genetic range of ducklings (above) -- three yellow babies, four typical Mallard ducklings, and one in between.

© Diane B. Reed

After several years of nesting unsuccessfully, a pair of Canada geese produced five goslings which they showed off in the pond. The arrival of our neighborhood Osprey was met with suitable vigilance, including attacking him when he dove for a fish.

Diving Osprey                                               © Diane B. Reed

The Osprey is one of our favorite visitors to the pond and seems to know that it's stocked with trout for the annual youth fishing derby. Because the pond has filled in with silt, the fish tend to be closer to the surface and easier for him to catch.

Song Sparrow poses with the arbor bird             © Diane B. Reed

Below is of one of our neighborhood Song Sparrows who uses a metal arbor in the yard as his lookout for intruders in his territory. The metal birds on the arbor are just his size, but he doesn't seem to mind them.

Hanford Reach Wildflowers

Rattlesnake Mountain at Hanford Reach                                                                © Diane B. Reed

An hour and a half northwest of Walla Walla, you'll find one of the most remote places in Washington, Hanford Reach National Monument. The Reach was part of the original land acquired as a buffer for the Manhattan Project in 1943. It includes several different "Units" which surround the Hanford Site. The Monument, 196,000 acres, includes some of the last shrub-steppe habitat in the state. Parts of the Monument are open to the public, but much of it is not accessible to the public. However, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offers occasional tours for a limited number of people. This spring they offered a lottery for a tour of the Fitzer/Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve to view the spring wildflowers. We felt very lucky to get seats on the small bus for the three-hour tour.

Balsamroot at Hanford Reach                                        © Diane B. Reed

It was a windy day, with rain showers skirting the reserve, but we were able to see Rattlesnake Springs and remnants of ranches that predate 1943. To lessen the impact on the site, the bus stopped in two locations that are not culturally sensitive, and we had an opportunity to see the spring wildflowers.

Wild Phlox                                                                              © Diane B. Reed

 Over the next few weeks the lupine will come into full flower, a few were just beginning to bloom. These are just a few of the flowers that dot the shrub-steppe. If you were driving past the field you might miss some of these tucked into the sagebrush.


For more information on the Reach, visit
http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hanford_Reach

Lomatium gone to seed                                                           © Diane B. Reed

Piper's Fleabane                                                                                              © Diane B. Reed

Snow Days

 Birds waiting for a spot at the feeder                                      © Diane B. Reed

Winter has arrived in all its glory. The snow started yesterday, paused for a few hours, then gifted us with 4 inches of fluffy, sparkling snow overnight. Everyone is shoveling, plowing and snow-blowing, though a second and third wave of snow is expected tonight and tomorrow.

Cedar Waxwings looking for berries  © Diane B. Reed

For the birds, finding food is the top priority. A flock of Cedar Waxwings stopped by, stripping berries from the tree across the street. The birds are queuing up for the bird feeder and the ground feeders are scratching around in the fluffy snow for seeds that have been dropped. It's a hard time of the year for the birds, if you have a feeder don't forget to fill it!

We feel pretty lucky that we were able to make a recent driving trip to Denver and back without any serious snowstorms. In fact, the worst weather we encountered was in the Blue Mountains -- dense fog and icy patches. Hit that coming and going.

Snowy landscape at the pond                             © Diane B. Reed

So we plan to enjoy the snowy weather. It's beautiful and much needed. Precipitation is significantly down here and in the West. Our farms and vineyards will need the water this summer, so bring it on!