Reluctant Spring

The Robins have arrived, but where is Spring?                        © Diane B. Reed

As the east coast basks in unseasonable temperatures, we woke up to a blanket of snow Thursday. The snow was gone by afternoon. Despite a relatively mild winter, spring seems to be reluctant this year. The daffodils are just beginning to bloom, and though some of the flowering trees are making their best effort but we still seem to have one foot in late winter.

House finch (orange variant) © Diane B. Reed

Our feeders were busy with the usual visitors during yesterday's brief snow cover. Soon the summer visitors will return and our Juncos will head back up into the Blues. The Wigeons will head for their summer breeding grounds. The Sandhill Crane Festival in Othello Washington is underway this weekend, marking their northward migration. Keep your eyes on the skies, these large birds fly at high altitude all over the Columbia Basin. Learn more about Sandhills at Cornell Ornithology Lab.

 

The Sand-Hill Crane by Mary Austin

Sandhill Cranes, Cornell University photo

Whenever the days are cool and clear,
The sand-hill crane goes walking
Across the field by the flashing weir,
Slowly, solemnly stalking.
The little frogs in the tules hear,
And jump for their lives if he comes near;
The fishes scuttle away in fear
When the sand-hill crane goes walking.

The field folk know if he comes that way,
Slowly, solemnly stalking,
There is danger and death in the least delay,
When the sand-hill crane goes walking.
The chipmunks stop in the midst of play;
The gophers hide in their holes away;
And 'Hush, oh, hush!' the field-mice say,
When the sand-hill crane goes walking.

"In Wildness is the Preservation of the World"

McNary Wildlife Refuge, Walla Walla River Delta.                         © Diane B. Reed

McNary WR Burbank       © Diane B. Reed

The title of this entry is a quote from Henry David Thoreau. I'm not convinced by some folks belief that man was meant to have dominion over nature. I might feel differently if we had demonstrated a willingness and an ability to be stewards of nature. Instead, it seems that there is a sense of entitlement on the part of some people to use and abuse nature and wild places for their own (and often short-sighted) purposes.  So in places recreation takes precedence over a wildlife refuge, and letting your dog chase wildfowl is more important than allowing migrating birds an opportunity to rest on their long journey. Thank heaven for places like  McNary National Wildlife Refuge which is teeming with migratory birds at this time of the year. And there are places in the refuge that are truly just that, refuges.

© Diane B. Reed

There are also plenty of places to watch wildlife from a distance, including the nature trail and bird blind near the Refuge's Environmental Education Center in Burbank. And over the next few months there will be lots of birds migrating, not only at the refuge but in your own back yard.

Walla Walla's Architecture

American Theater 1917, now part of Macy's                       © Diane B. Reed 

Walla Walla is a city full of architectural treasures. Downtown is full of gems from Main Street to the neighborhoods adjoining the commercial district.  One of my favorite downtown buildings is the American Theater (later the Liberty) built in 1917. Although it is no longer a theater, the Tudor Revival facade is still intact. It's just one of a number of buildings and sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Walla Walla and the county.

Home on historic Palouse Street in Walla Walla © Diane B. Reed

 One of my favorite streets in Walla Walla is Palouse Street, which features a wide array of impressive mansions, many of which were built with wheat and lumber fortunes. More modest but equally impressive houses are clustered around historic Pioneer Park.

Pioneer Park, which opened in 1908, was designed by John Langdon, who was inspired by John Olmsted, who visited Walla Walla in 1906.  The centerpiece of the park is the bandstand, built in 1909 and circled by magnificent trees.

Pioneer Park                                          © Diane B. Reed

Whether it's downtown, in the neighborhoods, in the surrounding countryside or at historic Fort Walla Walla, it's worth exploring the area. You can also pick up a walking tour brochures at the visitors' kiosk at 33 E. Main. Follow the tours or follow your nose, you'll be sure to find lots to enjoy!

The Season of Eagles

© Diane B. Reed

It's the time of the year when eagles are a familiar sight in the mid Columbia Valley and at lakes like Bennington Lake in Walla Walla. Yesterday we counted six in one large tree along the Columbia River near Wallula Gap. Most of the eagles who winter in our area come from Alaska and northern nesting areas. The Columbia and Snake Rivers and lakes in our region provide ample food for these visitors.

© Diane B. Reed

Although the Skagit River Valley in western Washington is a popular viewing area to see large gatherings of eagles, there are a number of locations in our area, including the Columbia and Snake Rivers, where eagles are commonly seen. We've seen eagles at Bennington Lake in Walla Walla, McNary Wildlife Refuge in Burbank, Columbia Park in Kennewick, and Charbonneau Park on the Snake River. But you may find eagles almost anywhere where there's good fishing for these magnificent birds.

Most of the eagles will leave our area in March for their breeding grounds up north. So now's the time to get out and enjoy them.