Happy Solstice!

Winter, such as it is, has begun and daylight will now begin to return. It has been a very strange fall, warm and dry until recently, when it has rained off and on. I still have a few edible tomatoes on the window sill where I brought them in to ripen a month ago.

Although we have fed many buckets of apples to the goats, made lots of apple cider, stored plenty in the fridge and eaten lots of them, we have given up and let the ground be carpeted in apples. Some trees are still holding on to a few zillion. In December. Bizarre.

These photos were taken on December 18. We need bears and deer. But I think they are full of apples... even some of the wild trees in the woods are still loaded.

Also on Dec. 18, I took photos of the wild sky. The weather goes from wildly stormy to dry and calm, over and over again most days.

Christmas Bird Counts happen on the appointed day, rain or shine. This year, it has been both, but not enough shine to get me to take photos. Two counts are done, both with a lot of hiking. My legs were sore after the Upper Nestucca Count from all the miles walked. On the Lincoln City count we walked through a swamp... and I discovered a leak in one boot. I had a wet, cold foot. That prompted a trip to Jim's Trading Post, the Grand Ronde store run by friends that is closing after 50 years selling books and tools and anything that struck the fancy of the auction-loving owner. Everything is half off right now so we stocked up on rubber boots. It is nice to have dry feet.

We managed to find two fairly rain and fog free days this week to run our two raptor routes. The North Santiam route was pretty raptor poor compared to last month's good numbers and variety, but I did get photos of ducks on the ponds at Lyons City Park. I love that park.

A pair of Shovelers spent most of their time tipped over, foraging off the bottom of the shallow pond.

This lone Ring-necked Duck (which should be called Ring-billed but isn't) stood on something just under the water and posed with his reflection.

A handsome Hooded Merganser kept moving but I managed to get photos anyway.

Here he is with his mate who periodically disappeared under the water.

Gadwalls are always on these ponds. I love their subtle gray brown color and contrasting black butt.

Most of the time, they are butt up.

 Our Grand Ronde raptor route had good numbers of raptors but no bobcats this month. I was happy to see two Red-shouldered Hawks in the bobcat area. One screamed its keer keer keer keer keer etc. call at the other. They are vocal hawks. We also had a white-tailed kite there, same as last month, and also kites at the same three other locations as last month. No good photos, though. They were too far away.

By darkening the background of this very distant shot, you can almost tell it's a White-tailed Kite.

 We will do one more Christmas Count (and possibly another!) before the season ends on January 4. More hiking and more sore muscles. Whoever thinks Oregon winters are for staying indoors out of the rain is not a birder.

CBC Season Has Arrived!

For some wacky reason, I volunteered Johnny and myself for three Christmas Bird Counts this year. We usually do two, the Upper Nestucca and Lincoln City. Why I volunteered for the Dallas count, I don't know. Maybe because the coordinator wrote a marvelously inviting plea for volunteers and mentioned forested areas that are seldom covered. I'm all for hiking in the woods, so I said we would do it.

Today we scouted the areas that the coordinator mentioned could use coverage. Plus one place I simply wanted to scout because I saw "Berry Creek Falls" on the google map within the count circle. And it was in one of the seldom-if-ever covered areas.

Off we went to the first stop, the waterfall area. It appeared to be just below the bottom of a new clearcut. Johnny had to stay by the van because his knees are not up to climbing over downfalls up and down steep hills, which is what this hike to the falls entailed. I, in fact, fell several times on my way in. One time I cracked my face on something hard and said ouch! But I'm not sure it really hurt, just felt like it should. When I got home and smiled in the mirror... as I try to do every time I see myself in the mirror, because that makes me laugh and laughing makes me happy... I noticed that part of a tooth next to my two big front teeth is missing. Now when I smile, I really laugh.

It was not a very long hike... just down through the new clearcut and down through timber to Berry Creek. The first fall of water I came to was pouring over and under several huge logs that had fallen across the creek. I wondered if this was Berry Creek Falls? I took photos...

That looked more like a log jam than a waterfall, so I kept tripping my way downstream. And then the real waterfall appeared with a roar... or part of it. I could not see the bottom from where I was.

 I kept inching my way down the steep moss-covered rock bank trying for a better view...

 Finally I could see the bottom drop through the trees...

But top and bottom drops are so far apart that, when both drops are in the same frame, the waterfall looks much smaller than it is. So I took a photo of the top alone.

Berry Creek Falls! I did it! And managed to clamber up the steep rock bank and then through the brush and clearcut littered with downfalls to reach the van without breaking any more teeth.

We then drove our scouting route and more or less figured out where we will go on count day, Dec. 27. Between now and then we will do the Upper Nestucca CBC on Dec. 14 and Lincoln City on Dec. 16. Plus our two Raptor Routes before the end of the month.

Rain is forecast for the foreseeable future (or snow in the mountains). I am glad we managed to find Berry Creek Falls today, without rain or snow... and with only one partially broken tooth.