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.