Pileated Woodpeckers (dryocopus pileatus) are often seen on rotting wood, either on the ground or on old stumps. The first pileated woodpecker bird sighting was at my property in Renton, WA in February on a electric pole. Pileated woodpeckers often only stayed during migration then moved on to richer territory. They like evergreens. As a birdwatcher, I've found they will come to a suet feeder and to fruit.

This pileated woodpecker was spotted while birdwatching in Congaree National Park near Columbia, South Carolina, where local conservationists saved 26,000 acres of old growth forest in a key wetland -- swamps and bottomland. Their range covers the East to the Mississippi River including all the way south to Florida, across the upper regions of Canada and down into the Pacific Northwest. Pileated woodpeckers are often heard by their extremely loud drumming and cries of kuk kuk, keekeekee keekeekee kuk before they are spotted by birdwatchers, often spiraling up a tree from low to high and along tree branches.

Where to Spy the Elusive Trogons Worldwide - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com

{EAV:9bc30a093f76ab5a}Where to Spy the Elusive Trogons Worldwide - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com
Where we've spotted Trogons during our travels. They are a large bird, that often throws their voice. So many times birdwatchers look too  high to find them. They like a level branch, with a good view, usually 15' or more above you, although sometimes higher.

Ray Bradbury--the lost book

I was never more embarrassed then when one of my friends lent me her huge collection of Ray Bradbury stories. I read them all, then returned it at work by leaving it on her desk before a holiday. The book was never found again by anyone she or I knew. It was a tradgedy. I looked everywhere for a replacement but never found them. My favorites of his stories, well all of them, still, in picking the two out that stick in my mind, Dandelion Wine is high as is the story of the house that kept on being alive after everything else on earth was dead. Maybe it even shaped my future writing direction. Out of Dandelion Wine, I remember the boy's new tennis shoes, the tinker, and the discovery that people could die--what a haunting tale that was. My first tennis shoes really shaped me in another way--I refused to be tied into the high heel scene,

Anyway, it makes interesting memories. Read more of mine>

In other news, winter birding is picking up. This week we spotted a peregrine falcon on our sumac and today, we spotted pigeon guillemot in winter coloring. Whenever birds change color, it feels just like discovering a new bird to see them out and about. I didn't get the picture, but the one of the Western Grebe turned out pretty good.

See above.

Birding--space and ease

Many people think people that watch birds are a little bit strange, but then, perhaps that's true of just about any person with a hobby. If you're thinking about taking it up, it will provide you some neat optics--binoculars and scope that are also useful in astronomy, although hard core astronomers really want something bigger, like an observatory. I explain some of the fun my husband and I have while birding, in this article that explains why we do such an oddball activity. Read more> to find out what those reasons are.

Grey Owl

He's kind of hard to see in this small version. Think how I went about spotting this owl from a moving car. Inconsistent shape stood out. The stance said raptor to me immediately. Only after we were a good twenty yards past did my head say "owl". This is my first time seeing a great grey own during daylight hours. He's a really special bird and quite large, almost 2' tall. The photo was taken in Banff, Alberta.

Yakima Canyon--Umptanum Recreation Area

Yakima Canyon's Umptanum recreation area is a wonderful place to visit, complete with this bridge that allows you to cross. The trail up the canyon is good for viewing wildlife--many birds, squirrels, insects, snakes, and if you climb the coulee edges, you might locate mountain goat and elk. If you do, be sure to bring a pair of binoculars. This article on selecting and using binoculars contains helpful hints :
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/242810/wildlife_and_travel_buffs_bausch_and.html

and this planning guide helps explain how to choose trips to maximize your wildlife viewing:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/152075/how_to_plan_a_bird_watching_vacation.html

Happy viewing!

A feather question...

We found this feather, probably from a juvenile bird that molted, in the Gingko State Park in Vantage, WA.

Avid birders like me and my husband are used to figuring out a bird but who does this feather belong to? When we figure it out, we'll let everyone know. But for now, if you know the answer, please say something!

Hoquiam Airport--old fashioned but site of...

Hoquaim, WA's airport is small, old fashioned, but also the site of the Bowerman Basin National Wildlife Refuge. We found the tide out so not many birds--goldfinch, marsh wren, song sparrow, crow, robin. Lots of seeds and blooms.

Snow Stars

I took this photo this winter because of all the footprints left in the snow by birds. We put out bird food, both in feeders and on the ground. Ground feeders like towhee, fox and song sparrow, junco's, and stellar jay prefer to peck food off the ground. Here, they were very busy, marking their passage for all to see.