Amazing raptors! Eagles, owls, and hawks!
All right! Ye old bird blog is back in action, folks! November and December can get pretty busy as Christmas approaches, and I’ve been scrambling around just like each of you. That said, I do apologize for the delay in posting something fresh. Just think of it as my way of considering you, my loyal readers, and not wanting to burden you with extra blog reading during this hectic time of year! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
So, as you can already tell from the first two pictures, our big backyard remodeling project has been extremely successful. We added some walls, Christmas decorations, and made it look generally similar to the inside of a bird store, and amazingly, all these cool raptors that are willing to fly right to your safely-gloved hand began showing up! It has been incredible!
Okay, okay, I can tell you are an educated bunch and these birds do appear rather tame and perhaps even injured. Could they all really have coincidentally arrived in our newly-remodeled backyard? And just who makes their backyard look like the inside of a Wild Birds Unlimited store? And why do those birds have bands and appear tethered to the gloved hands? Well, full disclosure…these are actually, and this may shock you, birds brought in by the American Wildlife Refuge to our local Wild Birds store for a very cool event this past Saturday. (That also means we didn’t re-do our backyard…)
Seriously, we had a great time at the Cary Wild Birds Unlimited on Kildaire Farm Road. Our whole family went, and we learned a ton about these beautiful birds. Steve Stone is the director of the American Wildlife Refuge located in Rolesville, NC, and his team did an outstanding job Saturday. If you ever have the opportunity to attend one of their shows, I highly recommend it! To learn more about some of their birds, click here. That’s all for today…back again soon! Dave
Shenandoah National Park and Marys Rock
We’re breaking from birds again today and hiking through another of our country’s scenic gems, Shenandoah National Park. Not nearly as tall as Mt. Rainier, these east coast mountains are still impressive in their own way and well worth the visit!
Instead of going solo again, this time I took my oldest boy for a father-son adventure. We day-tripped up from NC to the park’s Thornton Gap entrance (way up in northern Virginia). This was our destination: Marys Rock, a panoramic rocky top with fun climbing and spectacular views of the valley below.
My son enjoyed the fact that we hiked some along the Appalachian Trail, the famous Georgia to Maine pathway that runs the length of the Appalachian Mountains. We stayed up on the peak until just before sunset and completed the nearly two mile hike back down to the car before dark…barely!
In a few more years, you’ll be able to come too, little man! Our family is on a new crusade to visit as many of the national parks as we can in the coming years…inspired by the recent Ken Burns series on PBS entitled, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. I highly recommend it! Hope everyone has a great weekend! Dave
Tufted Titmice and Gorgeous Fall Leaves!
Fall has definitely arrived here in the Carolinas! Cooler temps are here, and beauty abounds in pretty much every tree these days. It’s truly a spectacular time of year to be outside!
How awesome is it that at the same time each year all the leaves go into this incredible display of gold, crimson, and burgundy…must just be by chance, right? Probably because of some cycle that developed billions of years ago when this planet formed on its own, huh? Right…and I’ve got some oceanfront land in Nebraska to sell you, too!
Nope, it’s not mythical Mother Nature at work here, it’s an awesome Creator God who’s also the Maker of this cool little titmouse. I like all the different colored leaves in the background in this picture…and you’ll notice we even replaced the seed plate!
This morning was the first time I’ve taken bird pictures since the junco last week. Yesterday we had all the usual customers, but we also saw our first white-breasted nuthatch in a long time! And our bluebird couple is back, too! I’ve seen them the last three mornings at the seed plate, so fresh bluebird pics are sure to follow soon!
Well, turn off the computer, get outside for a walk, and enjoy those gorgeous colors! Dave
First Junco Means Winter Is Coming!
Back to birds this week here at the ole bird blog…well, one bird at least. Yesterday I was looking out the window, and there, down on the ground, was this lone junco! Happy little bird, don’t you think? Anyways, we love juncos because they are a sign that winter will soon be here…and winter always brings the hope of…SNOW!
But for now, we’re happily enjoying the beauty of fall here in central North Carolina. This is from one of the nearby streets in our town. Really some gorgeous colors outside at the moment!
I love the trees that go bright, flaming orange like this one…wow!
And how ’bout some fun family pics…what happens when you play peak-a-boo and eat bananas at the same time? Perhaps something like this picture below. Well, we’re just guessing or being hypothetical here, of course.
I’ll leave you today with this shot of everyone except yours truly holding the camera. It’s from a quick little weekend trip down to our favorite beach earlier this month…Emerald Isle, NC. Great spot to visit if you like calm, quiet, peaceful beaches. Have a great weekend! Dave
Mt Rainier Hiking … Skyline Trail to Myrtle Falls
Welcome back! If you’re just joining the fun (and wondering where the birds are), we’re at the end of a five-part series on Mount Rainier, a spectacular volcano just south of Seattle, Washington. Believe me, it’s well-worth a weekend trip! Today I’m leading us on one final hike: a pleasant little stroll along Skyline Trail over toward Myrtle Falls. How’s this for a view as you walk?
Start at the Paradise Inn and Visitor Center parking lot. Head to the right on Skyline Trail through the evergreens, and after a only a half mile, you come to this great view of Myrtle Falls. I love that little wooden bridge there in the middle…what a perfect spot right between two bits of gorgeous scenery!
It was hard to get the lighting in this picture just right with such a bright background and a heavily-shadowed foreground, so here’s one of just the falls below…
Myrtle Falls is quite lovely itself, but a picture of a waterfall really doesn’t do it justice. You have to hear it also to fully appreciate it…
Doesn’t that sound make all the difference? Love it!
And here’s the view from that bridge…you just need to sit here a while to fully take it in… Wow!
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed spending the past few weeks up on Mount Rainier. You really do need to get yourself out here one weekend when the weather looks good…you won’t regret it. I’m already thinking about when I can go back with my family! Remember, if you’ve missed any of the previous posts in the series, you can find them all on the “Mount Rainier” tab under “categories” over there on the right. Next week it’s back to birds and boys! Dave
Skyline Trail Mt Rainier and Nisqually Glacier Vista
Last week I left you hanging right at the top of a mountain meadow along Deadhorse Creek Trail without showing you what was on the other side, remember? Well, we crest the hill together, and this is your new view…nice! Now you can really start to see just how far that glacier creeps down the slope. But we still need to get past those trees to really see…
…and we will, but first let’s look a little closer at that impressive, gleaming white glacier cap at the top. This glacier spilling down on the right is the Nisqually Glacier, the seventh largest on the mountain. Mount Rainier has 25 named glaciers and about 50 smaller, unnamed glaciers and ice patches.
Glaciers form when snowfall repeatedly exceeds melting over a number of years. With so much snowfall (Paradise averages over 50 feet of snow each year), it’s no wonder Mount Rainier has so many glaciers. Think of them as extremely slow-moving rivers of ice that are constantly changing. Melting, ice chunks breaking off, new snowfalls, they all keep the landscape in flux.
Well, this is the one you’ve been waiting for…voila! This is the view from Glacier Vista Trail, and what a great one it is! Remember, all of the trails around Paradise are paved for “easy” hiking and to protect the mountain meadows. Every one of these pictures was taken from a designated trail. There’s really no need to break the rules and ever go through a meadow because the views from the trail are spectacular already!
The elevation at this point is just over 6300 feet, a 900 foot elevation gain from back down at the Paradise Inn. Remember to account for the altitude and thinner air as you plan your hiking. A two mile hike at home in the woods is way different than one going up higher and higher at 6000 feet! Lots of cool waterfalls up here…how many can you find in this picture?
Need a place to sit and rest? There are a few rough benches along the trails, but there are also plenty of good rocks that are still within the marked trail areas. Here’s one I found, complete with back support and an arm rest!
And check out the view (above) from my little rock seat…wow! I literally set the camera right on top of the “seat back,” and this is what you see…now that’s quite a rest spot! Incidentally, this was my favorite spot on the trail because of some time I spent here earlier in the morning…praying and worshiping.
Mount Rainier is absolutely gorgeous, as you no doubt will agree by now, but too many people worship the mountain instead of the One who created it. Mother Nature is a myth, and this gorgeous place didn’t just happen on its own over billions and billions of years. The Bible speaks of the One who is called Lord of Creation. All things were made by Him, for Him, and through Him. The One who made this stunning, amazing place we’ve been exploring is Jesus! Thank you, Lord for this great gift!
I’ll leave you with a closer look into the scene one photo above…another shot of this cool “little” waterfall. You could hear the rushing water sounds even from way across the valley, and I love how it looks between the evergreens. Well, there’s one more hike I’ll show you in the next post…Skyline Trail over toward Myrtle Falls. See you then! Dave
P.S. Just found this post on a search? Check out my other entries on Mount Rainier…
Hiking the Mount Rainier Trails Around Paradise
Mt. Rainier and Paradise Inn Pictures
Mount Rainier National Park … Mt Rainier
Hiking the Mount Rainier trails around Paradise
It’s gorgeous weather, and you’re up on Mount Rainier, so what do you want to do? Get out and hike! We’re exploring the trails around the Paradise area, and there are a bunch of great ones to choose from. Here’s a trail map if you want to follow along or plan your own hike…
The Skyline Trail is a roughly five mile loop that starts and ends at the visitor center parking lot. The trail is paved, but it’s pretty steep at the start (top picture). Initially you’re going through the shady evergreens (which I like anyway), but around almost every corner…
…something spectacular opens up! Don’t forget that during July and August, all these meadows are bursting with spectacular wildflowers, too. Can you imagine the incredible fragrance they must put off, combined with views like this? Wow, this is some hike!
Remember that Mt. Rainier is an active volcano, so you may see steam venting from spots as you hike. I’m no geologist, so this could be a weird cloud or some smoke from a fire, but it looks like steam venting to me. Anyway, it’s cool to look at, so there you go.
This is your view as you continue up Skyline Trail toward the Nisqually Glacier. Absolutely stunning! Doesn’t it just make you want to find a good mall and spend the whole day inside shopping or something? I mean, who’s up for some good TV watching right now!
Now if I zoom in just a bit more and crop the picture a little tighter, you really get a feel for just how dramatic this trail is and how massive the mountain looks. No pictures can do the place justice…you absolutely must go and experience this yourself. Unreal!
After about 2/3 mile, the trail splits and you can take Deadhorse Creek Trail off to the left for some really impressive scenery (like the stuff so far hasn’t been any good). I love the rocky mountain meadow here with that long trail just rising up offering excellent views all along the way. This hike was early in the afternoon, but on my morning walk, the meadow was alive with bluebirds (mountain or western, I’m not sure) flying around from boulder to boulder.
Well, this is where I’ll leave you for today…right at the top of the meadow, just before you get to the next impressive view. It’s a deep valley that lets you see just how far the Nisqually Glacier extends down the slope. You don’t want to miss it, so I’ll see you back here for more from your new favorite spot to hike…Mount Rainier! Dave
P.S. For more on other day hikes at Mt. Rainier, visit the National Park Service website.
Mt. Rainier and Paradise Inn pictures
Welcome back to Mount Rainier, friends! Today, we’re going on up to Paradise…literally. Paradise is home to the Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, incredible views, and the enchanting Paradise Inn. You can see it in the picture above over there on the left (very small). You talk about some location! Wow!
Paradise Inn was built back in 1916 and just underwent extensive renovations that were completed in 2008. It’s only open from late May to early October because of the heavy snowfall the area receives. At an elevation of 5400 feet, the inn averages over 600 inches of snow a year! Bring it on, I say…y’all know I love me some snow!
This was my first time visiting the inn, and I absolutely loved it! The rustic design, soft lighting, and cedar logs are perfect for my tastes. If you’re not somewhere out on the mountain, then this massive lobby is the place to be…plenty of inviting spots to sit and talk or play games, plus there are two huge fireplaces at each end. There’s also a piano player adding familiar tunes to the wonderful ambiance…sigh. I’m ready to go back right now!
The rooms, as you might expect for an inn built nearly 100 years ago, are small. So what. You don’t go to Paradise Inn on Mount Rainier for the sleeping experience. The beds are fine, and there’s a sink in the room, so that’s good for me. I opted to save a few bucks and go with the room without a bath for $104/night (room with a bath goes for $154). The bathrooms and separate showers down the hall worked just fine.
This is why you come and stay at the Paradise Inn…for the view…the spectacular, incredible, ridiculous view! Would you believe that this is the view from the parking lot? I kid you not, and if you were staying here in July or August, this meadow would be filled with the most amazing wildflowers you can imagine. John Muir said they were the best he had ever seen in all his mountain travels. You do know who John Muir is, right?
No problem…neither did I until a week ago. He was a man of great vision who was mightily used by God in the formation of our National Parks system along with President Theodore Roosevelt. Incidentally, this is the view from just a little up one of the trails, looking back down toward the inn and visitor center parking lot. Not too bad either, huh?
Well, we’re not done yet…in my next post, I’ll take you on up the mountain for a hike that will make you think you’re somewhere deep in alpine Switzerland! One last thing before I go today, when you plan your trip to Paradise, spend a few extra dollars on the rental car with a sunroof. This was the economy rental from Hertz, but it had one anyway. God is good! Dave
P.S. If you just found this post by searching…click here for my first entry on Mt Rainier. Also, the Paradise Inn has a live web cam that will let you see the current view of the mountain. It’s clouded in a lot, but it’s worth a quick look!
Mount Rainier National Park … Mt Rainier
Let’s do something different today…let’s take a trip! Jump on a plane with me as we fly across the country toward Seattle, Washington. Look out your window…what’s that dominating feature out there on the horizon?
Rising up out of the clouds and towering over everything else nearby, it’s Mt. Rainier, a striking, ice-clad volcano that will absolutely take your breath away. Let’s explore…
Driving out to the park from Sea-Tac International Airport takes about two hours. This is the entrance that greets you as you approach from the northwest…I love the architecture and grandeur here. You know you’re entering someplace special!
Continuing on down the road, we reach Longmire, site of the historic National Park Inn. It’s quaint and nestled deep down in the woods on the southwest side. Towering trees and lush greenery flourish in this part of the park. If you like hiking in the dense forests, this is the place for you. If you want something even more spectacular, keep going…
Here’s the view if you approach Mt. Rainier from the northeast and drive along the east side of the park. Great views abound as the valleys open up and you drive higher and higher…
Hmmm…all days look like this in the Pacific Northwest, right? The forecast for this day was “abundant sunshine.” Now how’s that for a roadside view?
This eastern approach is by far the most scenic, and as you reach the south side, this is what you get to see…stunning! To get the proper perspective of just how large this 14,411 foot mountain really is, note the SUV in the bottom right corner of the picture…whew!
Keep driving westward along Steven’s Canyon road, and eventually you get up to Reflection Lake. On a calm day, guess what you see in the water? Hey, even without the mirror image, it’s pretty spectacular! So, ready to book your own trip yet? Well, we’re just getting started! In the next post, I’m taking you further up the mountain and we’re staying at the Paradise Inn. Believe me, the scenery just keeps getting better and better! Dave
Really Basic Bird Photography 101…
Okay, from the department of “well that was obvious,” I present to you this week’s bird photography pearl of wisdom: (dramatic drum-roll and trumpet crescendo) open your windows! Yes kids, it’s true…taking pictures through a window can reduce the clarity and crispness of your pictures. Shocked, aren’t you?
Of course, even better and more obvious advice is to actually go outside. Birds do live outdoors, so it makes sense that exiting your house would be helpful. Hard-hitting journalism today, I know. Compare for yourself, these with the ones from my previous entry, and I think you’ll notice a difference… Haven’t seen many house finches (below) lately, but we had one this week. Kind of pale, but I like the understated pink on its back and face.
My great revelation happened earlier this week when I was preparing once again to take pictures through our kitchen window. It’s relatively clean, but even a slight film will reduce quality. Duh, I thought to myself…open the window. And do you know what happened in this little experiment? Better pictures! Impressed, aren’t you? Yes, this is why you turn to Dave’s Bird Watching Blog…for key birding insights such as these. Where else can you get this stuff? And for FREE no less!
Now I just need to get back into the habit of actually spending some time out on the deck, letting the birds get re-accustomed to me, and we’ll get even better results. Plus, it’s just more fun. By the way, doesn’t this titmouse look like it’s straight out of the dryer? Clorox clean and extra fluffy! That little bit of orange under the wing there is my favorite. Kind of like the brown thrasher’s yellow eye (top picture)…really gives it some pop!
The male goldfinches have almost completely disappeared on us…all we’re getting right now are the lovely ladies. The same thing was happening at my in-laws’ house this weekend. Wonder where all the guys have gone?
The goldfinches are getting a little tougher to see out in the trees…some of the leaves out there look just like little birds! These two females below watched me a little more closely with the window open. Doesn’t the one on the right look like a duck? Quack!
And don’t male cardinals look a little goofy with their crest down? This guy has the 1950’s slicked-back look going on…
Well, can’t leave you without at least one kiddo picture, so I’ll share one from this weekend. We’ll call it “Boy Meets Train…A One-Year-Old’s First Encounter With an Electric Locomotive.” He was mesmerized, and big brother loved it, too! Thanks, Papa! Dave
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