November goes out with a wow!

I dream of days like this, when the snow has come down light and fluffy, at least near the end of the storm, piles up on every branch, and quits by sunrise, so I get to go enjoy the view before the wind picks up and knocks it all off.

Even better, a big gap in the clouds soon rolled through so the sky was an achingly beautiful blue, and the sun lit up the birds for us. Here’s a red-bellied woodpecker in the oak tree by the pond checking to see if the sun will ever warm it up a bit. “Soon, Sweetie, soon.”

Here is the full effect, at last, bathing this mourning dove in a warm glow.

The next big surprise of the morning came just after I crossed the parkway on my way from the pond to the river. I caught a glimpse of a canid crossing the road about a couple hundred yards away and just before it ducked behind a snowbank. I hustled past some trees, got my camera ready, and hoped against hope that it would be a coyote and that it would come back out into the open. Well, today was my lucky day. Ta da!

Here’s another scenery shot showing the reshaped falls under that gorgeous blue sky.

By the islands, I was surprised again by the call of a killdeer, and it only took me a moment to find two of them in the same place we saw them on Friday. This time, however, as I tried to get as close as they let me get last time, I inadvertently flushed six others that I hadn’t even noticed. Thankfully, at least one stayed behind for a picture.

Back at the pond, I was thrilled to find the Cooper’s hawk, which I had spotted earlier, still there to let me sneak a better shot.

Finally, as I continued around the back side of the pond and started my way home, I heard this dark-eyed junco making its little “tick” sound as it feasted on sumac seeds. There are plenty of juncos around, and I just showed you one yesterday, but this one is sporting the plumage of the “Oregon” form, which is considered “rare” here.

Lastly, the current forecast calls for the air to be a crisp 14°F at 8am tomorrow, but the wind should only be 3 mph, so conditions should be quite nice for spotting wildlife. Come on out and join our weekly walk, if you’ve got the clothing for it.