Category: outdoors

Chick update plus a BAT!

On By stefrobrtsIn 2010chicks, chickens, navi, outdoors, pets3 Comments

The baby chicks are doing fine, even in the hot weather. Everyone is eating and drinking and hopping around.

So cute! Let’s hope for hens!
The main flock was enjoying some treats.
When I noticed that one of my black hens appears to be a rooster. It was the gangly look that caught my eye. That means that out of those 6 chicks, I got three roos – and I only need one.
It was hot so I let Navi have some sprinkler time
She loves it!
Some of the sprinkler was hitting the water trough, and I thought it made for a pretty picture.
Ok, you probably want to know about the bat. I saw Navi sniffing something on the ground, and then backing away like she didn’t like it. So I went to see what it was, and it was a dead bat! Eww! I picked it up and set it on the fencepost and took a picture before tossing it off into the brambles. That’s a 4×4 inch post, so you can see how tiny it is. Like a mouse with wings.
Excuse the picture of a dead critter, but I think it’s just so interesting to see one up close.
Giant ears for picking up sonar. What an interesting animal. Still, I’m glad the dogs didn’t eat it – that’s why everyone has their shots!

Scythe

On By stefrobrtsIn farm, outdoors3 Comments

I got a new toy, I found a scythe on CL for $25. I’ve always wanted to try one.

I used it to clear an area of tall grass out at the edge of the yard. From where I’m standing taking the picture to the bush, and about ten foot wide – the grass was knee-high. You can see the pile of grass I cut up.

The scythe is an interesting tool. It’s still used in Europe for cutting grass, and the European models are supposed to be much nicer, lighter, and more efficient than the American version. Mine is heavy and clunky, the handle alone is a 3 inch round piece of heavy wood. It’s tiring on the arms. The European models have aluminum handles for light weight, and long razor-sharp blades. I am having trouble finding a place to buy a whetstone to sharpen my blade with. When I called the garden center the guy took a second to even figure out what a scythe was! So it looks like I’ll be ordering something off the net.

Best of all it never runs out of gas on you and strands you at the farthest point from the house, like lawnmowers occasionally do…

Walk on the tracks

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, outdoors1 Comment

I took Barclay for a short walk on the RR tracks near our house today

Barclay enjoyed tromping through the drainage ditch along the side of the tracks. I let him because it was clean and the water was running.

I made him get out of the ditch farther down where the water was stagnant and standing. It was full of tadpoles!

Look at the leg on the bottom one! How cool! I’ll have to go back and check on these guys and see how they develop.

On the other side of the tracks (the wrong side?) the ditch was sludgy and full of algae. Some of these algaes can be poisonous to dogs, so I didn’t let Barclay near it – yuk!

The only wildlife we saw was this busy little junco hopping around the tracks.

Looks like he caught something.

Wild Irises, I think…

Pretty pink rhodedendrons…

Purple rhodedendron. So pretty!

Visited a Forest Preserve

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, jack, outdoors3 Comments

In Brush Prairie, back behind the sheriff’s office, is the new dog park. Behind that is a stand of trees. To get to the trees you have to drive past some signs that say ‘no trespassing’ and look like they mean it. The trick is that if you are brave enough to push on past, those trees are actually part of a county park. There is just one parking space by the gate. It is the Lauretta Norene Forest Preserve.

We took Jack and Barclay for a little walk there Wednesday. We had been heading for the dog park, but when we got there we saw there were a couple pit bulls on the ‘small dog’ side of the park where we usually go (it’s normally empty), and I don’t let my dogs play with dogs I don’t know, so we opted for a walk instead.

The forest preserve has this deep, dark, forest feel to it. It’s very cozy.

Lots of great stuff to sniff!

Dave handled Jack and worked on teaching him not to pull, while I walked Barclay on his flexi leash.

When you come out the other side of the woods you see this sign.

It’s not clear which part of the park is the Lauretta Norene Forest Preserve and which part is the Groth Nature Preserve, but all together it adds up to a beautiful stand of forest surrounded by rolling fields.

Really lovely rolling fields, and room for the dogs to run (as much as they can on leash, of course). It was so generous of people to put this land aside. It’s just gorgeous.
It was a bit cloudy, but normally you have beautiful views of Mt Hood. Here you can see snow-covered Silver Star Mountain on the horizon.

Back into the woods to head back to the car.

Happy dogs!

Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge

On By stefrobrtsIn outdoors4 Comments

Yesterday we spent the afternoon at the RWR, which has a section where you can drive a big loop around the ponds and sloughs, and watch the birds and wildlife from your car. If this sounds lazy, it isn’t, because the cars act as blinds, and the animals tend to ignore them. It’s less invasive than having people tromping around their protected areas. There are some areas along the loop where you can park and go hiking off into a different section, but it’s not open until May, and another place where you can park and go use a permanent blind to look out over the marsh.

When we headed out it was blue skies and puffy clouds after a cloudy morning, so I was hoping we’d have good light for taking some pictures. Then when we got there I could see these rain storms coming from the west. I would have been more disappointed if they weren’t so darned impressive!

The approaching storm made for some spectacular skies!

One of the first things we saw in the refuge was the Amtrak from Seattle blasting by on it’s way to Vancouver.

Then we continued on to more peaceful waters where we saw, uh..some kind of duck.

And a, ummm, river otter? Maybe?

I think he’s part terrier!

Why did the Heron cross the road?
To go hunting on the other side.
For a HUGE grey bird, he certainly blends in well.
I need a duck identification book!
Another heron, sneaking around in the reeds.
This is one of my favorite shots from the trip – red winged blackbird on cattails.
So the trip was over and we headed up the road only to find it blocked by a broken down semi that was hauling railroad ties from the train tracks. Fully loaded and heavy, it wasn’t going anywhere, and since there is only one road in and out of this section of the refuge, the ranger told us to go enjoy another loop around.
More pretty ducks,
..gorgeous skies..
Spotted another heron waiting on the bank of a pond
I think this is a goldfinch. My second favorite picture of the day. Cute little guy.
And a gnarly old tree in the afternoon light against a stormy sky – beautiful!

Kestrel

On By stefrobrtsIn outdoors1 Comment

I snapped a picture of this kestrel while his head was turned (he was watching out over the field, and when I stepped closer he noticed me and took off). He was sitting at the top of the sequoia down by the paddock.

Last night we got home from grocery shopping at dusk, and I pointed the sliver of a moon out to Dave, and as he turned to look where I was pointing, I looked back at the moon and an owl appeared out of nowhere and slowly soared overhead, heading for the woods behind the neighbor’s barn. So cool to see an owl flying by! I love living out here in the country! Lately we’ve been talking about finding someplace cheaper in town with less land to take care of, but I don’t know that I could live in town again. Not yet anyway.

Red bellied Sapsucker

On By stefrobrtsIn outdoors2 Comments
 
This cute little guy showed up in our yard today. The cats were very interested in him as he hopped around the orchard, going from tree to tree, hanging on the trunk and pecking at it. 
 
I took a LOT of pictures of him trying to get a few good ones. He moved a lot and it was already getting dark out so I needed a slow shutter to get enough light, so a lot of the pictures came out blurry. It was also raining on me (and my camera) the whole time. I’m so sick of winter! It was worth it though, I got a few good shots, and the colors look right on. 
 
Cute little bird! I’ve never seen one of these around before!