Nature Continues at her Best

Yesterday I visited Jenn at her campsite and while sitting on her deck, a beautiful deer walked by.  Here the deer are black-tailed deer.

Nature and wildlife are in full swing on the island.  Everyday we hear the squawk of great blue herons in flight. The call is prehistoric-like; I always think of dinosaurs when I hear it.  Ravens are plentiful here and their call sounds like someone yelling who is in trouble!

Song sparrows are around, but their song has a Pacific Northwest sound to it, a different dialect if you will from the east coast.  Although black-capped chickadees are here, so are many chestnut-backed chickadees, with a different sound to their "dee dee dee" call.

Where it was uncommon to see brown creepers on the cape, here we see them in good numbers, working their way up a tree trunk.

At Jenn's campsite, several spotted towhees were present under the seed feeder we had hung there; at the county park where we're camping they sing at the top of bushes and trees, not under the seed feeder we have hung there.  They have a buzzy call, different from rufous-sided towhees.

We also hang a nectar feeder and suet where we camp.  Can't get away from feeding birds!  On the suet, Oregon juncos feed, black heads with brown bodies and the familiar white tail flashes.  At the nectar, three hummingbirds fight for a seat!  They are rufous-sided (unless there's an Allen's mixed in).

In addition to American crows, there are smaller Pacific Northwest crows that we have seen.  Belted kingfishers and killdeer call from time to time.

Well, that's the latest on bird (and deer) news! Would post photos, but I haven't been able to get any decent ones of birds.