Month: August 2006

Snowy Egret

It looked like another slow day at Nisqually until a lady from Castle Rock asked me if I’d seen the Snowy Egret. I hadn’t, and I wasn’t really looking for one since they’re quite rare around here, so rare that my regular local birding book doesn’t even list them.

Once she told me that it had been spotted in the general area we were in, I did spot it, a long ways out, too far out to get a good picture. At that distance it looked like the egret that I’d seen here last year, and I wasn’t too excited, figuring I’d never get as good of a picture as the ones I already had.

I did take a few pictures, but wasn’t overly excited about them. About then, though, a hawk flew over and spooked the egret which, wisely, chose to fly closer to the people. Only then did I realize that it wasn’t the same bird that I’d seen last year. In fact, I’ve never gotten a picture of one of these, though they were fairly common in Northern California.

I stuck around nearly a half hour taking pictures and ended up with several different poses that I liked. The first of them

was the closest he got, but he made sure that he was on the other side of a wide body of water.

Later when he apparently got tired of me taking his picture, he flew off to settle in the top of a tree and preen

I was so intent on getting some good pictures of the egret that I missed what may have been my best chance yet to get a close-up of a Green Heron, one that I accidentally flushed while trying to creep up on the egret. It’s amazingly difficult to be totally aware, isn’t it? I guess I’ll just have to settle for trying to be a little more aware every day.

Sleeping with the Enemy

Sunday’s visit to Weyerhaeuser’s Bonsai Garden certainly reminded me that I am irrevocably a postmodernist.

I enjoy Bonsai and have for many years. I am not, however, a fan of Weyerhaeuser and their clear-cutting policies. So, I had mixed feelings about visiting their home office. Despite my reservations, I’ll admit that I’ve never seen a more beautiful, greener, in all senses of that word, business campus than their campus. It is a delight to visit.

Still, while reading about a tradition in Bonsai of representing whole forests with a single plant on a miniature scale,

I couldn’t help but comment to Leslie that if Weyerhaeuser had their way this would probably be the only forest any of us would ever get to visit.

Was Weyerhaeuser’s attempt to create a “green� campus merely a PR move? Or, do they really love the woods that they seem to be inevitably destroying, euphemistically calling it “harvesting� which suggests they are cutting trees they planted, though I don’t see many 150-year-old Weyerhaeuser employees, especially ones who could have planted these forests.

Perhaps they have more faith than I in

the regenerative power of nature, a power often celebrated in Bonsai and one of my favorite themes. Though it’s a quality I’ve always admired in trees and plants found at timberline and in the desert, I’d prefer not to have to depend on it for my grandchildren’s survival.

Weyerhaeuser Bonsai and Rhododendron Garden

I’ve long wanted to visit the famous Weyerhaeuser Bonsai garden and since I had to drop my brother off at the airport at 11:00 we decided to use the opportunity to stop and visit the gardens. We couldn’t have chosen a more opportune time to do so.

Not only were there the usual displays of striking bonsai,

there was also a special show going on called Traditions and Transitions – Arts of the Earth, where ceramic pieces were paired with bonsai plants

as in this display where the Damian Grava’s clay creations were paired with a bonsai created by Nick Lenz.

Though the bonsai would easily have stood on their own, it was fascinating to see how local artists paired their work with various bonsai.

I didn’t realize that most of the grounds are actually devoted to a Rhododendron garden, one where rare rhododendrons from different parts of the world are displayed in various settings. Though the rhododendrons have long since bloomed this year, the beautiful gardens were still worth the $3.50 entry fee.

Now that I’ve actually visited the garden I’m looking forward to visiting it next year when the rhodies are in bloom.

Sometimes I Just Like to Talk

Birding was rather poor at Nisqually today; I didn’t identify a single new species. In fact the few birds I did see, like Great Blue Herons, Canadian Geese, Lesser Yellowlegs, and crows are so common that I sometimes I don’t see them at all.

When another birder asks whether I saw anything, I don’t even think of mentioning these birds. If I do mention them, it’s something like “only some herons and lesser yellowlegs.“ They are a given.

While reflecting on this fact, I also reminded myself that this is one of the few places I ever get to see these magnificent birds.

It’s also rare that I don’t see at least one thing to make the long walk special. Today it was this young raccoon that seemed surprised, but not too upset, to see me:

Strangely enough, the high point of the day may simply have been the delightful company of a man and woman I met on the trail, and our roving discussion that even touched on politics. Birders are a friendly lot, and I enjoy being one of them.