Clear and Cold

As am noted in an earlier entry, it’s been clear but cold here in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, it’s been cold enough, particularly when combined with the strong north winds, that I’ve avoided longer hikes, limiting myself to a mile or less. It was so cold at the beach, and the winds were so strong,

Flags Blowing in Wind

that even the ducks had abandoned the beach at Ruston. The wind cut right through all three layers of cross-country skiing gear, and I limited my beach stay to less than 15 minutes.

In more sheltered areas like Titlow there were quite a few songbirds, but they are also the hardest birds to photograph because they refuse to stay in one spot more than a few seconds, and when they do stop for a moment it’s always in the deepest shade, like this Fox Sparrow:

Fox Sparrow

I guess the good thing is that I’ve managed to get shots of all the local varieties of sparrows. I no longer refer to them as “lbj’s.”

My favorite shot of the day was this little female Downy Woodpecker. I was particularly fascinated with the way she used her claws and tail to hold herself in place while she sought out insects.

Female Down Woodpecker