After a week of only being able to walk with a crutch, I was looking for a relatively flat place to walk near Paul’s house and remembered that Waughop Lake used to be a good place to see overwintering birds. However, when we got there, it was clear that the lake has changed considerably since visiting it a year ago. First of all, it has shrunk considerably. All the lilies that used to line the lake have died out because the water has receded. The ducks I’m used to seeing have been replaced by Canada Geese, and I didn’t see a single Grebe.
In fact, the only unusual bird I saw was this Scrub-Jay, which is a relative newcomer to the Pacific Northwest.
As disappointing as the birding was, this view of Mr. Rainier in its winter coat was well the effort of climbing the hill above the lake.
