Mischievous squirrel and more Yellow-headed Blackbirds

Large numbers of Yellow-headed Blackbirds came to the feeders this week. This is a spring phenomenon in the Klamath Basin, especially if you are near a lake, or on a river aligned with their migration corridors like here on the Williamson. They almost reach nuisance levels, especially since we keep feeding them. But it will be over soon and we will not see very many the remainder of the year unless you go to the marshes where they nest and spend the summer. Good places around here will be the marshes along the west side of Upper Klamath Lake and Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge about 25 miles north of here.

I have earlier mentioned the Wood Ducks that come into the yards of our cabins here on the river, especially our cabin, appropriately named “Wood Duck.” I have also mentioned earlier the Western Gray Squirrels that also come and seemed to like to have the ranch Labrador retriever, Lori D, chase them. Well here are a couple of short happenings. If you look closely at the photo above you will see one of the squirrels, the gray blob at the base of the feeder. They seem to ignoring each other at the time, the squirrel even seems to be using his tail as kind of an umbrella with all the bird activity around. Now see this photo:

I was trying to get a photo, through our window as above, of a pair of Wood Ducks approaching our cabin. About the time I shot the squirrel came charging at the ducks. It looked playful on the squirrel’s part, but, although the Ducks hurried out of the way without flying, they did not seem amused.

Now Lori D has a bad limp to her right rear leg. She was out chasing the squirrel again and it appears she sprained her leg. We checked for a bite but there is none and she doesn’t act like it, just a sprain. Mark up another one for the squirrel.

Friday, Suzie and I drove out the Sprague River Valley all the way to the Mitchell Monument of the Japanese Balloon bomb of WWII. It’s about 11 miles east of Bly. It was a day of sunshine and clouds racing over the greening valley, many of the clouds with snowy trails of virga hanging below them. In the mountains along the sides of the valley the precipitation was reaching the forests. It was spectacular, especially on the +8,000 foot slopes of Gearhart Mountain above us. We only went sightseeing a little beyond the Mitchell Monument before we found the winter’s snow was still blocking the road.

There were lots of migrating birds along the Sprague Valley as well as permanent residents (such as Bald Eagles). The most interesting bird we saw was several Long-billed Curlews.

This evening there was an adult Golden Eagle soaring over the entrance to the ranch near the US 97 Bridge over the Williamson River.