Beaver jungles and sniping elk.

The highlight of the past week was a trip to some of the springs and wetlands along the base of the Cascade Mountains just to our west. I went there on Friday on a tip I might find a spring-fed stream full of hungry Brook Trout. I have been searching the numerous springs there for several years but, have never found any fishing too exciting. I understand that for some of the areas the time of year can be critical; for Brook Trout I would expect the best time would be leading up to their spawning in the fall of the year.

The main area I checked was a jungle of flooded brush and beaver ponds. The spring was multi-channeled due to the diversions created by the beaver ponds. The channels flowed out into huge wetlands of bogs, emergent wetlands, and sedge meadows. It was a natural wildlife haven and many sounds of birds and amphibians could be heard. Two of the strangest sounds were the many Winnowing Snipe doing their aerial displays over the marshes and the American Bittern. See and hear them on the eNature.com website: first the American Bittern. Be sure to listen to the very strange sound they make, on the left just above the photo. Because of the strange sound it has also been called the "thunder-pumper" or "Bogbumper" or "Stake Driver". The Common Snipe (yes there really are snipe, several species around the world, but they do not glow in the dark) also makes and interesting sound which is common to large open wetlands in the spring of the year. Be sure to listen to the sound on the website too.

 A bonus was a couple of cow elk grazing far out in the wet meadows.

As it grew dark the beaver came out and started slapping their tails on the water when they sensed I was in the area.

I went fly fishing at dusk at the mouth of Spring Creek on the Williamson River. I started late and only caught one little Redband Trout which I quickly released. I also heard my first Nighthawk of the season Saturday eve. I had heard a Common Poorwill during the week through our screen windows during the night a day or two earlier.

We continue to see Bald Eagles daily; there is a mated pair hanging around especially near our Eagles Nest cabin.