June 1, period 4: more field stuff (after-the-fact)
So it's internet day again! we've started banding by ourselves now (my partner and me), and we've been busy! The most exciting thing we've gotten is probably the hybrid. They're not rare, but not common either, and it's always exciting to get one.
Townsend's Warbler x Hermit Warbler Hybrid! (Photo by Erika Taketa)
We also got a Golden-crowned Kinglet, and kinglets are the second cutest bird in the universe, so that's exciting!
He will totally eat your babies if you let him get too close... ;p
We learned the other day that we have to cover our rebar (that supports the poles) with PVC pipe so the cattle and sheep won't step on them and/or impale themselves on them, so we're off to buy that later today. it makes me sad that there's people ranging livestock in a national forest, but that's life i guess. We were less willing to accommodate them because it had never been an issue in the past 18 years that IBP has been here in Wenatchee. Grr. Great big gigantic pain in the butt. But it's better than having to yank out the rebar every time and get there an extra hour and a half early (so get there at 4ish, which means leaving the house at 3ish, which means getting up at 2:30ish... you can understand why we put our foot down on that one).
We're trying to decide what to do with our couple of days off. Mt. St. Hellens has been mentioned, and so has Mt. Rainier National Park, both of which are close enough for a day trip or a drive-sleep-do stuff-sleep-drive trip.
We've installed a hummingbird feeder right outside the kitchen window, and they're chowing down! We also have a neighbor... there's a fire guy staying in the guys' bunkhouse. He's a bit socially awkward and obviously from the conservative south, and obviously not had much in the way of post-secondary education, so we try to avoid him (this after several very awkward and not fun conversations last week). Luckily, our hours don't really coincide.
That's about it for now.
Cassin's Finch... BEST. BIRD. EXPRESSION. EVER.
An Empidonax flycatcher that we couldn't identify, so we had to let him go without a band. Photo by Erika Taketa.
A Townsend's Warbler. That hybrid is half this guy and half another warbler that we never caught. Photo by Erika Taketa.
Another Brown Creeper!!! Photo by Erika Taketa.
Townsend's Warbler x Hermit Warbler Hybrid! (Photo by Erika Taketa)
We also got a Golden-crowned Kinglet, and kinglets are the second cutest bird in the universe, so that's exciting!
He will totally eat your babies if you let him get too close... ;p
We learned the other day that we have to cover our rebar (that supports the poles) with PVC pipe so the cattle and sheep won't step on them and/or impale themselves on them, so we're off to buy that later today. it makes me sad that there's people ranging livestock in a national forest, but that's life i guess. We were less willing to accommodate them because it had never been an issue in the past 18 years that IBP has been here in Wenatchee. Grr. Great big gigantic pain in the butt. But it's better than having to yank out the rebar every time and get there an extra hour and a half early (so get there at 4ish, which means leaving the house at 3ish, which means getting up at 2:30ish... you can understand why we put our foot down on that one).
We're trying to decide what to do with our couple of days off. Mt. St. Hellens has been mentioned, and so has Mt. Rainier National Park, both of which are close enough for a day trip or a drive-sleep-do stuff-sleep-drive trip.
We've installed a hummingbird feeder right outside the kitchen window, and they're chowing down! We also have a neighbor... there's a fire guy staying in the guys' bunkhouse. He's a bit socially awkward and obviously from the conservative south, and obviously not had much in the way of post-secondary education, so we try to avoid him (this after several very awkward and not fun conversations last week). Luckily, our hours don't really coincide.
That's about it for now.
Cassin's Finch... BEST. BIRD. EXPRESSION. EVER.
An Empidonax flycatcher that we couldn't identify, so we had to let him go without a band. Photo by Erika Taketa.
A Townsend's Warbler. That hybrid is half this guy and half another warbler that we never caught. Photo by Erika Taketa.
Another Brown Creeper!!! Photo by Erika Taketa.