I forgot the birds!

I forgot about the swell birds I spotted out at Ediz Hook a while back. A spot so famed for its feral cat population that someone produced a Cats of Ediz Hook calendar to raise money to get them fixed. So I hear. I will try to be brief. 

A neat Harlequin duck, to the left. The males look like abstract geometric paintings brought to life.
Allow me to now narrate the following bird's inner thoughts.




"Ahh that's the stuff! Can't get enough of it."

"Oh yeah man. I can feel it in my feather tips!"

 "Hmmm water looks nice today. Well really the same as every day. It could be warmer."

 "I feel like something is watching me. Maybe if I just turn my head a little - oop there definitely is someone watching me. Play it cool. I'm just looking off to the side, surveying my surroundings..."

 "Maybe if I look really interested in the water they'll just go away. If I act like I'm not threatened it won't waste it's time right?"

"Oh hey there's some yummy sea lettuce over here! It'll go away sometime. I guess. I hope."

Now we shall commence with our 'normal' typecast.
The same weekend I harassed wildlife these lovely ladies came for a visit, and brought a puppy to boot!

He wasn't real big on sitting pretty for pictures. We wandered around town and amused ourselves in antique stores and such. I like to think they had fun.

This coming week is the last week on the Elwha project. Planting is coming to an end, the cuttings are leafing out and seedlings are popping up left right and center in the greenhouse. On Friday Dave (who runs the nursery) told us that there were approx 75,000 cells sown, and I'm not sure that included the cuttings (another 12-15,000 plants). 

We planted the first site on the East side of Mills last week. I think there is one more site for that side with the hodgepodge leftovers of spare plants that can't stay in the nursery for another growing season. The east side features much more of the valley wall zone that is impossible for planting; scrambling along it is difficult enough.  This site was about as close to the dam as we can plant at the moment, with more blasts in the future.
It was of course a glorious WA day, but at least it didn't start raining til the end of the day.
 Leonie trotting out to the site along the trail the WCC folks made.

 Once again the WCC highly visible in bright yellow rain gear.

 The original dam was something over 200 feet tall, now there are few dozen feet left to remove.

As you may be able to tell this house/property is full of surprises. Last week I discovered snowdrops in the front yard. I was thrilled, tickled pink I tell ya! 
Have a splendid week! Be as excited as us!