I spent most of the day at Devil's Lake to take in some space, scenery and fresh air, but also look for Townsend's Solitaires. The morning was a little chilly, but the climb up the bluff warmed me up quickly. I thought the fall colors must be right around peak, though a man on Balanced Rock trail told me I might have missed it by a few days. What did I miss? Once I got to the top of the bluff, I can't imagine what he was talking about – the view and colors were spectacular and I doubt it could have looked better.
I located a good chair in the rocks on the edge of the bluff and didn't do much else but bask in the warming sun. I listened and occasionally scanned for the solitaires, but found none. Still, many other birds were present. Around me were Black-capped Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, House Finches, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Cedar Waxwings and a Yellow-rumped Warbler. Down below I could hear Blue Jays and the occasional call of a Pileated Woodpecker. I was impressed when hearing a Carolina Wren's song from all the way across the lake – such an incredibly loud and cheerful song.
All images © 2007 Mike McDowell
