Another of my favorite birds is the towhee. They don’t deal well with the bird feeders … seeming to prefer feeding on the ground. Fortunately, we don’t have many free-range cats in our neighborhood.
Towhees
Great Horned Owls
Great Horned Owls are fairly common in the Pacific Northwest … although they can be hard to spot with their typically nocturnal ways. And they like to hide out, as below. (I was just lucky to spot that one, but it had been a nest before.)
Cinnamon Teal
One of my favorite ducks is the cinnamon teal. I think the coloration is great … and the little beady red eyes remind me of a couple early mornings when I didn’t get enough sleep. I found these at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge outside Olympia, Washington.
Grouse
I mostly like grouse. I get a little bit annoyed with them when they fly up into my face to chase me away from their young. If they weren’t so well camouflaged, maybe I would see them and wouldn’t get startled so much. Anyway, enjoy these photos …
Praying Mantises
I found these two praying mantises at the Mima Mound Nature Area south of Olympia, Washington. I’m not an expert on insects so can’t say if these are both the same species or etc. But they are interesting little critters. They are cannabalistic, though.
