The Daily (*ahem) Forest Report September 12, 2015 Back From Vacation

by nielskunze on September 12, 2015

It’s not that I was vacationing per se… I just took a little break from publishing every day– which has been pretty much my habit these past four years.

I’m ba-ack!

Valleys and Mists

Valleys and Mists

The Forest seems to be going through rapid cycles of activity and rest these past weeks. For a few days we’ll have abundant interaction with various forest critters… followed by a couple of days of deep, abiding silence.

And then there’s Turkey Vulture, who almost never breaks the silence, but whose presence lately has been unusually close.

Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Such an easily recognizable bird!

Perfect Vulture Form

Perfect Vulture Form

One day, a group of at least three vultures followed me and the dogs rather closely, escorting us down the mountain for about twenty minutes or more.

TV Escort

TV Escort

They were just flying above the treetops, following the dirt road I was hiking.

Turkey vultures ride upon an air of confidence; they know exactly who they are, what niche they serve. They are the true recyclers, living on Death as its resurrection… as visionaries… as calm fearlessness. I have always liked Turkey Vulture immensely and interpret their presence in sheer wonder every time.

Turkey Vulture 2

Turkey Vulture 2

There were also days of thick and heavy smoke from the Washington fires.

Height of the Smoke

Height of the Smoke

The other raptors on those days wouldn’t waste their time cruising the sky; hunting was poor in the haze, and why circle high when there’s nothing to see?

Hawk

Hawk

There were two of them this day, perched upon successive power-line poles.

One of Two

One of Two

The second one, which was the further of the two, had that look which could pass for Hawk, Osprey, or even adolescent Bald Eagle. I assumed though, that since it was in such close proximity with the other one, that it too must be a hawk… right?

Two of Two

Two of Two

There always seems to be a hawk around. Even if they don’t show themselves, we’ll often get a single hawkish scream from the nearby trees. Their energy feels like that of a protector… not that I really feel that I need one, but still… it’s nice.

Busted Up Wasp Nest on Trail

Busted Up Wasp Nest on Trail

Once again, the broken pieces of an old wasp nest were laid out in the middle of our trail in an area where there are no nearby trees. Someone keeps insisting to remind us that the old order is indeed crumbling… but the wasps themselves are busy, busy, busy!

Picking Up the Pieces

Picking Up the Pieces

In the open fields, the wasps are dismembering the grasshoppers. Some of these pieces are still too big to carry off. I watched them make a few attempts at taking off before they hunkered down and flexed their mandibles.

Active Nest in the Swamp

Active Nest in the Swamp

This nest is in the bank beside the drainage stream for the swamp. The activity at the entrance is non-stop. I made sure to steer the dogs away from that part of the stream… They get stung often enough as it is.

And then there’s this peculiar visitor to the area.

Magpie

Magpie

Having grown up in Calgary, I am quite familiar with Magpie. But up until very recently, I had never seen them, especially in great numbers, here in my BC mountain home. Even avid bird-watchers I quizzed on the matter confirmed that they are not considered native to this region. But now, suddenly, there are large flocks of them, dancing through the treetops where I roam, squawking and screeching like jungle monkeys with wings.

It’s interesting that magpies should surround me just as I take a little break from publishing. Despite the harshness of their voices (which we might call insistence), their general message is one of encouragement to share and communicate spiritual perceptions. Well duh… that’s what I’m trying to do! Can’t a guy take a couple of weeks off though? Sheesh!

Bear Diggings in the Cougar Mound

Bear Diggings in the Cougar Mound

And every once in a while, we come across what clearly appears to be bear activity, but Bear doesn’t get along well with the dogs, so we rarely ever meet. The mound pictured above is named the Cougar Mound because it is the exact hillock over which an adult cougar leapt about four feet behind me, knocking Sitka to the ground in the process. The cougar was being hunted by a pack of dogs… and didn’t know that we were there– trying frantically to get out of the area altogether! That was almost two years ago; Sitka was still a small puppy. That was her initiation into the Forest Life.

And indeed, the adventure continues… but more and more it just seems to be normal living.

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