Beaver Creek Trails

Yesterday, we spent several hours hiking the trails at Beaver Creek.  There are about five-plus miles of trails that skirt the marsh and circle around up a couple of hills.  The morning started out cold and clear, and then turned pleasant around noon.

A highlight of the hike was while eating our lunch at the top of Snaggy Point, we had some exciting bird sightings. Fortunately, I brought my good (and heavy) camera.

 A Red Tailed Hawk perched on an empty Osprey nest was one of our first birds of the day.

This Northern Pygmy Owl really had us excited. Somehow, Gail spotted this tiny rarely seen owl perched on top of a small fir tree. Pygmy Owls are only 6.75 inches long with a wingspan of 12 inches and a weight of 2.5 ounces - barely bigger than a House Finch.  They hunt during the day, eating birds and small mammals. They can kill and eat a squirrel twice their size.  I couldn't wait to get home and read about this owl in the excellent owl book that Sarah gave me awhile back (Owl: A Year In The Lives Of North American Owls, by Paul Bannick).

This is the back of the owls head, which is turned 180 degrees, and those are false eye-spots that deter would-be predators.

 While we were watching the owl, four Bald Eagles circled overhead.  Two of them were doing courtship antics - diving and vocalizing.

Bald Eagles circling.

At the same time, a small flock of raucous Gray Jays was having its say.

 Before leaving the area, we went to the ocean part of Brian Booth State Park.  The fog was rolling in thick and cold.  Gulls, here, taking flight from the mouth of Beaver Creek.

Photo by Gail