A Surprise Visitor with a Bushy Tail

When I looked out to the backyard today to see what birds were at the feeders, I found empty feeders and one mighty fine looking grey fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus).

What a great surprise! These nocturnal/crepuscular critters are not seen very often during the day!

I did a little research and discovered that they are unique in North American canids (canine family) for being able to climb trees! It comes in handy when escaping danger or looking for food. As for meals, they are omnivores. They will happily devour a little rodent, rabbit, bird as well as vegetarian fare such as berries and acorns. 

Keep your eyes open! You never know what special creature you may encounter! Cheers to wildlife!

Click on photos to enlarge.

Photos and content by Robin Roberts.

More information on Grey Fox 

The Mountains are Revealed

It is morning and the fog has lifted revealing the beautiful snow-covered mountains. I never grow tired of seeing what the white storm has left behind! Marion Mountain and Tahquitz Peak are covered in over a foot of snow.

It's always a relief to see the tough birds that survive living through these wintry days! Both of these birds choose to stay in the mountains year-round. The clever California Scrub-Jay and the tireless Mountain Chickadee are constantly foraging and stashing away seeds or nuts for days like this.

High on Tahquitz Peak at 8,846 feet, the fire lookout tower is now officially closed for the season.

Here is a last view of the rock before the sun disappeared from sight. This winter storm was quite unexpected so early in the season but it certainly was a welcome event!

                              Photos and content by Robin Roberts.

                                    Click on photos to enlarge

 

Hunkered Down

 

This was a weekend to hunker down while the fog-shrouded mountains kept hidden the snowy scenes of this unexpected snowstorm. Just like anywhere you live, when you know a storm is coming, it's best to keep busy days in advance so you can just enjoy the coziness of your home when the weather changes.

I totally was expecting my next blog post to be about the fall weather but we all were in for a surprise when this snow event arrived on Saturday.

What better way to start the morning than watch Donald Duck and his encounters with Chip and Dale. This episode is all about popcorn thieves. 

Of course, I couldn't linger inside watching Donald and the gang for long knowing that our avian friends outside had inches of snow covering their feeders. 

Pine Siskin

The most abundant bird species in our yard is the Pine Siskin. Since the snow arrived, we have about 40-50 of these beauties devouring the thistle.

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Every year in the winter, a golden-crowned sparrow or two finds our backyard once again. They spend their summers in Alaska or Canada. 

Gray-headed Junco 

This subspecies of Dark-eyed juncos is a rare bird for our area. They are more likely to be seen in Nevada, Utah, or Colorado in the summer and Arizona, New Mexico, or Mexico in the winter. Most of the juncos in our mountains are Oregon juncos but occasionally, some others show up in the winter. Like the golden-crowned sparrow, it is here on its own in a mixed flock. 

Night has taken over. Tomorrow, the skies will clear and the snow will end. It's always exciting to wake up and see the transformation that the snowy weather creates. Until tomorrow......