It seems that summer went too fast with too many obligations.  We only used the camping trailer for a week in July, taking our grand-daughters, Hope and Hannah, camping on a split schedule.  The weather was pretty good for Hope’s segment but Hannah and her friend, Mary, had very windy conditions.  Travel back and forth, meal prep, etc. and after it was over we went “Whew!”

So, we waited until school was back in session and headed back up to Lake Davis.  We were told in July that the campgrounds would be open until mid-October (and it was verified on the FS web site) but the new breed of Forest Service District Rangers believe the campgrounds are their personal property and can open and close them on a whim (but I won’t go into my tirade on that, that’s reserved for my 4 page letter to the FS, currently in draft).  Luckily, the section of the campground we wanted was open when we arrived and even though they closed it the next day, we were in; had paid our fee so they had to wait for us to leave.  Thus…we had the whole place to ourselves.  Quiet, quiet, quiet… all with perfect weather.

The bird life in camp got better each day with Kathy spreading the wild bird seed around.  Kathy read her Kindle and I wandered around with the big lens looking for birds.  Four days just went by too fast.

Morning on Lake Davis

Brown creepers challenge all the aspects of modern photography: speed of auto focus and xxx; finding a well-camouflaged 3-inch bird on a Ponderosa pine trunk; moving the camera fast enough to get a shot before it goes around the back-side of the tree; and trying to follow it from tree to tree.  I must’ve shot 400 frames and thrown away 380 of them.  None of the remainder were what I’d hoped for but here’s the best.

Yellow-rumped warblers all around but like the creeper, rarely sitting still and going into the pine overstory and willows,  made them a challenge.  Townsend’s warblers stay pretty much in the willows near the lake shore.

 

Mountain chickadees don’t sit long either but will watch you if purse your lips and make squeaking sounds.

Coopers hawks (this one a juvenile) sit in the tree tops in hopes of catching a warbler or two.

 

White-headed woodpeckers are pretty rare but very tame if you find one.

 

My favorite, the osprey.  Only a few left at the lake, most already heading for the wintering grounds in Central and South America.

 

Three types of nuthatches up and down the trees.  This one, a pygmy nuthatch.

Sarah…ever on watch for the squirrels and chipmunks.

 

A thirsty Douglas squirrel  (red squirrel to some).

Yellow pine chipmunk.  The nemesis of Sarah.

 

Sundown