Tag: Western Skink

Autumn Colors

by John Rakestraw, posted in reptiles & amphibians, seasonal movements

Trees may get all the credit for creating pretty colors in autumn, but I think the birds do their part.

Spotted Towhee flashing his rusty sides and red eye
American Pipit on the rocks along the Columbia River
It is seldom that a Lincoln’s Sparrow will pose out in the open.
Yellow-rumped Warblers are not nearly as colorful in autumn as they are in spring, but they are still quite striking.
This Downy Woodpecker added some bold black and white and a little pop of red to a murky green thicket.
American Kestrel is our most colorful raptor.
Merlins are not really colorful at all, but they are much harder to find and should be celebrated whenever they appear.
The male ducks, like this Northern Pintail, are finally molting out of their drab summer plumage.
Common Merganser
I got to do very little herping this past spring and summer, thanks to the incessant needs of a certain puppy, so I was delighted to find this Western Skink out and about. The blue tail indicates a young individual.

Happy autumn.

Late Winter Ramblings

by John Rakestraw, posted in mammals, reptiles & amphibians, seasonal movements

towhee

Birding has been rather slow lately, as many of the winter residents have moved on and the spring migrants haven’t arrived yet. The local nesters, like this Spotted Towhee are becoming more active and vocal.

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A remnant of last autumn’s rut, this “buck rub,” where the local Black-tailed Deer used these small trees to polish their antlers, is in Cooper Mountain Nature Park.

skink

Also at Cooper Mountain was this Western Skink basking in the sun. This was a lifer herp for me.

Here’s another Western Skink that emerged from a burrow in a rocky hillside.

ca ground
Also enjoying the morning sunshine was this California Ground Squirrel at Fernhill Wetlands.

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Long-toed Salamanders are the only species of salamander I have seen so far this year, but they are everywhere.

pacific treefrog
This Pacific Treefrog was hiding under a small board. It might be from the bright sunlight, but this frog’s golden eyes were intriguing.

Warmer weather is coming soon, so I am anxious to see what creatures arrive with it.

Happy Spring