I Can Get a Wee Bit Distracted at Times!

If you haven't guessed from my posts over the years, I find most things in the natural world kinda fascinating. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't see that as a bad thing at all! But it makes tasks take a bit longer than mayhaps they should. I am fortunate that the great people at Wolf Hollow are understanding about my photographic addiction and have only once, in the 5 years I have been there, asked me upon my return "So, did you get lost on the way out there or on the way back?" Fortunately it was said with an indulging smile. Don't know what I mean? Okay, let me give you an example. In early December we had pretty nippy noodles weather here. Therefore, frost was everywhere when I went down to feed the fawns. And here is how that trip went:

Starting from about 30 feet outside the front door I saw this:

I love when I see the moon over Wolf Hollow in the mornings! And then, after another fifty feet or so, there was this:

I never could get the sparkliness of it all! And then the next thing to catch my eye on the way down the the fawn pen was this:

The entire branch was like this. I found it very captivating! And lastly I saw this:

By this time I was feeling a bit bad, so I rushed the rest of the way down there and fed these beauties:

On the way back, there were still other things that caught my attention, like these red berries that just pop out against their grey backdrop....

...and these white berries all clumped together.

Even on the way home, the crispness outside made Mount Baker shine out like a beacon in the distance. So I parked my car in a small pullout and took to the middle of the street to get first this shot...

...and then this one.

I just love intertwined trees and these two seriously look like they are reaching towards each other.

But that's not all that can distract me obviously. I can get distracted by mushrooms, especially if they are oddly shaped...

...which I'll admit was a slight issue since Wolf Hollow exploded with fungi over a two week period this past year.

Then there are the teeny tiny players. Like these fungal type growths one finds on an old wooden fawn pen fence.

And then there are the crawly ones that have always intrigued me...

...as they can be so easily overlooked if you aren't keeping an eye out.

And last, but certainly not least, are flowers. Sigh. Flowers of all kinds have me breaking out into super-macro mode. It can be any kind of flower, from ones I find in a planter box at a local coffee house...

...to the minute flowers that one finds growing in the moss.

I told you folks, it's a serious addiction and it's one I hope to never get over! Yes, this world we live in is filled to the brim with wonders!

Okay, so back to the Hollow. I actually didn't go in last week as I traveled to Lopez Island to take the Island's Oil Spill Association's Oiled Bird Class. Since I took my HAZWOPER class earlier, this means I am officially on-call if they have a major oil spill where wildlife might be impacted. Of course one hopes that never happens, but if it should, at least now I can do something to help!

The first part of the class was about the different types of birds we might be dealing with, how oil spills affect them, and how they are checked in to be treated once caught. Then it was hands on time.

Wolf Hollow keeps some dead birds in a freezer for hands on purposes and so does Julie Knight, who not only is our Executive Director of Wolf Hollow, but has also been a main player in IOSA since it first started over 20 year ago.

Here Julie is sitting amongst the trainees, helping people identify what they are holding and what special features that particular bird might have. What can I say? Julie is awesome! Jackie Wolf has also been a main player for 10 years now and she is great!

Here is my friend Traci with one of the birds.

Whatcha got there Traci? Looks like a waterbird of some kind!

Here Jackie is chatting with Traci and Tiffany while Tiffany learns to tube a bird for the first time. Everyone who hadn't done this before started out tubing one of the dead birds first. Then it was off for some live hands-on training!

We were all sent to stations where all the tools and instruments needed to intake an oiled bird were setup for us.

Intake sheet, leg band, thermometer, scale, stethoscope, tube feeding setup...you get the idea. And then we met our "patient." Here are Traci and Jenice.

Jenice, also a Wolf Hollow Board member, is going over proper handling technique, which means supporting the legs, making sure the front bend of the wing is held securely, and that the head is restrained. All-in-all it was a great class! Thanks Julie and Jackie! See you March 6th for the Search & Rescue of Oiled Birds training!

As for Wolf Hollow, yes, I did go in yesterday so I will update all of you on the current patients in my next post, including this Bald eagle suffering from lead poisoning....

...and who knows what else. Yeesh! Til next time...