Passing Through?

After the snow melted, I spent a couple days continuing to get ready for the longer staying snow.  Sunday, I really didn't feel like doing much, but finally got irritated with myself and took the dogs for a walk.  There were smaller birds out and we did see three three geese, but the most interesting and unexpected sighting was a coyote walking across a downed log bridge on the river

The river is way down, I mean way down.  If you wanted to float it now, I expect you would have considerable trouble in places, even in a boat with no keel.  The Coyote was taking advantage of the low river and downed trees to get around.  He was in full winter coat and quite pretty.  Most of the coyotes I see are kind of rangy looking, but not this one, he had such a full coat he almost looked like a wolf.  Wasn't, wrong profile.  As big as it was, must have been a male.

Monday morning as I was watching ground squirrels and trying to think of a good way to kill them all with out harming any other animals when I saw a new bird near the suet containers.  They were on the ground foraging.  I new instantly it was a thrush of some sort.  Robins stop by often but I'd never seen these here.   Very similar to the Bullock's Orioles that I used to see in the Rogue Valley, but different head and much brighter than the Robins.  Looked it up and they are Varied Thrushes.  According to the guide, they do winter in this area.  We'll see, can imagine them wintering in Bend, but not here.

Now you see, if I get a cat to take care of the ground squirrels, all these birds will go away.  I love watching the birds.  I added several new one's to my lifetime list this year.  Not all in my front yard, but some of them.  Sigh, what to do.  Wish I could train the dogs to sit patiently and then pounce on the little dirt bags.  But, no, they have to bark and run and give them all kinds of notice they're coming.  Patience is definitely not their strong suit.  LOL.