Woodland Wa, Wining in the Willamette Valley

Mike and I drove south into Oregon to visit the Willamette Valley area and check out some wineries.  It rained pretty much the whole day so wine tasting was just the thing!

Duck Pond is big.  They had some nice stuff at nice prices.

bottling room

We actually decided to join their wine club for a year!

At the Barking Frog they use glass "corks"  that was a new one for us!

Woodland WA, Rainy Days!

We have been experiencing what I think most everyone who does not live in the PNW thinks happens everyday year round and that is rain;)  It has been raining for a week and a half now and I am ready for a break!  Yes, you do get the occasional blue patches with a few minutes of sun but when it rains like this it is mostly grey and difficult for a sun person like myself. Good thing it is so beautiful here!!!

Of course I would brave any kind of weather to be with Felicia and Jeff right now.  Felicia is doing well.  She is at 34 weeks and we are so happy she has made it this far.  Baby Sephira has turned head down and is moving like crazy.  We are thankful for every week she hangs out inside mommy!

This weekend is supposed to be the end of the rain for a while.  Looking forward to it!  In the mean time, I think the goat family was definitely having second thoughts about venturing out this morning!

The Goat Family.  Are they cute or what?

the barge across the river being loaded up with lumber from the mill....

they do it the hard way!  No big cranes at this mill!

At Norm and Normas, Normas is on the nest while Norm is enjoying a snack below

Woodland WA, WA State Bird

A couple smaller local birds including the Washington state bird, the American Goldfinch.  Very pretty little things!

Western Kingbird

The rest of the pics are all of the American Goldfinch:

Woodland WA, Eagles Nest!

I was hoping it was just a matter of time before I saw the bald eagle again that I had first seen grabbing straw from the field a few weeks ago and not only did I see him again but I spotted his nest with his mate on it!  Yay!

I am now watching 3 nests; the osprey nest just north of us with Norm and Norma on it and I believe Norma is sitting on eggs.  Then the osprey nest 1 mile south of us with Sal and Sally on it.  They do not have eggs yet.  And now the bald eagle nest in between them!  As you can see in the pics below, I believe the eagle nest also has eggs.

Right after I spotted the male eagle, another large bird flew overhead.....which may have been the golden eagle I thought I saw a week ago.  You be the judge!:)

saw the male first sitting on a branch over the river.......

looking around and keeping watch.......

look for the male all the way on the left and then look all the way to the right for the nest with the female

she certainly seems to be sitting on eggs!

could not get her to look my way, she is very high up and a long ways from me

so what do you think, golden eagle??  

I think these finches think it is!

Woodland WA, My Neighborhood

Back in my neighborhood I caught an osprey bringing home breakfast this morning.  Might have been Sal as Sal and Sallys nest was close by:

Jr. posed for me this morning......

and the birds were all singing their hearts out:)

Columbia Fruit Co.  

Beautiful residence right across the street from the fruit co. and on the river

Osprey with fish, maybe Sal??

fields of berries

and there is Sally close by wishing Sal would hurry up!!;)

Woodland WA, Backyard Beauties

Sitting out on the back patio at dusk at Felicia and Jeff's we had some visitors!  They have a patch of trees right behind their house and a pair of Northern Flicker woodpeckers have pecked out a home in a tree next to their fence.  I have been on the lookout for some decent pics of them and this evening I lucked out!

If that wasn't enough, we had a visit from a Great Horned owl as well!  After hanging out in the trees for a while he hopped down into the grass and stayed there until we got tired of watching him.  It was pretty dark by then so the pics are not clear but you get the gist!:)

male Northern Flicker

female Northern Flicker

Dark-Eyed Junco, yep, that is the name of this guy and..........

he sure could sing and when he did his tail vibrated

then the owl showed up