Waddles and I made a quick trip to La Grande last Thursday. I used to play in a Marimba Band over there, Kupenga Marimba, and they graciously allow me to make guest appearances with them on occasion. They were playing for Vaux's Swift Night at Max Square.
Annually the Vaux's Swifts come and roost in the big chimney right in downtown La Grande. It is fun to watch, but evidently the Swifts didn't get the memo, because they were not there on Friday evening for the big event.
But the crowd was wonderful, faces were painted and raffle tickets were sold. Food was eaten and beer consumed.
You have heard me talk about Ladd Marsh before and I never miss an opportunity to visit the Marsh and look for birds when I am in La Grande. Saturday mornings there is an organized bird outing that the public is invited to join, so I got up at 6am and was at the meeting spot for a 7am departure. These outings are frequently into places on the Marsh that are not normally accessible by the public, so it is a treat.
We walked out to the City Ponds, and even though it is not migration season, the birding was good. We saw Bittern, Green Night Herons, Marsh wrens, a variety of ducks, Horned Grebes, and two Virginia Rails made appearances (for those of you who are not birders, these are very shy wading birds that hide in the reeds, you hear them more than see them normally). We also saw Vaux's Swifts!
Thanks to my friend Rachel, Waddles and I had a cozy spot to camp for a couple nights. If it looks familiar, it is the same place I spent the first 2 nights of my mega trip last spring.
I'm sad to think that winter is coming too quickly and Waddles will have to be put into hibernation in the garage. I'm hoping to get another trip or two in before that happens, but nothing solid is planned yet.
