Guess whooo returned!

The great horned owl returned this morning to roost outside the Visitor’s Center giving me and some other lucky people the chance to enjoy an up close look at this denizen of the dark.  As you can see, he swiveled his head 180* to show off his feathery horns.  :)  What a hoot!!

Another day working the VC.  Not very exciting, but I did step out several times to check out the bird life. 
The California quail are pretty skittish, but…
I was able to sneak in a few close ups before they all took off in a noisy flurry of wings and squawks.  The male, on the left, was blasting out his warning calls the whole time I was skulking around trying to get a good shot.  :)  Don’t you just love those little top knots?
A new visitor to the bird feeders this week is the American goldfinch.  They’ve already molted into their winter plumage, so they’re not  the brilliant yellow of springtime that earns them the common name of a wild canary. 
Here are my latest attempts at a decent picture of a Lewis’s woodpecker.  Obviously, my quest is not over.  :)
Lest you think birds are the only concern at this refuge, I include this picture of the refuge manager out in the pond in front of the VC.  He is pulling a fish net behind him.  The invasion of carp have really had a detrimental effect on the refuge marsh vegetation, and the natural red band trout population.  He is out there trying to net some of the unwanted carp.

The thought of working the not very busy VC four days this week was a little depressing to me, so this afternoon I worked on a plan to get out and about for at least one of those days.  If the weather cooperates tomorrow, I may have something new to report.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed.  :)

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy