Lazuli Bunting
There’s a case to be made against dog companions. They warn and ward off animals you might otherwise be privileged to see. Then again, if you pay attention to what dogs notice and if you keep them obedient, you can reduce disturbing wildlife and benefit from dogs’ observations.
Thanks to dogs, I’d like to think I’m more in touch with my place in the country and more aware of our impact. Particularly, I’m keenly aware of how much we humans impact wildlife survival. Even good intentions have negative consequences: a tub of fresh water drowns a baby bird.
I practice Leave No Trace but when you think about it, Leave No Trace is an practical and existential onion with multiple layers. There’s so much impact we aren’t aware of or don’t acknowledge.
56 species for this episode. (And likely another 50 that I did not see.)
Mammals:
Coyote
Elk
Turkey displays, in hopes of saving chick (which coyote is eating)
Mule Deer
Cottontail Rabbit
Brush Mouse
Rock Squirrel
Golden Mantled Squirrel
Chipmunk
Pocket Gopher
Skunk
Raccoon
Abert’s Squirrel
Muskrat
Marmot
Bobcat
Birds:
Adolescent bear and chipping sparrow
Golden Eagle
Bald Eagle
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Nuthatch
House Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Red-Winged Black Bird
Canada Goose
Mallard
Gadwall
Great Blue Heron
Townsend’s Solitaire
Mountain Bluebird
Western Bluebird
Kingfisher
Red Shafted Flicker
Red-winged Blackbird
Steller’s Jay
Black Capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
American Crow
Common Raven
Scrub Jay
Magpie
Turkey
Dark-Eyed Junco (and its many varieties)
Ringed Turtle Dove
Rock Dove
American Kestrel
Turkey Vulture
Red-Tailed Hawk
Starling
American Robin
Great Horned Owl
Western Screech Owl
Broad Tailed Hummingbird
Common Poor Will
Nighthawk
Indigo Bunting
Lazuli Bunting