the Way of the Turtle

COYOTES & A NIGHTHAWK
1.9 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Thursday, September 1, 2011

OK, I didn't actually see the coyotes - just heard them howling and yipping off in the distance, couldn't tell if they were in the fields at Five Rivers or in the fields further away across the creeks. And given that it was getting dark and I was pretty much alone on the trails, I didn't think it was a good idea to go looking for a group of excited coyotes...

And I can't be 100% sure the bird I saw was a nighthawk - but it was dusk, and a type of bird I'd never seen before, and the program Tuesday night did indicate they're sometimes in this area this time of year - and what I saw fits the basic description on both http://www.whatbird.com/ and in my National Geographic Field Guide.

Walked along the creekside trails for a bit... good deal of damage back there. One small bridge shifted off its foundations, several trees down (including one large one that pulled up both the split-rail fence and a good chunk of path with it's root ball.)

Unfortunately, as temperatures creep back up, the mosquitoes also are coming back out - they were a real nuisance tonight, especially since I'd left my bug spray in the car.

JMH