Cle Elum in the rain
Dec. 17th, 2025 10:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tiggymalvern
It was strange to drive over to Cle Elum in mid December with not one jot of snow along the road over the pass. The snow that I hiked in on Black Friday all melted away and hasn't been replaced.
We cancelled the Monday morning owling because the forecast was for heavy rain, and that's exactly what it did. Owls don't want to be out in the rain any more than I do - they can't hear their prey rustling when everything's rustling and they can't glide silently with drenched feathers, so they just stay in bed, and we did the same.
The daylight hours started pretty dismal too - it rained thoroughly until around 10.30 and then things improved to light, intermittent showers with occasional sun breaks. Mist clearing over the hillsides makes for some pretty photos.
We were able to access some parts of the count circle that we normally wouldn't because of snow, but the bird total for the day was still a near-record low in numbers of both species and individual birds. With no snow and all the ponds unfrozen, there's nothing to push the birds closer to town and feeders and water supplies - they could spread out in places far from roads and paths where we would never see them. Still a pleasant day to be out overall, though (at least once the solid wall of rain stopped) with enjoyable company.
We cancelled the Monday morning owling because the forecast was for heavy rain, and that's exactly what it did. Owls don't want to be out in the rain any more than I do - they can't hear their prey rustling when everything's rustling and they can't glide silently with drenched feathers, so they just stay in bed, and we did the same.
The daylight hours started pretty dismal too - it rained thoroughly until around 10.30 and then things improved to light, intermittent showers with occasional sun breaks. Mist clearing over the hillsides makes for some pretty photos.
We were able to access some parts of the count circle that we normally wouldn't because of snow, but the bird total for the day was still a near-record low in numbers of both species and individual birds. With no snow and all the ponds unfrozen, there's nothing to push the birds closer to town and feeders and water supplies - they could spread out in places far from roads and paths where we would never see them. Still a pleasant day to be out overall, though (at least once the solid wall of rain stopped) with enjoyable company.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-18 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-19 02:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-19 07:04 pm (UTC)We really haven't gotten any snow to speak of around here, either. The mountains got a little help a week or so ago so they could open the ski resorts (with some help from snow makers). We're all hoping for some good snow falls in January and February to stave off drought next year.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-20 02:35 am (UTC)Yeah, if we don't get snowpack, people will be bitching about drought next summer for sure.
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Date: 2025-12-23 01:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-12-23 02:56 am (UTC)