Last ride of February

Tjossem Ponds

pretty well hidden place

Raptors Galore

These ponds also back up to the Yakima River

(pano)

Just above the trees there are two Bald Eagles

They both had nest material

Fun Fact:

Bald Eagles build the largest nests of all birds.

The largest recorded weighed more than 4,000 pounds.

River washed this section out pretty well

Young Bald Eagle

Black beak is an easy sign to look for

This eagle circled me the rest of the day

Tractor laid path

the grooves make for a good tire test track

If the grooves feel too rough, then you just let more air out of the tires

Conditions were perfect

I felt very comfortable on the lakes with such a squishy footprint

Such a smooth environment to ride

perfectly level and solid

Red Tail

Another bonus of being able to cut across the lakes

it made getting shots of birds easier

No obstacles in the way

I could track a hawk from one end to the other in no time

So colorful

I chased birds, looked at footprints

explored every lake and pond in this area

Rare opportunity to get this much surface area all to yourself to ride on

Juvenile Bald Eagle and a pair of hawks high above to the left

There were 6 ponds/lakes to explore

Each had it's own unique footprints

eagles for days

flying away from the sun this time

It's the same Juvenile Bald Eagle from earlier in the day

Common Teasel

A noxious weed

Good sized bunny footprint

After these ponds I headed over towards Helen McCabe

This lake is right at the entrance to the Yakima River Canyon

Tons of bird signs all over this pine

Woodpecker holes, various feathers, and I found an owl pellet too

Drying this out and I'm going to do some macro work

Northern Flicker feather

Went home after that

This is a map of Sunday's ride of 30.02 miles

This is a map of Tuesday's ride of 30.07

February was a great month, rode almost every other day

will post a full recap next blog