Outdoors

I have just mailed in a count for the Great Backyard Bird Count to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology at Ithaca, N.Y. This count is a joint effort of the Laboratory of Ornithology and Audubon. It is such an easy count to do that I thought some of you might be interested in taking part next year.

Aside from the usual nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, siskins and juncos, there haven’t been many unusual birds around this winter. I have had several Townsend’s solitaries reported, crows and magpies, and a few red-winged blackbirds, but nothing really unusual or exciting. The red-winged blackbirds seem to be a remnant of birds that never left last fall. They have stayed on at the lake because there are plenty of feeders available in the area, and they return to the lake every evening to roost in the cattails overnight.

Of all the different animals one can encounter in our woods, there is one that most people tend to avoid like the plague. Skunks are not popular with anyone, even though they are generally quite friendly and have no intention of doing us any harm. Their terrible odor has earned them the respect of all other animals, including man.

As most of the readers of this column know, my dear husband, Bill, passed away on Nov. 19. Since that time the Canyon Courier has been most helpful to me in many ways, including reprinting past columns for several weeks. I am most grateful for their many kindnesses and continuing support.

Now, I must go on with my life without my dearest companion, and that includes resuming this column. I also most sincerely thank every reader who has sent me condolences.