In the Bear Creek Greenbelt this morning:

Female Hooded Merganser

American Dipper

On Christmas Eve morning in the Bear Creek Greenbelt:

Mink

Belted Kingfisher

Immature Red-tailed Hawk

Common Goldeneye

This morning in the Bear Creek Greenbelt:

Mink

Hermit Thrush

American Dipper

Early morning in the Bear Creek Greenbelt on the first day of winter.

Immature White-crowned Sparrow

Muskrat

White-crowned Sparrow

And a mink, rolling around in a snow patch.

Mink

Mink

Mink

Mink

At close of day in the Bear Creek Greenbelt an American Dipper kept plunging into the creek for a meal.

American Dipper

American Dipper

Meanwhile, in the trees:

Papa Great Horned Owl

Mama Great Horned Owl

And this bird–two of them–skulked at the creek’s edge, obscured by reeds.  After a few minutes, one of them relented and posed for me on a fallen log.  Then they began feeding on the ground.  They would tap one foot rapidly, then the other, trying to uncover insects beneath the leaves.  Then they’d run, and tap dance again.

Hermit Thrush

A female Belted Kingfisher as she figures out how to consume the meal she’s caught.

Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher

In the Bear Creek Greenbelt this morning:

Great Horned Owl

Common Goldeneye (female)

American Kestrel

In the Bear Creek Greenbelt:

American Dipper

American Didpper

American Dipper

Common Goldeneye

Late afternoon in the Bear Creek Greenbelt:

American Dipper catching midges

American Dipper with insect larva

Common Goldeneye (male) with Mallard

It’s hard to tire of watching and photographing this bird, who will make the Bear Creek Greenbelt its home until spring:

American Dipper