DaveCam:  Spotted Towhee

Spotted Towhee

I was at Deception Pass State Park today and met this nice fellow on Rosario Head.  He is a Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus).  Pronounce it TOE-hee or TOE-ee.  They come from the same family as Sparrows, and in size are midway between Sparrows and Robins.  The eye color is not a camera artifact.  They really are red.  This is not a BirdCam shot either, it's from the DaveCam.  I hope this will atone for my Starling post from earlier today.  If you plan to camp in the State Park, I recommend reserving site number 280 at Bowman Bay:

Campsite No. 280

The campsite has a nice view, is relatively secluded and sits adjacent to the Rosario-Bowman Bay Nature Trail.  I went to the park today to look for fall colors.  All I found was Northwest green everywhere.  Then, growing on the beach at Lotte Bay, I found Entire-leaved Gumweed (Grindelia integrifolia) in the Aster family still in bloom in October:

Arnica Flowers

Of course, you cannot visit Deception Pass State Park without catching a nice shot of the Bridge.  This one is from the Lighthouse Point trail:

Deception Pass Bridge