I took Sam the Border Collie along with me today. We went to go check the eagle activity on nests 3 & 4. Happy to report both nest sites have eagles working on building up their nests.

I saw the Nest 3 pair mating on the nest the other day. I think, without looking back in my notes, the Nest 6 pair still holds the record for the earliest mating in January. January 10th, it seems.

Nest 5 pair was working on their nest a couple days ago. 

We stayed until sun down, Sam found feathers from what remained of a crow, and he found the head off of what looked like a small rodent, a muskrat, perhaps. I'm hoping it wasn't a young beaver since they have a dam near there. Don't think it was though. A lot of scat -- per usual.

Found a tree that had some sort of den under it in another area. Probably a coyote or fox. 

Sam has a phobia of riding in vehicles. He loves the field time, so much so,  that when it was time to go he sat down and wouldn't budge. I sat with him awhile and told him we had to go home. He loved the valley. Never met a dog that didn't.  He rides great, just that shaky first ten minutes that seems to be hard for him. The rest of the ride is holding my hand or laying across the seat, drooling on my coat and somehow, today, inside my iPhone.

I went to take a picture but I couldn't. My phone was all wet.

I laughed at how it was all wet inside even though it's in an Otterbox. Somehow they manufactured mine without the right seal -- so it's not even water resistant, but definitely not drool-proof. No worries, I'll exchange it for a new one after this one wears out during my use in the field. 

Thanks, Tammy and the Gryts for letting Sam hang with me today. Thanks, Sam! You make a great field dog!

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See you on the journey,

Lisa