Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Tuesday, April 29th 2008 A Visit to Yacolt.

Another misty day driving into Yacolt - 42 degreesUpon arriving into town, I noticed that not much had changed in the past week. On the corner of Hubbard Street and north of Jones Road, I saw the same yellow caution tape guarded the power pole from the Quakers.

On the corner of Hubbard Street and Yacolt Road, the orange patch tape installed last week deterred the Quakers from building a nest at this location where the alfa parents of this community of Quakers once thrived.
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(Above) The corner of Hubbard and Yacolt Road where YPPA had once erected at their fourth nest platform . It was still missing the platform.

Just up the street on the corner of Hubbard and Twin Falls
(Where the main colony of Quakers once lived on the power pole)
I noticed that the site had not changed much…
The orange sleeve was still off the pole and so were the Quakers.

The photo below shows across the street from the old colony nest.
YPPA's Nest platform. It looks the same from the prior week.
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Below you will notice a new photo of this platform slightly tilting.
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Below this platform, a special support apparatus stabilizes the pole, with just a few fallen sticks. Click on image to enlarge photo

At the first YPPA nest platform site there was no sign of progress on their third attempt at installing a new platform.

Approaching our N.W.B.R. platform number one... from the street I noticed that the Quakers have added a lot of sticks to the north side of the nest.
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As I cautiously approached this nest platform,
I startled the Quakers and observed them fly out of the nest and land on a nearby tree.
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While in the tree, it seemed that the birds recognized me and began chattering.
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Click on image to enlarge photos
Then I went across the street to observe N.W.B.R’s Nest platform number two. No Quakers upon arrival.

Then a distant chatter.
I heard a distant chatter back in front of the house, I heard Quakers. The Quakers flew over my head, the back to the front of site number two. Then back across the street to site number one.
Then the Quakers flew back to site number two. It seemed like the birds were trying to communicate something to me.
Back at site number two. Homeowner Joanne Carras relocated a bird feeder to where the flock once fed. Then she placed out more seed.
And more seed.

Joanne then pointed out where the Quakers have been perching while feeding in her yard.

Now that the rain has let up. The temperature warms up to 45 degrees.
While leaving town I stopped by YPPS’s Nest platform on the corner of Hubbard and Twin Falls. A pair of Quakers exiting the nest and flying over my head greeted me upon approach.
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This pair of Quakers circled over me and landed in a nearby tree.
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Then after hearing a nearby chatter, I was greeted by a third Quaker who landed in the same tree. Click on image to enlarge photo
Three Quaker in a tree.
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As I was preparing to leave town I stopped by the local mercantile and noticed the local fuel prices, but not the lone Quaker I had seen on prior visits.
Then I stopped by nest platform number four.
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Then I stopped by nest platform number three.
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I realized that the count had now dwindled to five. One lonely Quaker has no companion and flies from platform to platform trying to find a friend or mate.
It starts to rain again. To me, it seemed like the angels were shedding a tear for that lonesome Quaker.
I could only wonder what it would be like if “Frosty” the Quaker were still alive to be his friend or mate.
As I continued out of town driving the winding road over the railroad tracks.
it ... started to sprinkle.
As I cross the railroad tracks it started to rain.
Then it stopped for a moment.
Maybe it was my imagination, but the second I thought of “Frosty” the clouds started to cry again. I felt the angels souls of the lost Quakers of Yacolt.
Then I realized that “The Yacolt Six.”
Are now “The five”- “The five that are still alive”