Forest Masqueraders

Posted on by
Ready for some Halloween fun? What animal do you see masquerading as dead wood? I see a friendly dragon emerging from a sea of mid-summer fireweed. I took this photo a few years after the 2012 wildfire burned through the upper Mission Creek watershed.

For this next series of photos, I invite you to use the blog’s comment feature and tell me the name of the animal that pops into your mind. Later this week, I’ll compile and add all nominations to the post, sharing the animal species you identify.

Animal #1- does a native marine mammal come to mind? This creature is reclining near Marion Lake at Mission Ridge.
Animal #2: Another aquatic species lounging under western larch trees along Marion Lake.
Animal # 3: Maybe an Australian marsupial? or?
Animal #4: Maybe we need to branch out to magical imaginary animals with this one?
Animal #5: Is this another marine mammal, misplaced from the Washington coast to a lakeshore at Mission Ridge?
Animal #6: Yikes! This one leans toward scary. Heavily charred by wildfire.
Wildlife #7: A true tribute to the dark side of Halloween- This screaming pair of critters are back-to-back and are highly engaged in sending a message! What are they? Luckily, they reside far to the north from Wenatchee, near Winthrop.
Wildife #8: The top of this charred, downed tree foreshadows a lead character for November’s national holiday.

I leave you with your imagination, and hopefully, a smile on your face as Halloween comes to the Wenatchee watershed.