Heartland to Home!

Continued from last post.....

June 4th
Jackson Lake State Park, near Orchard, CO

SO yes we got an electric site here under this big Cottonwood turned out to be so buggy! And we had these gypsy moths hitching a ride with us for days!  They crept into every crease between the doors and the door insulation strip....hundreds of them!!  If I had investigated a wee bit more we could have gotten a site by the water that had more sun but less bugs....A trade off of sorts.  But we had our fans to keep us cool, and the screen kept the bugs out the moth attack happened after the sun went down I assume. Remember that COE campground in Kansas where I saw all those butterflies, I had to move to a different site cause they were getting in the van.

June 5th 

Jackson Lake 

The Lake was ocean like huge, with waves!  Lots of DC Cormorants, White Pelican, California Gulls, 

White head, dark eye, orange dot on lower mandible with a black smudge near it, dark grey back, black wing tips, yellow legs, 

Ring Billed Gulls, Barn Swallows, 

and Lark Sparrow 

Lark Sparrow is one of my western favs, the ones in Colorado are plumper and look more refined compared to the ones down in TX and AZ, they are leaner and more rugged looking. 

Just gliding by... 

On the way out we stopped off at the dam where sometimes Curlew Sandpipers have been seen, not today we had more Yellow Warbler in the trees, and White Pelican in the air...

In the morning we left after taking our time, and traveled along Hwy 6 that loosely follows the South Platte River.  Along the way we took a quick look at Prewitt Reservoir...and the fun thing I saw there was a distant Heron Rookery with awkward looking brand new herons trying out long legs.  

And more White Pelican

We picked up Hwy 138 in a North-easterly direction to just west of the town of Crook, and Tamarack Ranch State Natural Area.  It is mostly set aside for hunting but this time of year it's safe to enter!  We took a road into the riparian area of the South Platte.  Lots of Redheaded Woodpecker, like 8 we saw. 

Along with the Eastern Kingbird, Western Kingbird, I found this Philly Vireo that ended up being just a Red Eyed,....danggit! 

I really didn't see the line as that strong, till I reviewed a different shot of him...and the lemony belly distorted my thinking. I've never seen a red eyed back home with a lemony belly they are always English Linen Tan!

...this one below is definitely a  Dicksissel singing out on the millet spikes.  I love the ones that there is no question on what it is don't you? If it's an empid, sparrow, or gull you can bet I'm wrong 50% of the time.
(add vireos too) and we won't even go into all those dang yellow warblers.

Eventually the heat drove us away...we made our way northeast to Nebraska via I-76, and to this lovely boondock by Lake McConaughy.  I imagined I was  Robinson Crusoe, but this was Nebraska not Mas a Tierra.  

 

Our Robinson's Crusoe Camp on Wednesday the 5th. 

Still if felt like a deserted island, we could see an organized campground about 5 miles away on the Western Shore of the lake. The dogs and I took a dip in the water to cool off, and then sat out to dry off before turning in for the day...when the no see 'ums began to feed on us. 

The morning the 6th kept us moving East and though the farmlands of Nebraska and into Iowa, all we did all day was drive, and stop for more gas to drive some more...gas on this return trip ranged from a high of $3.09 in Walden, per gallon, to $2.45 in SC.  We rolled through towns large and small.  I-76 had emptied into I-80 back along the CO/NE state line, so we followed 80 East.   Thursday we stopped at Anita Lakes State Park in Iowa, (pictured below) for the night...we got an electric site for $16.  A really nice park and later a terrific thunder storm cooled it off so nice we didn't even need the fans, It was a little scary when one of the park rangers came around banging on our door and said go to the bathhouse if the winds got any worse there was a tornado warning till 8:45 pm!  I should have taken photos on the next day about 9 miles east of the park 2 semi's had been blown off the road and each one lay on it's side...pretty scary stuff...

We had a Common Yellowthroat in our camp.

  

And more Dicksissel 

And some tree swallow at the nest box, 

 We stayed a bit late that morning, but eventually back on the highway.

The heartland is dotted with alternative energy sources these days...

And some old fashioned things too!!

This big barn begs for a Quilt Block don't you think?...near Davenport, Iowa I took I-74 south and east past Bloomington, IL and to Le Roy, Moraine View State Park, in Illinois Where we stayed on June 7th our final camp on this trip, just before our southerly turn onto I-57, no photos of that camp as we arrived just at dark, we walked, ate, then it was lights out and sleep.

Friday June 8th we left early like just after dawn...and it was hammer down time, which I despise, but what I do while all these miles roll over my odometer is to recap all the awesome sights I have seen and relive the best moments!   (sort of go into a trance, like a Fugue State) I drove all the way home 827 miles, south via I-57 to Nashville,  

Nashville Skyline

picked up I-40 East and then I-26 East at Asheville, NC  then later onto I-20 East at Columbia, and arrived home at 2 am  Saturday Morning!  Long drive but I was ready to be home!!  By the time this posts Mom should be back in her home right next door to me, and sis should be there too I expect a long hot summer and have no current plans beyond taking it all one day at a time! I had a very busy spring with lots of travel and I'm ready for a long "staycation" now. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Seminole Canyon and Roy Beans

I had such a lovely afternoon  and night here; sat out way past sunset and just enjoyed the night sky.  I hope you enjoyed that cactus wren video, here is a still of him as he entertained me. 

I picked some wild flowers just a few to brighten up the van, and caught up on the days events in my journal...

The desert landscape right off my campsite was such an inspiration...wish I had the gift of being able to write poetically...with all this inspiration one would think I could come up with more than just "it was so cool" but it was just so cool!!

There is such a diversity in the high desert plains...

Agave 

These are called Mexican Hats! That name is perfect..

House finch had a nest in my picnic cabana...here is the proud papa, after I realized there was a nest in the rafters I set up my table and stayed out of the cabana as mom and pop both got upset it was way less stress on them when I relinquished it. 

After breakfast I took a walk on the ADA birding Trail.  It's a very short trail down to a bird blind.  I felt it was a bit too open but if one happened to have a disability where using a wheel chair was necessary this open space would be welcomed.  

another favorite flower the White Prickly Poppy was growing here...

It's a much hardier poppy than the cultivated ones I'm used to seeing, but don't try and pick any of these unless you enjoy being stuck with sharp spines.

Lantana grows wild here...

All sorts of birds came by none wanted any part of me, I was so obvious in the blind...but got one Hooded Oriole

The Pyrrhuloxia up high

 

yet another cactus wren, such a striking bird

this could be the oriole nest, I'm not sure..

this yellow warbler checked me out...

as well as this painted bunting...

some plants were labeled on the trail down into the canyon I forgot this in the last post but wanted to share it..

I like the way they put their signs on rocks that were laying about...

I spied new to me Clay Colored Sparrow....

and Ash-Throated Flycatcher

I had to crop this to see if it was the Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher and I do believe it is, the Blue Gray we have at home in SC doesn't have the dark color on the head.  The black capped Gnatcatcher  would not have this bold eye.  Another lifer!! 

I got some good looks at the Black Throated sparrow,

And I thought it strange since House Sparrow normally like more urban digs to see a lot of them in this area...

Actually It took me forever to realize that is what  I was seeing...

 I left the blind feeling psyched!! Back in camp I jotted down my finds then packed up and stopped at the visitors center to get postcards to send back home....where I met a nice couple asking the counter girl about the big loud black birds they had been seeing everywhere.

the visitor's center

 I couldn't help it so I  butted in when she told them they were vultures.  Vultures are big, black, but far from noisy!  Nope, it's great tailed grackles ( is not, but should be the TX state bird)..  So I had a nice chat with that same couple in the parking lot as they headed out with their sweeter than sweet bulldog. They told me they had retired and bought the class C rig they were driving spent the early spring in FL and were now on a nationwide tour of the big Western Parks...and they were starting with Big Bend.

And one last look at the Seminole Sculpture I really love this in fact I think it's one of the most striking I've seen...

 

  Small world eh.... down the road only a few miles was the Judge Roy Bean Museum.  I stopped mainly because I had asked Wilma to find me a post office to mail my cards, and she found me one in Langtry, TX, the Judges old stomping ground.  The museum was across the street from the Post Office. 

Judge Roy Beans court and saloon, he was THE LAW WEST OF THE PECOS!! (now a museum and visitors center with a wonderful cactus garden, with water and birds)

and once inside there is the same couple again! Amazing...they were just leaving as I entered.  

They didn't want to leave the dog in the RV cause it was getting hot so they didn't tour the garden.  I can not pass up a Garden!!

Judge Roy Bean is the first lawman to use alternative facts I do believe...he rarely opened up his one TX Law book, and dished out fines which he pocketed, he would chain prisoners to the trees outside till they sobered and payed their fines...here is the judge outside the Jersey Lilly his Saloon

and here it is today...

If you want to google  him up you may find his colorful life of interest including the name of the town of Langtry and his saloon. 

The Jersey Lilly Saloon 

I enjoyed a walk around the Cactus Garden  along with all the wonderful desert plants and western artifacts, I saw...

MORE   Ash Throated Flycatchers, Eurasian Collared Doves, Curve Billed Thrasher, Painted Bunting, and the Hooded Orioles.

The grounds are lovely...and in this area I found
another lifer the Bronzed Cowbird!! With his awesome red eyes.  Both males and females were present.  

cactus wren settling down for a nap...

It's a really fun stop I highly recommend it..

I also had the White Crowned sparrow didn't get a decent photo of him...and then it was time to move on...into the Chihuahuan Desert. My route along 90 headed to Marathon where I would head south to Big Bend

Ocotillo  in bloom.

One thing I've noticed about traveling around Texas at least on the Secondary Highways is they have these awesome picnic spots set up roadside.  No facilities but love this retro looking shelters over the tables...to me they look 60's...I stopped at many but I think I got only a couple photos ... here is one...this one is located on Hwy 90 a very desolate highway I picked up at Del Rio when I turned towards the west off of Hwy 277.  

I needed a leg stretch so I stopped at this one to get some ice from the cooler and pour out a nice cool drink, and I saw this bird on the fence...

Lark Sparrow and another life bird...nearly fell over, for by this time I was becoming over whelmed by the numbers of new birds I was so thrilled to finally see!! These Lark Sparrows are so drab from the neck down but from the neck up they are stunning..

Highway 90  is one of the most desolate highways I've driven since the Loneliest Highway in America, in NV. and silly me, I did not GAS UP MY VAN in Del Rio....and in all my excitement in Langtry I didn't even look to see if they had a gas station all I saw was the cafe, the post office and Judge Beans old saloon, maybe there was more TOWN farther in but I didn't look...

I was too busy checking out the power lines in hopes of finding the Aplomado Falcon I decided I could find without a visit to Old St Isabella Rd....and this one had me turning around for a second look but nope it is a Kestrel either an immature or a female...still worthy of my attention as Hwy 90 continued to suck gas from the van....

...no big deal I had half a tank....and then I had to pull over for this shrike, it may be a northern which would be yet another lifer...but I determined it to be a Loggerhead Shrike instead but I had to make sure...right??  

So I tried to think back to when I filled up....OMG way back in Laredo! NOW I had only quarter tank!!  SO then I started to wonder how far is it to the next town from where I am now?? How many miles had I come? I had actually driven 200 miles to Langtry...and it was 105 miles from Langtry  to Marathon.

So I grabbed my map and started to try to figure this out...okay I have NOT passed a town since I left Langtry...I am somewhere between Langtry and the town on the map called Dryden...Whew I can surely make it to Dryden.   So a bit of a cliff hanger, will I be stranded on Hwy 90 or will I make it to Back to Civilization??

hwy 90 the second loneliest highway in America

ebird for Seminole Canyon

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.