From Snow to the Sand

Sorry I'm being such a busy poster, while I have internet and time in the evenings it's convenient for me, my time here is short so if I'm unable to post the next couple weeks as my travels continue maybe I won't fall far behind with my chronicles, so in continuance of the 3 day and 2 night camp trip here we go.   

Stunning scenery along the way...

Saturday Apr 19th.  Since the Southern side of the road off the Grand Mesa travels right through Orchard City I wanted to see if any new birds were at the Fruitgrower's Reservoir.  The big lake had a few Western Grebes, Canada Geese, and a couple of Bullock's Orioles.

Up on the north causeway there was a bit more to see.  

The shorebirds I had hoped for were not there but still some good things to see.  Most of the Ducks and Geese hung across the lake on the far bank....but this pair of Western Grebes were so busy adoring each other they forgot to move away from me...

Keep hoping for a Clark's to be in one of these flocks....only one Long Billed Dowitcher was poking around...

...along with 3 Spotted Sandpipers was this young Ring Billed Gull...

And a California Gull

Check out the size difference between these White Pelicans and the tiny Pied Billed Grebe...just to the left of the pair. 

I took a walk closer to the marsh where the Yellow Headed Blackbirds stood out so brilliantly!

  A short video. 

LOST THIS VIDEO?

And Western Meadowlarks  my favorite Country & Western Singer. 

The plan was to return to my sis's house by evening and I had one more stop planned and it was a bit of a drive so I made my way toward & then about 11 miles west of Grand Junction.  Since I was pretty close I wanted to revisit
2 and 8/10 road near the settlement of Mack...where I was about a week ago near the McInnis Canyon area.  I arrived there about 3 pm.  

I know this does NOT look like much, but it was my destination!  

Just a fence in the desert right? But look closer!!  Count from right to left 11 fence posts down...

Finally!!! I get to add the Burrowing Owl to my life list! 

AND he is a real beauty...what a treat. Look at those eyes!

SCORE!

He flew off the post and back a couple times, and then eventually to a prairie dog mound, and he got out of camera range.  I was able to watch him for about 20 minutes and then I left him to do his thing.   Been trying to see this bird for a long time! My Owl list has been hurting for a while because I was not trying...now my goal is to add more by working harder at finding them. 

 I've seen only 7 of the 19 possible in North America.  I had high hopes of the Boreal Owl up on the Mesa, also the Northern Pygmy, and the Northern Saw Whet  and of course the Western Screech.  They are there but I was not able to spot one.  It just means I have to try again and try harder.  

I had a great camping trip and this was the perfect end I added 3 new birds to my life list...and an unlimited amount of wonderful experiences. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Anahauc National Wildlife Refuge

I normally don't spend 4 days in one spot because I try to cover as much as I can in the time I have, but Sea Rim was just too hard to leave and the weekend hit, and south the way I'm headed it was gonna be impossible to get a camp site. So I stayed put on the beach.  I took a day trip to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.  It was about an hours ride as the road that used to follow the coast was washed away by Hurricane Ike and they never replaced it... so had to drive all the back to Port Arthur, and then West to Winnie, then south to Anahuac, and then back again, if that road was there it would be a 25 min trip. 

  It's a great spot for birds, and for just being out in nature.  I met some nice ladies from Canada, and we kept bumping into each other.  We all  loved Anahuac. 

What's not to love about such an awesome place?  This pond has a road all the way around it, so we all lined up and away we went.  First I saw right away one of my target birds, the Fulvous Whistling Duck, not just one but several.  

Have you ever seen a more striking duck?? He reminds me of moose tracks ice cream...yum. 

Another target bird on my list was the neotropic cormorant.  Now in my old Nat Geo Bird book they call this a Olivaceous Cormorant, but they changed the name.  He has this little white patch at the top of the beak to help with the ID on this bird. 

there is more than just birds here too...there's American Alligator.

and all sorts of wildflowers...I do not know this flower's name I need a new wild flower book, one that covers more than just SC.  

one of the dirt roads in the refuge borders ranching land so these cows were coming down to the watering hole to get a drink and cool off, how sweet they all were, I just love cows!  They are so docile, and inquisitive, and friendly.  

some cattle egrets were with them it was almost 2 birds per cow it seemed...

cattle egrets

I saw tons of common gallinules, and only one Purple Gallinule there...the strong midday sun bleached out his pretty blue head shield, but those florescent feathers sure were shining...

 

...these are def Texas sized Lily Pads.  Later I drove over to the Skillern unit of the refuge...

the heat of the day had driven most birds for deep cover, couldn't get a good look at anything, so I noticed some cool flowers..the passion flower is one and the other I think is a sun dew. 

his huge flock of Long Billed Dowitchers were by the main entrance to the refuge, they were spread out all over the marsh....the refuge is surrounded by ranch and farm land, and that attracts the scissor-tailed flycatcher, normally you see one up high on a power line, or fence sitting this one was so obliging...he allowed me to actually roll down the window and snap a good shot of him.

 

they are stream lined for flying

I saw so much there I can only hit the highlights...on my way back to Sea Rim I found this guy he was up on wire...and he must have been tired to never offered to move.  

the white tailed kite, formerly known as the black shouldered kite, and I prefer the old name on this bird....check those awesome eyes!!

Back at the Sea Rim I got my spot on the beach for another night...and watching the antics of the great tailed grackles was my sunset entertainment, here two are trying to show off who is more handsome...

...and here they decide to position themselves just so....and dang if a common gallinule or moorhen as I call them photo bombed them and stuck her butt in the photo! 

we all got ready to watch the sun go down....

I spent one more day exploring this area before heading south...that will be next

 Sabine Woods Bird Sanctuary and then goodbye to Sea Rim, SP.

my ebird list here:

PEACE

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