Sunny Sunday 2

Welcome back!  After driving past the Peach Orchard I arrive at Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge...Im fortunate to have this awesome place close by...We have rambled it's roads for years.  

A Bachman's Sparrow was seen here a few days ago...I have no hopes of seeing it as this is a huge place 45,000+ acres!  I strain my neck backwards and find the singer...a House Finch!

or two...

Everybody is pairing up time to replenish the supply of birds! 

Eastern Bluebird

I walked around the area listening and looking and found White-throated Sparrows, and Chipping Sparrow, but no Bachman's showed.  An American Kestrel soared over, heard and saw a Red bellied Woodpecker and then a not so familiar woodpecker chip chirp and rattle...

The Female Red Cockaded Woodpecker! And..in a tree nearby the male, 

First time I've ever gotten a photo of one of these and first time seeing one in many years...

note the big white cheek patch this is the main diagnostic to look for...

This male has a band on his left leg...I can't read it, I can make out it's like aluminum....I only reported 2 birds but I'm almost 99.9% sure there was 3 birds...as they left I swear I saw 3 swooping shapes.  I stood still and was no bother to them they took their time, I took a bunch of photos...these are the best from the distance I stood away.  The Male was on a big tree on the right and the female on a small tall tree on the left so I saw them both pretty good, the 3rd bird came into view as they moved off...he was probably behind me.

I was thrilled! Not just for me for these BIRDS!!
This is an endangered species,,,,it's only alive due to being protected and provided for in places like Carolina Sandhills!   There is hope.  Of course we have to get Trump out of the White House or all our endangered species will lose their protection! 

 

rice n beans with cilantro and cold coffee

 After eating my sack lunch I drove over to the Oxpen Lakes...on the other side of the refuge road.  They have recently burned this area...I saw one Canada Goose, and one Pied Billed Grebe in the South Pond, 2 mallards flew off the North Pond when I drove up....

More Song Sparrows hopped around in the brambles...

A tree line of American Robins formed...

Then I realized my Sunny day had turned sour...

Clouds rolled in the wind picked up and it began to drip rain...A Yellow Rumped Warbler peered down  from a budding Maple tree...

And that was the final bird of the day...it was such a primo day even the rain didn't seem to matter, it was a fitting end...and a gentle reminder that home was waiting.

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Clemson Experimental Station

So far February has been cloudy and rainy.  Some days complete wash outs...like buckets of water...so on the sunny breaks I'm ready to get out and go someplace! I took a short ride over to this spot called the Clemson Sandhills Experimental Station.  It's a pretty cool spot to hike, dog walk, and bird! I packed a sack lunch and drove over, its not too far away like 18 miles. There's 2 ponds and a lake.  I hiked the lake trail it's about 2.1 miles, outlined in blue... 

The trail meanders over the dam, over an eagle scout project boardwalk and 

through the woods....

Lots of American Robins up high picking berries I ran into them throughout my hike....maybe 50 in total

They did have some competition the cedar waxwings...saw about 10 darting in and out of this tangle of brier. 

In the woods area I saw 2 pair of Northern Cardinal, and they appeared to be searching for a nest spot...just the way they called to each other and the way they behaved made me think of Amor'e.

Near one of the smaller ponds this Eastern Bluebird was hunting in the Sycamore trees...

In the water I spotted 4 Pied Billed Grebes,  and 8 Double Crested Cormorants...all pretty far from the edge, 

 I found a bench to sit down and eat my sandwich this Carolina Wren started to have a fit...

carolina wren

I enjoyed his antics, and he stirred up a few more birds in the woods.  A Hermit Thrush  in the edge gave me a quick peek and higher up the Red Bellied Woodpecker squealed his displeasure too!  

Hope this one gets put back right before nest building gets  underway

Love the white bark on the tall Sycamore Trees. 

The bark...

After the lunch break I finished the lake hike and stirred up the interest of this Myrtle Yellow Rump Warbler.  

There is a young Pecan Orchard on the grounds and a few Northern Mockingbirds were patrolling the branches... 

There is an open area where they experiment with sod of various kinds, about the time I got over there an Eagle flew over way up high...and down on the fence line another Eastern Bluebird...

a heavy crop to pull this one out of this shot...

I would def go around here again...there is enough hardwood to make some pretty fall color behind the lake, so I must make a mental note! 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

The GRAND Mesa.

Thursday I headed up to the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway.  The last time I visited this mesa it was after Labor day and it sleeted and threatened to snow...so this is my first summer visit.  The Grand Mesa is reported to be the largest flat top mountain in the WORLD!  It is over 500 square miles in area and about 11,000 in elevation!  Its such a beautiful place with over 300 lakes! I did not see all 300 but the ones I did see I enjoyed!

view from the mesa 

 I'm not the only one who was out enjoying the day.  I cheered this young man on as he reeled in this gorgeous catch.  He did release it. 

Water, flowers, great views...

the wildflowers were just amazing, not just in one place but everywhere up on the mesa!

I took a hike down a trail 

Saw this robin perched up high...and then down on the path came this fellow!!

Do you know what it is?  I was not exactly sure...

it is a weasel, a Pine Marten!  He was so cool!! He stopped and studied me for a while, then he  turned calmly off into the vegetation.  What a cool encounter!  They actually live in trees! See those claws?

Then I noticed the Porcupine Quill in his cheek...ouch. 

After the hike I drove higher up the byway where more beautiful lakes were surrounded by wildflowers!  

and beautiful mountain bluebirds hunting from rock perches...

the Scenic Byway climbs up and up and there's so many pull overs to check out the scenery....and I took full advantage of them all!! The clouds did start to darken, but I was not going to let that deter me!

Lands End is a side road that is a Scenic Byway all of it's own...and you can see the end of the Mesa here..

and on this trip up this was my planned destination...Lands End. FS road 100.  It had come a quick shower but it was only spitting when I turned.  

I pulled over right away to check out this very pretty lake..

and saw some movement...a bird moving along the rocks and pumping his tail up and down...it took a while to actually get my camera on him....he was so quick...but finally I did....turned out to be #401 for me the American Pipit. 

Exciting stuff!! Farther down the Lands End road, I came upon some still blooming columbine!

 

Such a stunning plant! My next stop was at the Raber Cow Camp...back in the day these cabins were put to use when the wranglers and cowpoke brought stock up here for summer grazing..

...what a beautiful place to spend the summer!!

Then it was time for a lunch break so I wanted to find the perfect spot for lunch with a view....this post is way too long so I'll stop

Will try to get part 2 up quick because every day is a new adventure!!

PEACE

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

Facebook Hosted these photos July 22, 2017