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.

Day Trips

Today is the 5th the official BIG Day of birding I logged like 5 lists and had a fun day I'll share that next time.  As you can guess I post dated my last 3 blog posts from the library It's been a while since I've had regular internet access...I hope to catch up on your blogs.  This will post on the 8th.  

I miss reading blogs when I can't!   No matter what people have going on there's always something interesting about  other people's lives!  Is it like a small peep hole into another world?  So Anyways not a whole lot going on here at the current.  My mom and I have finished our month  up on the "hill" and now we have moved in with my sis in the town of Silt! So we have perks...like TV and Internet, endless amounts of water, and other goodies.  I missed the internet more than TV I really only watch Walking Dead on Sunday night.  Not very sophisticated but I like Sci-Fi and Action so it fills that niche for me. I've got to catch up on that.

 

   Deer resting on the hill

snow storms rolling though

Rain rolling in 

Mom and I enjoyed a couple day trips when the weather behaved to check out some spots a little farther afield, and we've also been keeping an eye on the "local patches."  Migrants arriving....All the swallows (Tree, Northern Rough Winged, Barn, Violet Green,, Cliff, and Bank) have arrived, along with the White Throated Swifts and the Purple Martins.  Sorry no photos of the swifts they are just too swift!  

Tree Swallows

Other migrants like the Yellow Warbler...back home on Silt Island Park I saw them there last year.  

... a Black Phoebe and many Red Shafted Flickers seem to be nesting in one of the many cavities in the big trees. 

... the Loons at Harvey Gap continue to grace me with their beauty. 

When the sun is out is is amazing here..

Mother Osprey at the Rest Area is sitting on eggs, and one day we had a Tundra Swan show up there.  

tundra swan

Fravert Reservoir has Yellow Headed Blackbirds...along with Ring Neck Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Green Wing Teal, Northern Shovelers, American Coots and at least 2 Gadwall hopefully we will see some young before you know it.

yellow headed blackbird

Another Sunny day!

... the Canada Geese they have little fluffers already!

                                                             Get away from my babies!

I had a free afternoon so I drove up along Elk Creek.  Public Land is up there...it's such a beautiful area. 

And now we see why it's called Elk Creek!  25 in total. 

and deer

Last week we drove about 2 hrs south to the Fruitgrowers Reservoir in Orchard City.  The north part of the lake is good Sandpiper habitat ... saw this mixed flock...

these interior Willets had me fooled because they are so much smaller than the Willets I'm used to seeing on the East Coast! In fact everything looks smaller. 

Along with the Willets were Dowitchers.  I think Short billed but reported long/short cause I wasn't sure.  

A fellow birder felt the same.  Long Billed is the more common ones at that location.  But just 2 days before a flock of Whimbrel was there and that is not common for the area either.  Dipped on them, I guess they stopped only for one day.   Also had these White Pelicans on the water...they looked smaller too. 

This flatten skin "horn" occurs during breeding season on both sexes and it is shed later. 

A couple Common and Caspian Terns were hanging out in that mixed flock 

Along with 4 Wilson's Phalarope.  Horrible photos due to the wind picked up it affects my camera.  

                         Common Terns with Wilson's Phalarope no one wanted to turn around.

On the opposite side of the road I spotted a Northern Shoveler pair and 3 Baird's Sandpipers! (lifer) I got some horrid photos that I won't share.  

They are out there in that mud...

the fruit is growing...

Also plenty of Western Grebes and a flock of Eared Grebes farther out.  They are all in breeding plumage.  Wish I could of got a better close up of them.  The day was windy and overcast so the light was not good.

On Another day we ventured to Connected Lakes in Grand Junction...A nice State Park and an Audubon property right at the entrance to the Park....The Audubon ponds were mostly dried up I don't know if they are doing some repairs or what anyway on the mud flat that remained was this one legged Solitary Sandpiper.  Poor thing seemed completely adjusted...

Inside the State Park lots of nice walkways and the Colorado River runs right alongside...

plenty of Mallards, and Canada Geese hanging out and  up in the willows and cottonwoods dozens of Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, Yellow Rumped Warblers of the Audubon variety and At least one Black Headed Grosbeak.  

black headed grosbeak

There was a Rocky Mtn. Hairy Woodpeck, the difference being less white in the wings, and some red in the tail feathers...

Had another Plumbeous Vireo, saw one last year...with the dark lores at the eye almost drawing a dark line from lore to lore.  I was hoping for a Gray Vireo, it has white lores. 

                                      Saw another Gambel's Quail, actually maybe a mated pair. 

                                                                        Male Gambel's 

From the bridge I spotted a couple male Wood Ducks eyeing each other up...

A couple Belted Kingfisher's rattled from different perches...

A pair of Osprey flew overhead, 

And how exciting to find a small waterfall in the tangles...

... some unfamiliar calls in the thick stuff by the river makes me want to return for a longer exploration of this park. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.