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.

Vega...

With my library pass hanging on the rear view I made my way toward Vega State Park, ( A Spanish word meaning....a large plain or valley, typically a fertile and grassy one) I went there last year for a look around and really wanted to camp there.  My sis made the suggestion I take the lesser traveled Collbran/Silt road and so happy that she did that it was such a highlight!! 

On the way there CR 331 takes me through some pretty ranch and farm lands and that means (my favorite) fence post birding and that is never disappointing!  

rare to get a snipe right out in the open like this

And just 4 posts down...

                                                     a tail fanning western meadowlark

Then I take the turn onto 330 East.  It's a dirt road that travels 40 miles through the White River National Forest, I saw quite a few wildflowers finally starting to show...I love dandelions and so do bees.  

FS 330 East Gulch Road

                         had a warbling vireo singing and hiding in one of these white blossom shrubs

                                              Big Chiming Bells,,,,so appropriately named.

And  Tall Larkspur 

Which is said to be poisonous to cattle...

And this unlucky soul is memorialized here...follow the link on her name to read the sad story. 

Courtni Bieser 1986-2010

Stopped here at the almost halfway point to let Casey out for a stretch and had one myself...

A who knows the name of this lovely yellow flower, some kind of sunflower?

  I arrive at Vega State Park to find the lake level is down compared to my visit here last year. 

...and not as many birds around either...saw a few tho and enjoyed every single one...like this what I originally called a Mottled duck I just stopped looking once I saw the black at the gape of the bill, I should have not taken that for granted as the reviewer on ebird pointed me to the rear of the bird and the white and black which makes this a Mallard/Mexican Hybrid...okay even better! 

And a fine looking duck he is too!  Had him a summer fling going on...

There was plenty of open sites in all except the Electric Loop so I tried out a few and settled on this spot on up on the hill where the wind was not hitting directly it had picked up considerably...white caps even.  When I took my afternoon siesta it was so relaxing with the awesome lake view and the peace and quiet. 

Across the lake the Aspen Trees are really leafing out..and it sure makes the hillside nice...

That Osprey nest is occupied, glad to say.  

Before we called it a day we took a few more photos of the lake..and a little drive around...

I picked up the Dusky Flycatcher here a horrid record shot didn't matter!  Why does my camera always not focus when it's so important?

  That was my 2nd lifer since my arrival in CO this spring, (with the 3 Baird's Sandpipers a couple weeks ago)...had lots of Mountain Bluebird and White Crowned Sparrows in the trees.  (a quick edit here...this is the dark lore sub species of the white crowned, and the beak is a more maroon color than yellow I have only recently learned this as I am not so much into the "science" of birds but since I came west more and more on the Colorado Ebird Rare list this one makes the list.  So I guess it matters)   

in the woods edge, some mule eared deer...

one in a hurry crosses the road...while this Marmot has taken up an outpost position on the top of an abandoned and collapsed shack... 

How's the view from there?

Red-Tailed Hawk

Then this stream ran right across the road so I turned back....a 4 x 4 like my old 1984 Bronco II would have come in handy here...if I had't traded it back in 1997.  Somethings we really should hold onto never know when you will wish you had it!

We rolled into our spot  for good, we had a great view.. 

 That was about the end of our day....

In the morning we had a really pretty sunrise

Breakfast done and we were ready to explore...Casey is getting old he can't go on hikes any more... so after his walk I put him in the cool shade, and he took his after breakfast nap while I took a hike on the lake trail.   

SO many Yellow Warblers, Yellow-Rumped Warblers of Audubon and Myrtle subs and more White Crowned Sparrows and lots of Broad Tailed Hummers trrrrrrrrrillllling and zooming around.  Had one trying to feed off my red plaid shirt too close for a photo...then looking up at this wire I spotted a Black Chinned.

Puffed up against the morning chill...

the filtered light was so pretty...

HELLO...I think he was warming up 

 a woods serenade...

 a solo performed by the Green Tailed Towhee! Enjoy.

after lunch we headed to The Grand Mesa over 10,000 ft...up next. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.