May Day

Another month gone? I can't believe it...My last report the 3rd week of April, was really a good week where I had 6 in one week...but wait!  

When I ended March had my 5 mile radius up to 77 species sighted since Jan 1st..and April really helped me push the count higher all the way up to 96 The last week of April,  I didn't get to bird every day so I got only 2 species by the 30th...the Blue Grosbeak...(#95) 

And on the                            same day in the exact same area almost in the                                       same tree the lovely  Indigo Bunting (#96)

And the beautiful turquoise back...

So I ended up with 96 for April.  Then MAY arrived and what a May Day I had.  I was in the field by 7:15 am since it is now getting hot by midday.  I had plans to go into town outside my radius to look for the Swainson's Warbler spotted by the 2 other birders who are listing in my county.  They live in the burbs but I had so much going on in my radius I never made it to town!  

I made a stop at one of my personal hotspots where I have seen quite a few of my FOY birds so far including the Blue's just mentioned...I can't make if official it's private property I bird from the road...
but I heard gunshots...probably a Turkey Hunter..it's still Turkey season.   So I moved on to a similar habitat.  Sure am glad I did... asa I got out of the van I heard this bird: (#97)

I haven't seen one of these in like 10 years was really thrilled to see 4 different individuals!  The Yellow Breasted Chat. 

these flowering shrubs are all around the area where the chat was 

Had more orchard oriole's males, immature males, and females..

Then more Prairie Warblers, more Indigo Buntings too...

All singing high up on tops of the trees.  

I pulled the van a little farther down the road and heard a somewhat familiar sound...how could I forget the call of all those yellow warblers that I saw in CO last yr so this is my FOY Yellow Warbler, (#98)

Then I moved the van to an area where I have an awesome spot to bird a swampy verge.  I found my FOY Gray Catbird, (#99)  no photo and then in the field area that is on the edge of the woods, I heard the Grasshopper Sparrow. (#100)  He /she would not pop up for a look but no mistaking that buzzy call.  

I found these tracks...I always enjoy trying to figure out tracks...so this one had me stumped for a moment...what's your guess? I'll post my guess once the commenting is done so stop back by or subscribe to comments to see if we are all in sync about what this was. 

Back at home I was hot and tired and rested on the screen porch and bam In flew this lady to make my #101 bird!  

The Female Rose Breasted Grosbeak!  

...the last week of April, we had a luncheon on the porch...I made a salad from my container grown  greens, and it was delicious served with fresh strawberries!  Mom and sis approved.

Life is not all about Birds ya know!

Here is one of my radius Eastern Towhee with the red eye..the yellow eye one that lives in the clear cut is very special...but lately I've had to venture out of the clear cut to find my latest arriving birds..

Even with this stick in the way that eye is just ....well eye catching! 

And  you can't go wrong with a posing Northern Mockingbird...

So I broke the 100 ceiling count...and now it's going to get even harder to rack up numbers...I will keep trying till it gets too hot! Once birds are in place raising young, not going to see many newbies come through.  

So ended up April with 96 and the entire county count was 146 so my % fell some; ended up with close to 66%.

Adding a Wild Turkey... the heard from the yard in April species was at 38!  

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.