Sunday, December 6, 2009

Fishing-Birding at Mud Lake.

The fishing was horrible at Mud Lake - but if a fishing trip is a failure it is your own darn fault.  The wind and no fish did not stop the beautiful sunrise over the frozen lake.



And after two hours in the freezing north wind, I decided to hit some of the Russian Olive groves looking for birds and animals.  Two moose flushed as well as about 20 Northern Flickers.  But the find of the morning was an onery Great Horned owl.



And a beautiful Downy Woodpecker, that would get a Russian olive and then pound it against a branch or a tree to open it up.



I did go to Roberts Pond on the way home and caught some perch and some little trout.  So I did not get skunked.



Then on the way home, I found an old potato field with over 200 trumpeter swans feeding and resting.



Not a bad way to spend another wild day in Idaho.

25 comments:

Mary said...

Spoken like a true outdoorsman! Your appreciation of all things natural is wonderful, Bill, and I'm glad you caught some fish, too. Thank you for the stunning photos--the sunrise and the birds--great to see.

Veronica Wald said...

I was going to say "cool" in response to this post, but I think "cold" might be more apt?

You live surrounded by wonderful nature, bless you!

Jenn Jilks said...

I love your positive attitude! Great captures!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Well Bill, Even if the fish weren't biting, you got some great pictures of the birds. Love that owl picture. Wow!!!
Betsy

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

That owl photo is stunning!! Love hearing them occasionally here.
Thanks for coming by my blog!

Anne

marianne said...

as always, beautiful photos! who needs photoshop? :) looks like a great blue sky day, even if a bit nippy...

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Bill: Often when on my lake without luck I ride around and photograph birds. You got even more to show with that neat sunrise.

Loran said...

My favorite is the owl shot, but I appreciate how much you appreciate the beauty of the natural world!

Kilauea Poetry said...

Now I just had to come back for this..The fishing may of been bad.. but like you say, this didn't stop the great sunrise- terrific. Ok, that Owl has got to be the best yet..you couldn't ask for a better background! Of course his talon's are wicked too! We have owls here and it's why I keep my kitten in at night! Incredible photo of that woodpecker too- the colors are just striking.
I appreciate the encouragement on my blog well! Have a great day

Joie Moring said...

your way of celebrating nature is just so natural...like we're all on this walk together...strolling along, taking in the sights and sounds...getting pointers from an old hand...and loving every minute of it. thanks for sharing the way you do.

Dagmar said...

Hi there Bill, your outdoors are wonderful. And the way you concieve it and show it to the blogworld is amazing to me. Your heart is great and good also with giving to others. No matter how much you can give the fact that you do is the important thing. No matter if it's money or a hand, a hug or a big huge smile. Be blessed my friend. Dagmar

Boozy Tooth said...

Not a bad way to spend the day at all.

Bill, the photo of the owl reminds me of when I was driving a friend home after a violent thunderstorm and we came upon a large shadowy creature sitting on the double yellow line in the middle of a busy road. We stopped the car, got out, and found a gigantic Horned owl who had been knocked out of a tree and was sitting stunned in the road. We got some towels out of the trunk, wrapped it up and I brought it home. Not knowing quite what to do with it, we "held it for observation" for a week or so before turning it over to a bird wildlife sanctuary. During that week, I became very attached to that owl. We held it in a rabbit cage and I hand fed it raw sirloin. It could have torn my hand off, but it was extremely grateful and did not bit the hand that fed it. I reluctantly sent it to the sanctuary knowing that they could assess it's condition, treat it, and return it to the wild when the time was right. But selfishly, I so wanted to keep that majestic wonder for myself. I still have video of it snapping it's beak for more sirloin. What a treasured memory. Thanks for reminding me of that with this beautiful post. And as always... thank you for stopping by Casa Hice and leaving a comment.

PS: My husband Larry would LOVE you. He's got fish swimming in his veins you know!

Birgitta said...

Super photos from you here!
Thanks for your kind comments!

troutbirder said...

A great horned and trumpeters too. I call that a really great day. And the sunrise was bad either!

Roses and Lilacs said...

Really enjoyed seeing the birds. Owls are becoming scarce here, I seldom even hear them anymore. The swans are wonderful, don't see them here either.
Marnie

Jann said...

You live in God's country, no doubt about it...I'm envious of the owl sighting and esp of the nice photo. I've seen a couple of the larger owls but I spooked them and didn't get photos either time. Sounds like another wonderful fishing trip, from sunrise to the trumpeter swans.

Jill said...
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Jill said...
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Johnny Nutcase said...

You have such great luck with the owls, and getting their photos. And the trumpeter swans, very cool! Nice pictures and post, what a great day!

Monts said...

Fantastic stuff Bill, really like the Horned Owl, and what a rich wildlife place to live. Maybe they should rename Idaho - Owldiho as you seem to have an abundance.

Sunny said...

Your pictures are always a delight to see. The swans must have been a sight to behold...lucky you!
Sunny :)

RoeH said...

I'm from long ago Rigby. When I was very small I remember a fishing trip 'the relatives' took to Mud Lake and we slept in tents. Although I have a visual of it still in my head and I can still remember the smell of that tent, what I really remember about Mud Lake is mosquitos. Many of them! :)

JRandSue said...

Fantastic Horned Owl image,well done.
Thankyou for your kind comments on our Blog.
JR

Janie said...

Great bird shots and pretty sunset, too.

Unknown said...

The fishing was slow but it was great to meet you on the ice Bill! You captured the beauty of the morning very nicely!

MM/Don