Market Lake birds

Last Friday I slipped out to Market Lake for a few hours and saw 87 species of birds and got some good pictures of some of them.  Highlight were a Great Egret and several Black Terns.  I did not get good pictures of the Black terns, but at least you will be able to identify them.

On the way to Market Lake I stopped to see if the Burrowing owlets were out of the nest yet.  They were not, but the mother came over to check me out.

 

At Market Lake willets were on the edge of the ponds.

 

A cormorant was fishing in the deep water near the road.  It is funny that they often swim with most of their body under the water.

 

Western grebes have started nesting so the males and juvies are swimming around lonely.

 

Forester terns were all over the place - oops - I forgot to load a poor picture of the Black tern.

 

The Black-crowned Night-herons kept flying over the ponds and marshes.

 

The color-clashing Ruddy duck males were everywhere while their mates are probably nesting somewhere in the reeds.

 

And finally as I was leaving Market Lake a Great egret decided to say "hi" to me.  It was the first one of the season.

Just a few enjoyable hours spent in the wilds of Idaho.  Have a great week.

Market Lake

Saturday I traveled to Market Lake to see if the cold night brought in some birds.  I was not disappointed.  About 20 American Avocets were working the shallows.

 

 

There were a mixed flock of about 50 sandpipers and dowitchers.  Here a Pectoral Sandpiper joins a couple of Long-billed Dowitchers.

 

I got a kick watching a Long-billed Dowitcher bathing.  It was hilarious.

 

A Northern Harrier attack a bunch of shorebirds and I caught this Long-billed flying low enough to drag a wing in the water.

 

Enjoying another day in the wildness of Idaho.  With a day off from teaching tomorrow, I will be back out somewhere - Probably Market Lake to see if I can find some different birds.

Death at Market Lake WMA

Last week I drove out to Market Lake WMA for a short time but saw this mess.  A farmer had discarded his twine from his hay that he had fed his cows and left it laying everywhere.  It was all over the ground along with other garbage.  A pair of ospreys had used the twine in building their nest and one of the chicks had become tangled in some of the twine and fell from the nest where it died.

 

So I am encouraging everyone who feeds livestock to dispose of the twine in a burn barrel and burn it so this does not happen.  It was a waste of a beautiful bird.

 

 

 

 

Sorry the pictures are sideways, but don't know how to correct them.

 

 

I also met this wonderful marsh wren as it tried to visit me inside my blind.

 

Another day in the wilds of Idaho.

Peregrine Falcon Attack - Goose protector

This morning I had one of the most amazing experiences I have ever witnessed.  I apologize for the poor quality of the photos as all the action happened almost a quarter of a mile away and these were the best I could get.  But the I hope you enjoy this experience with me.

At Market Lake near Roberts, I was looking for new arrivals when I saw a Peregrine falcon working a burned over area.  It flushed a flock of Northern Pintails.  I saw the falcon hit a male going full speed.  By the time I got turned around the falcon had attack the injured duck several times and a Canada goose had left its mate and was driving the falcon away from the injured pintail.  The falcon took a perch on a nearby post.

Everytime the falcon attack, the goose would snap its bill and move closer to the injured duck.

At one point during the ordeal, the goose moved the injured duck under its wing while the falcon continued to try to drive the goose away.

The goose's mate continued to call and when the protector left, the falcon would attack the injured duck.

Each time the goose would return, chasing the falcon off the duck.

With the injured duck becoming weaker, the goose became more aggressing toward the falcon.

The goose actually placed the duck between its legs and stood over it.

Once while the goose flew back to its mate, the falcon picked up the duck to fly off with it when the goose came back, causing the falcon to drop the duck.

Once the goose grabbed the duck by its bill and pulled it toward the deeper water, but its mate continued to call it away from the duck.  Eventually the duck died while the goose was away.

The goose chased the falcon away from the body so it could check it out.

Finding the duck dead, the goose walked away allowing the falcon to return.  The goose bowed its head facing the falcon and body - stayed 15 to 20 minutes with its head down before flying off.

The battle lasted almost two hours.  I am glad I noticed, witnessed and learned from the experience.

Why did the goose protect the injured duck?  It was only a Northern Pintail migrating through the area.  Life and death in the wildness of Idaho could teach us humans lessons that we should learn.  This experience taught me some lessons I will never forget.

Rare Summer Tanager at Market Lake

Here are some pictures I got last night and will add some that I took this morning later this evening.  Today I got within 15 feet of it as was sallying for bugs in the open field.  It is at the Market Lake Wildlife Management area near Roberts, Idaho.

It is probably a first year male that got lost, but it has been here at least for two days.

Always a great way to spend in the wilds of Idaho - chasing birds.

Market Lake Sitting Sun

Leaving Market Lake after spending the evening birding and recording 52 species of birds and seeing a moose and 21 mule deer, I watched the sun as it went to bed.  Just a wink and a nod before it closed its eyes completely signalled the death of a day but the birth of the night.

Another beautiful day spent in the wilds of Idaho.

Big birding day.

This morning I left the house at 6:30 with two goals - find the snow geese and see if I can find some sage grouse.  The roads out to the sage grouse leks are still blocked but as I pulled into Camas National Wildlife Refuge three grouse were flying over the pond.
The ponds are filling with water, but the snow geese have not found it yet.  The trumpeter swan and pintails have.

Did not find any snow geese at the refuge, so I headed for Mud Lake.  This Red-tailed hawk was hunting in a field where about half of the snow was gone.

About two mile east of Mud Lake I finally found the snow geese.  There were not a lot of them, but they were a sight for sore eyes.  They were coming in on small waves.

One group had a White-fronted goose with them.  It is only the third one I seen.

At Mud Lake I found this nesting in a bunch of Russian olives. 

For my last stop I headed to Market Lake.  It was still ice covered, but west of the freeway the fields were flooded by melting snow and covered with migrating Northern Pintails, Widgeon, Mallards and Northern Shovelers.

Nine hours of birding produced 49 species of birds and seven species of animals.  A great way to spend a wild day in Idaho.