Fall at Camas

Many times when it is raining in Rexburg, the weather at Camas is great for observing wildlife.  Last Thursday that was the case.  Fall waterfowl migration is an exciting time to visit the national wildlife refuge.  Local birds and animals are getting ready for the winter that is just around the corner.

Both the Tundra and Trumpeter swans are migrating south and resting at Camas.

 

"Love thy neighbor" came to mind as I watched two pair of Tundra swans in a argument on Big Pond.

 

Canadas, sandhill cranes and thousands of ducks join the swans in the migration.

 

Sandhill cranes are flying out to the area stubble fields.

 

The surprise of the day was a three foot Gopher snake I ran into on a road closed to motor vehicles.

 

In the evening five whitetails came out of the bulrushes to get a drink.

 

A great way to spend an afternoon in the wilds of Idaho.

Raptors, migrating big game and Burrowing owls

This week was very warm with no moisture and all the migrations continue with birds and big game.
It looks like an odd pairing up with a "Harlin's" Red-tailed hawk matching up with a regular colored Red-tailed.  A Harlin's is almost black on top with light coloring showing when flying above you.

 

Its mate is a light colored, near a light-morph.  They are in the Burton area near Rexburg.

 

Here are two more Red-tails that show the different coloration of the Red-tails the migrate through the area.

 

On Tuesday last week this Bald eagle was being harassed by a pair of Kestrels near Sand Creek Ponds north of St. Anthony.

 

Also on Tuesday from St. Anthony to Sand Creek area there were 17 moose working their way across the desert.

 

Right with the moose, there were over 100 deer also migrating to the high country.  With two light winters in a row, the mule deer population is growing.  Here is one of the few bucks still wearing their head-gear.

 

A large flock of sandhill cranes joined 108 Trumpeter swans on the grain field planted and left standing for migrating birds at Sand Creek.

 

Then on Saturday I found my first Burrowing owls of the year.  There were three pair from Roberts to Hamer that had moved in since last Monday.

 

It is the wildness of Southeastern Idaho that inspires me.

Sage Grouse and migration day

I started early this morning looking for Sage grouse leks and about froze my tail off waiting to get enough light to take pictures of America's largest grouse.  I was parked near a ridge so the first pictures were silhouettes of the grouse in the frosty air.

 

Then as the sun came up, warming both the birds and I, the males started showing off to the ladies.  But the girls stayed only a minute or two and then flew off - a little too early for any serious relationship.

 

The boys did not stay long either, so off I went to Camas NWR to see if the water was in the ponds.  The Big Pond was about a fourth covered but most of the action was in the air.  Here a Short-eared owl was encouraging a Rough-legged hawk to go to the Artic Circle where most of the others had gone.

 

Two Northern harriers decided to play tag over the Big Pond.

 

I saw my first Sandhill cranes of the year.  There were several flocks that came in.

 

 

And the Snow and Ross's geese made their grand appearance off and on throughout the morning and early afternoon.

 

Just a slight breeze - warm sun - and many of God's creatures prepared me for meeting the taxman to settle up with Uncle Sam - and he treated me fairly good.

Oh, the Wildness of Idaho in the Great Outdoors.

Spring snow storm

Sunday morning it started snowing and snowing hard.  The flakes were so big our cat, Flurry, was chasing them, but there were so many he finally just watched them fall.  So before church, I decided to see how the birds were reacting to the heavy snow.

The bald eagles were still courting - the wet snow could not dampen their desire to pro-create.

The newly arrived female Burrowing owl looked mad about being caught in the snow while Mr. continued to clean out their chosen burrow.

A pheasant cock with his tail covered with wet snow runs from me to some cover - or maybe to visit a setting hen.

This robin in my backyard is fluffing up trying to stay warm by shaking the snow off its back while the trees are covered.

Sandhill cranes continued to look for food in the marshes - who knows some dumb rodent may scurry past and become lunch for today.

Not only a wild day in Idaho, but an answer to prayers for more moisture.  Shake off the crap of life and have a bless'ed day.

More Summer Tanager and attack birds.

Here are some of the pictures I took of the rare Summer Tanager that I  got on Friday, June 17, at Market Lake, Idaho.

While looking for the Summer Tanager, I captured a coot feeding her baby.

I also stumbled on a baby sandhill crane who chased me, hissing and snapping its bill.

As soon as I back peddled far enough, it took off for its parents out in the grass field.

What a way to spend the morning of a wild day in the wildness of Idaho - and then I went fishing.

Snowy spring break.

Yesterday and today was my spring break from school.  WOW - time for birding and looking for some bikinis.  No bikinis; not many birds, but enough to keep me interested.

Here a female Great-horned owl protects her eggs as the night snow covers everything.

Common mergansers fly along the shore of Mud Lake.

A Western Meadowlark tries to bring some warmth to the cold day by singing.

A Red-breasted Merganser hunts for fish for lunch.

Meanwhile nearby a Hooded Merganser also hunts for lunch.

A flock of snowgeese join others on Mud Lake.

And in a evening snowstorm, a pair Sandhill cranes walk down the dike near Mud Lake.

A great way to spend spring break in Idaho.

Snow, Snow, snow

Three days of snow slowed the birding during my Spring break, but did not stop it.  I encountered some old and new birds.

Between snow storms I located the Long-eared owl nest without disturbing the female.

While the male circled and kept an eye on me.

The snow started to fall on Thursday after I left the owls and the sandhill cranes, teal and coots did not seem to mind.

But then on Friday, the ground was covered and I slipped out at 5 a.m. to see if I could find my first Sage grouse of the season.  I found them on a lek, but only seven males and no females showed up.  I was able to get a few pictures, but they did not stay long as they preferred the sage rather than the bare snow covered breeding ground with no breeding to be done.

                                      

With snow showers and wind up to 40 mph, the ice on Mud Lake started to break up exposing winter-killed fish.  On the edge of the ice 54 eagles, mostly immature Balds, gathered to feed.  That evening, I hid in some large cottonwood trees and photographed the eagles coming into roost.  The grey skies did not make for great shots, but it was exciting to watch these birds fight the wind to find their roost for the night.

                                     

Even in the snow, it was a great way to spend two days in the wildness of Idaho.  Happy Easter.

Fall is coming

Two things that tell me fall is just around the corner is the long-tailed weasels turning white and the sandhill cranes gathering on the open harvested fields and summer pastures.  Here a weasel hunts for rodents by sneaking down their holes.  If you look closely, you can still see a little of it summer coloring on its forehead.

Here a pair of sandhill cranes fly over me on Henrys Lake Flat last Friday as I went up to deliver fishing flies to several businesses.  I stopped to observe several hundred of them on the flat.

Wishing you all the best in the wilds wherever you care to visit them.