Horned Critters

I always try to come up with some creative descriptive title, although they're not always totally descriptive or accurate of the particular outing.  Anyway, got away for another night out at Jackson Lake State Park about 50 miles out towards Nebraska.  Been out there like three times the last two months.  Pretty close by, and always very quite and peaceful.  I was going to just go up I25 to St. Vrain SP; I like it up there, some good wildlife, but I hate camping near the roar of an interstate, with a McDonalds sign within sight.  Was a nice mostly sunny calm afternoon out at Jackson.  Wish I'd taken my kayak as it would have been nice paddling.  Kind of left in a hurry, though, and didn't think to strap on the boat.  Was sitting reading when I hear a nice song.  Kind of like a mockingbird, but not quite.  Definitely a mimidae, though.  I tracked it down and found what looks to be a brown thrasher.  Was kind of getting cloudy by then, though, so lighting was less then optimal.  A nice, gentle thunderstorm came through about dark.  The rain on the roof put me to sleep. 

Woke up to a nice calm sunny morning. sun red coming up over the lake.  Again, wished I'd brought the boat, dammit.  Heard a bullocks oriole chattering and tracked it down not far from camp.  Then, a flock of cedar waxwings came through stripping the old russian olive berries.  Bunnies were out in force.  Saw a couple doing their spring mating jumping, but couldn't get a shot of them jumping and twirling.  They were all a bit and rumpled wet from the overnight rain. 

Decided to drive some back roads going home.  Saw flocks of lark bunting.  I'd never caught a male in breeding plumage before.  They were quite numerous, and I stopped the Ranger a couple of times to try and get a good shot, but they were always just a bit ahead of me.  Cars are one thing, but a person getting out - that's it, we're gone.  They've been on the decline for some years now, and with all the drilling activity out on the NE plains, I'd suspect that trend is continuing.  Lots and lots of drill rigs working out there.  For being the Colorado state bird, they sure are illusive.  Saw quite a few antelopes out loping along.  Seemed to be pretty fat considering how dry it's been the last couple years.  Also saw lots of horned larks out along the road.  One posed in a crossroads for me.  As did what appears to be a Swainson's hawk sitting up on the wires.  Couldn't see it's tail so not sure on the ID. 

It's pretty out on the high plains.  I've always like it out there.  Can see for miles. This time of year, driving along with the window down, it's a constant cacophony of meadow lark song.  I remember as a kid on our first western vacation driving along out on the plains at night.  You could see the streaks of light of passenger trains racing across the flats.  Also the sweeps of their Mars lights as they came up over the horizon miles away.  Don't see those anymore. 

Gobs of Grebes

Well, maybe not gobs of grebes, but our little lake, Lake Arbor, had a large number of western grebes on it the past few days.  They mostly stay well out in the middle of the lake with a large raft of common mergansers.  Difficult to get pictures.  This morning on our walk, however, I noticed a lone eared grebe diving near the shore.  Went back home and got my gear and got a couple of decent shots. 

Couple weeks back I was messing around with a different tele-converter on my 300mm and shot this red-breasted nuthatch at the feeder.  It was a regular visitor at the feeder all winter.  Also a regular visitor all winter at the bird batch but not the feeder, was a Townsend's solitare.  It was there every morning and every afternoon getting a drink.  Very handsome little bird.  I wondered where it was finding a supply of juniper berries all winter.  Maybe making use of another food source.  

Once again, family health disasters are messing with spring photography forays, so I haven't been out a lot.  I did manage to get away for one night out to Jackson Lake State Park a week ago, about sixty miles out on the plains towards Nebraska.  Just wanted to get away for a night, do some birding, and cook a meal in my dutch ovens.  Made some yummy bread, and some from-scratch beans and brats that was really tasty. Beautiful weather, but not very birdy.  Bald eagle flew over.  I did hear cranes over towards the wetlands in the afternoon, but never did see them.  Heard turkey's, too.  And the owls hooted me to sleep.  Couldn't find them come dawn.  Huge flock of robins working thru in the morning.  On the way home I stopped by Banner Lakes wildlife area.  Lots of ducks, that didn't want to be photographed.  I heard frogs chirping in the shallows.  Got this shot of one of them.  I'm no frog expert, so I don't know what kind it is.  Good looking frog, though.  There were quite a few, but this is the only one

willing to pose for a photo. 

Waxwing Walk

There's a crab apple tree down around the corner along my walking route to Lake Arbor.  It's been loaded with old dried apples since last fall.  I keep watching it, thinking it might attract some waxwings, as I've heard reports of them locally in the past couple weeks.  Finally the other morning, I saw some birds flying around the tree as I approached.  Yep, cedar waxwings.  I ran back to the house and crabbed my photo gear.  Got a few shots of the birds feeding on the dried apples.  First really decent shots I have of waxwings.

Got a waxwing story.  When I was growing up in Memphis, the neighbor had a holly tree that was often loaded with berries.  On more than one occasion, a flock of waxwings would come in the winter or spring and gorge on the berries.  Once, I noticed some of the birds falling out of the tree.  I went over there and the ground was littered with birds!  They looked dead, but when I gently picked one up and held it in my hand, I could see it's eyes were open and I could see it breathing.  I put it back down and just went back home and watched.  Pretty soon a couple of the birds were up wobbling around like a drunk.  I went about my business, but looked back later and they were all gone.  I learned later that they were indeed drunk.  They eat so many berries that they have to store them in their esophagus, as waxwings apparently don't have crops like other birds.  The berries ferment in the bird's throat and they do indeed become intoxicated.  I didn't see the birds here acting drunk, but they sure were packing away those apples.  I don't know how they hold so many.  They just about cleaned that tree off in a couple days, however.  They are such beautiful, sleek birds, I think they're one of my favorites. 

January Color

It's been a dry dry winter here.  Very little snow down here on the plains, but a fairly frigid snap for a month or so around the holidays.  Glad it's warmed back up, but we sure need moisture. 

Couple weeks back, right after New Years, I had the urge to go camping and try out my new aluminum dutch ovens.  Got a nice big one for Christmas and bought another little one to go along with it.  Went down to Pueblo where it's always a couple degrees warmer and camped out and made bread and beef stew.  About the time my bread was ready the ranger came along to check my permit.  Said I was pretty hardy as I was the only camper in the park that afternoon.  I told him I was anxious to try out my new dutch ovens.  I invited him over to take a look as I took the bread off the heat.  He was impressed and I shared with him a piece of hot buttered bread.  He thought that was amazing.  I was impressed myself.  Very yummy as was the beef stew.  Dam, that Bill can cook!

Anyway, the next morning the resident curved-bill thrashers and canyon towhees showed up.  Got a nice picture of one of the thrashers all puffed up against the cold morning.  It was cold that morning.  17, I think it was. 

Went out along Clear Creek the other day.  Really nice day.  Saw some colorful ducks in the creek and in the bit of open water in the pond at the Wheat Ridge greenbelt park.  My favorite are the red-breasted mergansers.  I just love that ragged crest of theirs. 

British Bramblings

A local birder recently located a brambling in a park near here.  It's a Eurasian member of the finch family native to the British Isles and Europe.  Quite rare in the western, lower 48, but not unheard of, apparently.  I went out to the described location and there were about fifteen other birders anxiously awaiting it's appearance.  Didn't have to wait long, but just about the time it appeared my phone started ringing with a real estate emergency - trying to sell my house.  Got a couple of shots, but nothing great at all.  Didn't have time and the polite thing to do was stay behind a rope barrier not to intrude upon the bird.  I would have gone back later in the week for a better shot, but didn't have time, and folks stopped seeing the bird.  I might still go look for it. 

It was like summer in December today.  The entire fall has been like that.  Not good.  Lots of folks out today for mid-week.  Went along Clear Creek for a bit to see what I could find.  More gold panners than birds in the creek.  I wonder if they make any money?  There were a few green-winged teal in the creek, and the usual mallards and gadwalls.  I saw this one mallard drake that looked a bit odd.  A white-breasted mallard drake!  Wonder if it's a hybrid deal or just some leucism.  Maybe a long lost relative got mixed up with a white domestic duck.  Anyway, the other drakes seemed to be picking on him, but he appeared to have a content mate.  He was quite handsome. 

Mundane, Mandarin and Not So Mundane

It's looking more and more like winter.  Most the leaves are off the trees, the days are so short, and shadows so long.  I'm not good at wintering, but I do look forward to the colorful ducks of winter.
So far there haven't been too many, or at least I haven't seen many.  Just been too warm, I suppose.  Not complaining about that, but we could use some moisture.  But, like I said, I'm not so good at wintering.  If I were a bird, I'd be WAY south by now.  Way south!  I'd chase that retreating sun as far as I could. 

Was just poking around the other day at Prospect Lake in Wheat Ridge, and there was the mandarin duck! That'll brighten up your day!  I suppose it's the same one that's been around there for almost two years now.  Certainly can't be many of those around.  I hadn't seen it in a good while, however.  But, there he was, guarding his mallard female with great vigor.  Another man photographing the duck said last year the male mallards beat up on him and he was looking pretty bad.  He's certainly gorgeous right now.  Just looking fine.  No wonder the male mallards are jealous.  What a beautiful bird! 

Other ducks along the creek that I got shots of were some gadwalls, American wigeon, and Northern shoveler.  Most of the male shovelers are still molting or in their immature first-fall plumage, but there's a few that are showing their colors.  Of course there were plenty of mallards, and a few green-winged teal, but couldn't get any good shots of the later.  Haven't seen any mergansers so far this fall.  Ducks are so beautiful.  I just marvel at them regardless of plumage or state of molting. 

Walking around Lake Arbor in the neighborhood this morning, I noticed a pair of greater white-fronted geese mixed in the with the hundreds of white-cheeked geese grazing in the grass.  They've just been coming in in waves.  The other morning the lake was practically covered with geese. Went home and got the gear and found them in about the same spot, but in the water.  Got a few shots.  In the past two weeks I've seen those white fronted, and a single immature snow goose mixed in the white cheeks.  I find it fascinating how those different geese get mixed in with other species.  I wonder if they get mixed up during migration or just what happens, but it's fascinating. 

Usual Suspects

Made another overnight camping trip down to Lake Pueblo State Park.  First went to Canyon City to explore Temple Canyon Park.  I've wanted to go there for years.  It's kind of a steep rough road and I had to take it pretty easy in my camper, but I made it up there.  Want to go back and hike the old railroad grade up Grape Creek, and hike down the canyon to the temple.  Looks like a pretty cool place.  Place was crawling with townsend solitaires.  They were just everywhere and singing, too.  Didn't get any great shots, however.  Drove threw a large flock of mountain bluebirds.  They took off in a wave of light blue.  Thought they might come back down in photo range, but I lost them.

Spent the night at Lake Pueblo State Park.  I had the entire campground to myself.  Lots of hooting owls during the night.  There was a full moon so I went out looking for them, but never saw them.  This morning, I experienced another mimidae morning similar to a previous post.  Had both northern mockingbird and several long-billed thrashers in camp, plus canyon towhees - all usual suspects there.  Birded along the river down stream of the dam where I saw several killdeer working along the riverbank.  Right below the dam I found a shrike.  Not sure if it's a northern or loggerhead.  Got a shot, but it was pretty far off.  I could use help in an accurate ID of this bird.