Archive for the ‘deer’ Category

Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

I am visiting Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, around 20 miles from the Canadian Border. The cedar waxwing, above, has some fledglings in the berry bush. The leaves were so dense, I couldn’t get a good picture of them.

On reading about Bonners Ferry on Wikipedia, found that it is near where the Ruby Ridge incident occurred. The write up on Wikipedia about this is like a novel. There are lots of places in the woods around here to try and escape society.

It is really crowded here with rv’s and motorcycles. I stopped by Glacier National Park on the way, but it was also jammed. Hope to get back there. A Canadian radio station made the comment that they just have two seasons: winter and July. This may have something to do with the crowds. It’s the best weather of the year.

Have seen this moose and calf three times. The adult always detects when people stop to watch her with the calf and she heads back into the tall grass.

Osprey. An adult was two posts down from it eating a fish.

On leaving the refuge one day, I noticed the silhouette of the back of an owl on a utility pole. I slowing walked towards it, not wanting it to fly away. Came to find it was a fake owl! Read where they were put on utility poles to keep osprey from nesting, but the osprey ended up using the fake owls in their nests.

Young deer going out into a wheat field where an adult was grazing.

Moving On

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Finally finished up all my maintenance issues and am ready to move on from Sutherlin, Oregon.

Above, where I’ve been parked for two weeks. Below that, leaves on an alder tree emerging.

Below, deer doing what they tend to do…eat plants. Gave one young one a carrot. Know that’s a no-no.

Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge is the only refuge I have come across that has campsites where you can boondock (free) for up to 14 days. I stayed there for 4 days and was the only camper I was aware of. It was very quiet. Hunting season just ended, so maybe hunters scared all the wildlife away. The weather was perfect. It was in the 70′s during the day, did not have to use my fans, and at night it was in the 50′s, so the furnace was not needed.

The area is a semi-desert grassland with lots of mesquite trees. The refuge is trying to restore it to the way it was before cattle grazed here. They want to encourage masked bobwhite quail and pronghorns to return.

Airforce jets practice over the area. One day I had my back to the window, something made me turn and look out. Saw a Airforce jet coming right at me, I could see the pilot! By the time I ran to the door, it had done a 90 degree roll and was gone. It happened so fast. There were a lot of jets in the area the next day. Maybe the jet that flew over me was just checking out the area because of this.

This area is called “cocaine alley” because of all the drug smugglers that enter the United States through here. That may be why there is a helicopter landing pad on the refuge and a strong presence of border patrol. Also, I got the best internet connection I’ve had for a long time. A communications tower was nearby, out in the middle of nowhere.

Mule deer in a no hunting area of the refuge.

Saw what I think is a western harrier at Arivaca Cienega on the refuge.

Getting here

After leaving the Benson, Sierra Vista area, stopped at Patagonia State Park. There were a lot of pipevine swallowtails there (above). The park was crowded. You have to get there early in the day to get an electric spot. A lot of people were on a hunt to see an elegant trogon. Unfortunately, I never saw one.

Black phoebe.

While Big Bend and the Buenos Aires Refuge are trying to repair damage caused by cattle grazing, Patagonia State Park allows ranchers to graze cattle at the east end of the lake, near some marsh and the Sonoita Creek (prime birding area). People swim and catch fish in a lake that cattle go into. Along with going into the lake, the cattle eat and trample tree saplings. You would also not want to walk along the trail at night, with cow droppings all over the place.

Sleeping bull, with muddy feet.

More from the Arroyo City area

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

Riding my bike I came across these male turkey’s preening and flexing their feathers.

Two different osprey.

Catbird

Brown thrasher

There is a small harbor near the park where night herons nest during the day and egrets nest at night.

At the refuge, saw two bucks fighting over a female. Could not see them as much as hear their snorting and their antlers clicking.

Tule Lake Wildlife Refuge

Friday, October 17th, 2008

I’m here in Tulelake, California, with hunters and coyotes, at the Tule Lake Wildlife Refuge, where migrating birds are arriving.

Seeing a few sandhill cranes.

An eared grebe with a small fish.

Northern shoveler

Canvasback

Next to the refuge, there is a ranch house with a fenced garden with pumpkins and other squash. Don’t know if the owners wanted the mule deer inside their garden!

A parent western grebe giving its’ young one a small fish. The young one swallows it whole.

Umatilla Wildlife Refuge

Saturday, October 4th, 2008

Visited the McCormack Unit of the Umatilla Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. The refuge is on both sides of the Columbia River, in Washington and Oregon, but the McCormack Unit is in Oregon. The refuge was created in 1969 in response to the loss of habitat from the building of the John Day dam. No one can deny the Columbia River is heavily damned.

Love the “southwest” colors in the desert brush above.

Deer in a wheat field.

The corn is on the vine waiting for the migrating birds. Not many here yet. Just saw a few v-formations of geese. Hope they are quick learners or can read. If they land in one area, they face hunters; if they land in another area they are home free.

Noticed when you look at the area on google the crops being farmed are in circles. They are watered with a machine that rotates in a circle. Without water, the land is desert.

Seeing a lot of black-billed magpies in Eastern Oregon.

Skagit County, Washington

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

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I am in Skagit County, Washington, an incredible place. It is around 40 miles from Port Townsend, but of course I took the long way around on the #101 and the #5, to avoid paying a large ferry fee. After driving through overcast Seattle and then coming to the beautiful, sunny farmland in Skagit County, I knew this was someplace I would like to stay for a while. The rv park I’m at is on Fir Island, with the Skagit river on one side and farmland on the other. There are places all around to explore. Whidbey Island is just to the east, with Deception Pass State Park. There is also a naval air station there and their jets fly right over where I’m staying. It’s like a free air show. I have to jump up and look every time a jet goes by. It is probably a reflex from my childhood.

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The city of Anacortes, on Fidalgo Island, is 11 miles away. They have a beautiful park, Washington Park, that has a scenic loop road you can drive, but be forewarned, don’t drive anything longer than 20 feet. I drove my truck and had to back up and maneuver to get around sharp curves.

The two pictures above were taken at Washington Park. It is the first picture I’ve gotten of a Cedar Waxwing. It was eating berries, as I guess they are prone to do. The deer below it was eating the same berries.

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Black Oystercatchers.

Anacortes is a tourist town and seems to want to develop every square inch of their land. There is a subdivision next to Washington Park and another subdivision is in the process of being built next to it. (OK, step off the soapbox).

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Also at Washington Park, a wooden ship with the ferry to the San Juan Island in the background.

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Barn swallows enjoying the sun at my rv park. Skagit Flats, the area I’m in, was named a birding hotspot a few years ago, but fall and winter are the prime times for birding.

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View from a hang gliding spot above Skagit Flats. Guess the goal is to get past the trees and land in farm land.

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

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Have been visiting Capitol Reef National Park in Utah the past few days. Stayed in their campground for two days (second picture), but have retreated to a private campground to recharge my rv and all my electronics. The park campground has no hookups.

The Fremont River passes through the park and allowed Fremont Indians and then Mormon settlers to farm in the area. The Mormon’s left lots of fruit trees. The third picture above is a barn from the Mormon era.

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There is a 25 mile round trip scenic drive through the park (above).

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Robins are the most common bird seen in the campground. They would probably eat from your hand. Mule deer come through the campground every evening to graze.

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From Bottomless Lakes State Park in New Mexico, I stayed one night at Santa Rosa Lake State Park and then three nights at Bluewater Lake State Park. At the Bluewater Park there were winds of 30-50 mph, which is why I stayed the three days till they had passed. I then went on to Canyon De Chelly National Monument for one night at their free, no hookup campground. Want to go back there sometime in the future. The route from Canyon De Chelly to Capitol Reef was incredible (pictures above). It had recently rained, so the red soil was super saturated in color. There was not much traffic, so I could go as slow as I wanted. The 178 miles took me all day. It was not till I got within 30 miles or so of Capitol Reef that I started to see more traffic. Everyone wants to go 75 mph on these two lane highways in these beautiful surroundings with gas prices what they are. Know I’m showing my age.

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Picture above is from a scenic overlook of Hite City, an old mining boom town that was engulfed by Lake Powell. There is a road and a campground there now, don’t know if it is the same exact spot Hite City was at.

Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico

Tuesday, October 30th, 2007

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Moved a little south, to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

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Cormorants and turtle.

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Black birds swarming, probably to get some type of grain on the ground.

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Mule deer.

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Just got the tail end of this wet coyote. It looks a lot healthier than the coyotes I used to see in Southern California.

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Sutherlin, Oregon, July 14-22, 2007

Saturday, July 14th, 2007

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Both my truck and trailer were due for service, so I stayed in Sutherlin, where I could take them into Eugene. Summer is a busy time for rv dealers and independent service techs, so I had to wait a while for an appointment.

Wild turkeys were seen throughout my travels, but Sutherlin had to have the most in one spot.

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Looked out my window and saw a deer grazing. Grabbed my camera and then saw a baby with the adult. Turned back again and there were three. Here the young ones are very curious about the rabbit. They almost follow after it, but decide to stick with mom.

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There is a street at this Sutherlin park named Killdeer. Thought maybe it was a reference to the deer eating landscape plants. I noticed the above bird several times near the entrance to the park. On looking up its name in the bird catalog, found it is called killdeer because its song sounds like “kill deer”.

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