Archive for the ‘thrush’ Category

Weippe, Idaho

Saturday, June 18th, 2011

Have driven on three scenic byways the past couple of weeks: the White Pine Scenic Byway, the Northwest Passage Byway, and the Gold Rush Historic Byway. A logging boom appears to be present in all these areas. The Gold Rush Historic Byway was my favorite, along Idaho 11 up a steep grade to the village of Weippe. This is where Lewis and Clark first met the Nez Perce Tribe.

Above, Musselshell Meadow in the Clearwater National Forest just east of Weippe. The bottom picture is a camas flower. Nez Perce Tribe members have the legal right to come into the forest to harvest the roots of the flower. There were some beautiful meadows filled with the blue flowers.

A Eastern kingbird and a flycatcher of some kind in the Musselshell area. There were a number of common snipe’s nesting in the area, but I didn’t get any pictures of them.

Weippe is half a farming/ranching town and half a logging town. Their backroads are like a roller coaster ride and fun to drive. Although they are gravel, they are good roads. Think the logging companies keep them wet to keep people from complaining of dust from the logging trucks.

The red calf above has to be one of the biggest ones I’ve seen. It wasn’t happy with the amount of milk it was getting from it’s mom.

On driving the backroads, I was about to take a picture of a ring-necked pheasant when a woman in a truck blocked my truck. She thought I was a real estate agent and came up to me saying “We don’t want to sell our land, if that is what you’re taking pictures for!” When I explained I was bird watching, she was very nice, even telling me about a nearby pond where you could see elk in the evening.

Hope Weippe stays a small rural village. Let the rich people stay in Sandpoint.

A Swainson’s thrush seen in the Giant White Pine Campground. Have frequently heard their unique call, but it’s hard to get a picture of them in the trees.

Since I was in the area, thought I should visit Dworshak State Park. It’s one bear of a drive there from the town of Orofino. Uneven two-lane road with sharp turns and no turnouts to let people pass. The park is more for boater’s and fishermen. Seeing cedar waxwing’s there, however, made the trip worthwhile. The bottom picture shows what they were eating. Not sure what kind of tree it is. There are also lots of berry shrubs in the area that will provide berries for them in a month or two.

Below, view of the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway along the Clearwater River as seen from the road going up to Weippe.

Posted in cedar waxwing, cow, flycatcher, kingbird, National, State, thrush, Weippe | Comments Off

Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is the best known of the birding sites in the Rio Grande Valley. It is on the western edge of the developed valley, with it’s expressway and all it’s well known stores. If you continue westward on US 83 you quickly loose the expressway and the stores. I stayed in the central part of the valley, close to all the birding sites. Have not had to refill the gas tank of my truck during my 3 weeks here. There are a lot of nice rv parks near the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. Most look to be full now, as this is their prime season. The rv parks here must have a good association, as they all charge about the same price. It is hard to find a nice, low cost rv park.

In the late afternoon at the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park the chachalacas go into hiding, giving access to the feeding sites to more of the smaller birds. The chachalacas are not aggressive, but their size gives them priority at the feeding sites. In the picture above, some green jays take advantage of this non-chachalaca time period.

At the entrance to the park, there is a large feeding section with lots of benches to sit and watch the birds. The chachalacas retreat at around 5 p.m. when the volunteers leave for the day. Bobcats come through the area hunting them, which is probably a prime reason for their retreat.

Above, a great kiskadee and a clay-colored thrush go after some peanut butter at the feeding site near the entrance to the park.

Below, a ruby crowned kinglet.

Posted in green jay, kinglet, kiskadee, Mission, State, thrush | Comments Off

Hurricane Alex & the Rio Grande—July 2010

Wednesday, January 19th, 2011

Hurricane Alex, in July 2010, damaged most, if not all, birding sites along the Rio Grande. The river went from being 300 feet wide to 2 miles wide in places. The Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge’s tram and bicycle road is largely under water, along with a lot of their land. Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park has only recently reopened. It’s tram road is open, but many trails are closed. No javelina’s have been seen in the park since the hurricane and subsequent flooding, but javelina footprints have recently been spotted.

The Santa Ana Refuge will let nature take it’s course and let any water evaporate naturally. I like it with more water. There are newly created swamps that are at times full of birds. The cacophony of bird sounds in these areas must at times be like what is heard in Louisiana and Florida swamps.

Was thrilled to be able to get pictures of a green kingfisher in a new swamp area at the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge. Think the background noise of all the other birds made it possible for me to get the pictures of it fishing.

On a sad note, I had planned to visit La Sal del Rey, part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Wildlife Refuge system, but saw there was an advisory not to go there alone. A volunteer at the Santa Ana Refuge told me she went there with a group and heard gun shots. The Wildlife Refuge feels it’s not safe for individuals to go there alone. The Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge has a Border Patrol station connected to it. You sometimes see armed agents walking the grounds.

Saw the above large snake in the same swamp the kingfisher was in.

Have seen clay-colored thrushes at both the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge and Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park.

Curved-billed thrasher

Posted in Alamo, kingfisher, Mission, National, State, thrasher, thrush, warbler | Comments Off

West Glacier

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

Spent the last four days in West Glacier. July is the prime month for Glacier National Park and the crowds have definitely arrived. It is easier to get to, so I imagine it is always more crowded than the St. Mary area. The Apgar campground is in a wooded area and next to a lake. Lots of people here are into boating and rafting (on the rivers).

Ironically, the first day I was here I drove back 30 miles on I-2 to Goat Lick Overlook. Mountain goats gather here to lick the mineral rich rocks. They have made narrow trails on the hills all around the area. If you Google Goat Lick Overlook, the number one item is a pdf document that tells all about it. A special overpass was even built for the goats, so they would not have to cross the highway.

While watching some goats at the overpass, this goat ran out of the bushes past me. Later I saw it rolling in the dirt, maybe trying to get rid of it’s winter coat.

The next thing on my agenda was to drive up the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass. It is one of the most scary drives I’ve taken in my truck, without my trailer. It should be a one lane road. Driving in a vehicle smaller than a full-sized pick-up truck would help as well. I just wanted to drive it once, so I could stop where I wanted. Next time I’ll take the free shuttle the park offers.

Above: the Weeping Wall.

There were both mountain goats and big horned sheep in the parking lot at Logan Pass.

In the campground at Apgar finally found out which bird it is with the distinctive song you often hear in the woods: a Swainson’s thrush. It has a “Song flute-like, spiraling upward”.

The campground has a nice paved bike/hike path that goes to West Glacier. You are not supposed to hike alone at Glacier because of bears. I road my bike on their beautiful bike path and, what do you know, I came across a bear (below). It just briefly glanced at me, being intent on looking for food. It was the color of a grizzly, but believe it was a black bear. All the bears I’ve seen at Glacier have seemed very healthy.

I had taken a point and shoot camera, so I wouldn’t have to take the larger DSLR. Have to learn how to use the darn thing.

They say that the glaciers in Glacier National Park will be gone in 10 to 20 years. The warmer weather they now have has brought more beetle damage to their trees, as evidenced by the many dead trees you see. Also, alpine areas that goats and other animals depend on, is expected to disappear.

Posted in bear, goats, National, sheep, thrush, West Glacier | No Comments »

More from the Klamath area

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

A large flock of (Caspian) terns on the sand spit at the mouth of the Klamath River

Love seeing pelicans fly in formation.

A sweathouse on Yurok ceremonial grounds located a mile or so from the rv park at the mouth of the Klamath River.

Newton B. Drury Parkway in Prairie Creek Redwood State Park.

Fern Canyon at Gold Bluffs Beach in Prairie Creek Redwood State Park. Water running down the sides of the cliffs have allowed ferns to grow for thousands of years. Next time I’ll remember to bring water sandals and a tripod.

A varied thrush  seen near Fern Canyon with a worm and insect in its’ beak.

Largest antlers seen at Gold Bluffs Beach.

Lots of goldfinches (below) seen near the coast. Not a great picture, but the only one I could get.

Posted in Airstream, elk, goldfinch, Klamath, State, tern, thrush | Comments Off

More from Big Bend National Park

Friday, February 13th, 2009

View from Sotol Vista along Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. Santa Elena canyon is in the upper right of the picture, around 14 miles as a crow flies. That is the end of the scenic drive.

The sotol plant, as seen in the above foreground, is part of what makes the desert so green. It is mostly seen between 4,000 and 6,000 feet.

Top picture, Santa Elena canyon; second one, inside the entrance; third one, looking out from it.

Spotted towhee

Hermit thrush (I think, by its’ red tail)

Along the drive, there is a stop at the Sam Nail Ranch. Settlers lived here in the early 1900′s. They dug a well and planted some non-native trees. The windmill and well still spit out water every time the wind blows. There is enough water to keep the trees alive, along with some birds. I just stood still at the small puddle where the water comes out and watched birds come to it.

Posted in National, pyrrhuloxia, Texas, thrasher, thrush | No Comments »