Archive for the ‘warbler’ Category

Lolo National Forest

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Have been in Lola National Forest for most of the past few weeks. Highway 12 goes up to Lolo Pass, where you enter Idaho and the Clearwater National Forest. In Idaho it’s called the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway. This is the route Lewis and Clark, and Indians long before them, used.

Above, two gray jays. The first ones I’ve ever seen. They are very elusive and were in my campsite area only a few minutes.

Highway 12 follows along a number or streams and rivers. I saw lots of  stellar jays while driving, but only a few in my campground.

A kestral in farmland in the town of Lolo.

A blue-grouse (I think) seen along a forest service road.

A red-breasted nuthatch (top) and a red crossbill (lower).

A red squirrel that buries nuts that bears often dig up. It, like many of the birds, is not interested in handouts from humans. They generally run and jump quickly away from you.

There were a huge number of these moths (?) flying around one campground for a few days.

Above, an adult and fledgling yellow-rumped warblers. They were seen near Big Sky in the Gallatin National Forest.

Made one quick trip to Spokane, Washington, to get my trailer serviced. Was surprised to see a pair of marmots in the industrial area.

Posted in American kestrel, Lolo, Spokana, grouse, jay, marmot, red crossbill, squirrel, warbler | No Comments »

More from South Texas

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Have been at Falcon State Park for a week. This is where you start seeing pyrrhuloxia (above). They are one of the calmer birds who don’t fly away the minute they see you. An online article said they should have been named desert cardinals rather than pyrrhuloxia.

My first sighting of a northern bobwhite (above). Grackles imitate bobwhite sounds and search through the brush for nests with eggs.

Orange-crowned warblers are very common here.

Yellow-rumped warbler

Ladder-backed woodpecker with peanut butter.

Swamp sparrow

A hispid cotton rat. Looks like a hamster. There is lots of brush for them to hide in. Bobcats have been seen in the area and these rats are something they’d hunt for.

Birds seen in the area, but not pictured: one white-tailed kite, a pair of caracaras, cactus wrens, roadrunners, and several loggerhead shrikes. The shrikes were always perched on barbed wire surrounding private property. They are known for impaling their prey on barbed wire.

Below, a Harris’ hawk and a great kiskadee. I’ll miss seeing the kiskadees as I head north.

Posted in Falcon Heights, State, bobwhite, hawk, kiskadee, pyrrhuloxia, warbler, woodpecker | No Comments »

U.S. Route 395

Monday, October 12th, 2009

upper_grays_meadow2

Drove down U.S. Route 395 again, going south. A fellow camper once made the comment that you should always take the 395 when traveling between Southern California and Northern California. The road is a lot better and there is less traffic than the I-5, and the I-101. The road is better because it doesn’t get all the damaging truck traffic. When you get to Inyoken, however, you have to choose between taking highway 14 to get to the Los Angeles freeways, or to stay on the 395 where it becomes a two lane highway through the desert until it meets the I-15. There is again heavy truck traffic in this stretch and always the threat of sandstorms. Not sure why they don’t create more turnouts. A truck or car is always breathing down your neck and there are very few places to pull over to let them pass.

The first time I  drove the 395 I stayed at an rv park near Lone Pine. Next time I discovered Inyo County’s inexpensive parks. This trip I drove 6 miles west of the town of Independence to Upper Grays Meadow, a National Forest Campground, at around 6,000 feet (picture above). The creek that flows through it can be heard throughout the campground. There is a trail the runs along the creek between Upper Grays Meadow and Lower Grays Meadow. Lower Grays Meadow Campground is for smaller rv”s and has a tight turnaround.

mono_lake_vista

Mono Lake from a vista point with the 395 heading towards Lee Vining.

yellow-rumped_warbler

avocet

A yellow-rumped warbler and two American avocets seen at Mono Lake. Not a large number of birds there this visit.

Below, a butterfly at Upper Grays Meadow. The birds around the area were really good a hiding in the brush. They know if they are out in the open they could be targeted by predators.

butterfly_395

Posted in Airstream, American avocet, Independence, Lee Vining, Mono Lake, warbler | No Comments »