Saturday, March 30, 2013

Spring Break Day 8

Saturday Min and I got up at 4:30 a.m. and were out of the house in 15 minutes or less.  Gassed up the car and headed for Utah. Listened to 'Three Men and a Boat' on the trip. Breakfast at Denny’s in Tremonton while the sun lightened the sky then on to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.  The refuge was amazing and we saw tons and tons of birds, particularly Avocets. Getting there as the sun rose was amazing. Then down to SLC where we met Rebecca and Christie Red Hair (also saw Hannah at work). Lunch with R & CRH at Village Inn then shopping for a fast hour for more art for my place at the big TJMaxx.  Next stop was dropping Melinda at the airport and then Rebecca at home. I headed home after that.  I was very sad to send Melinda home.  I listened to part of Louis L’Amour’s ‘Lonely on the Mountain’ then thought and processed and drove home.

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
March 30, 2013

Dawn over the Wasatch front
Cinnamon Teals
Great Blue Heron Taking Flight

  1. Sandhill Cranes
  2. Red-winged Black Birds
  3. Common Ravens
  4. Green Winged Teals
  5. American Wigeon
  6. Pintail
  7. Starlings
  8. Coots
  9. House Sparrows
  10. Mallards
  11. Northern Shovelers
  12. Rough Legged Hawks
  13. California Gulls
  14. Killdeer
  15. Avocets
  16. Greater Yellowlegs
  17. Snowy Plover
  18. Great Blue Heron
  19. Western Meadowlark
  20. Ring Necked Pheasants (several in a field)
  21. Red-tailed Hawk
  22. Horned Larks
  23. Northern Harrier
  24. Canada Geese
  25. Cinnamon Teals
  26. American White Pelicans
  27. Double Crested Cormorants
  28. Lesser Scaups
  29. Bank Swallow
  30. Northern Rough Winged Swallow
  31. Violet Green Swallows
  32. Red Breasted Mergansers
  33. Common Mergansers
  34. Yellow-headed Blackbirds
  35. Gadwalls
  36. Marsh Wrens
  37. Bufflehead
  38. Common Goldeneye
  39. Redheads
  40. Trumpeter Swans
  41. Western Grebes
  42. Clarks Grebes
  43. Brewers Blackbirds
  44. Pied Billed Grebe
  45. Tundra Swans
  46. Grasshopper Sparrow
  47. Savannah Sparrow
  48. Rock Doves
  49. Magpie

Friday, March 29, 2013

Spring Break Day 7

Friday Slept in for a second day then went birding nearby. First up to the ridge above Arbon valley then lunch at Pizza Hut, we called Shanna again then waited for her at home then we all drove out to American Falls. The birding wasn’t spectacular anywhere, but we got a couple of new species on the overall list.  Played games and ate nachos before calling it a night early.

Caribou National Forest, Pocatello, Idaho
Mink Creek area
March 29, 2013

Near Cherry Springs 
  1. Crows
  2. Starlings
  3. California Gulls
  4. Rock Doves
  5. Canada Geese on the cliffs
  6. Magpie
  7. Robins
  8. Townsend's Solitaire
  9. Black Crowned Chickadee
  10. Ruby Crowned Kinglet
  11. "Oregon" Dark-eyed Junco
  12. Sage Thrasher
  13. Mountain Bluebird
  14. Red Shafted Flicker
  15. Heard Yellow Warblers
  16. Song Sparrow


American Falls

Me
  1. Double Crested Cormorants
  2. Turkey Vulture
  3. Coots
  4. Mallards
  5. Tons of Red Breasted Mergansers
  6. White Pelican
  7. Bald Eagle (Shanna saw)
  8. Canvasbacks
  9. Ring Necked Pheasant
  10. Eurasian Collared Doves
  11. Mourning Doves




Thursday, March 28, 2013

Spring Break Day 6

Thursday Stayed home and slept in. Got Shanna to come home and we went shopping...TJmaxx, and Ross, then home to play ‘move that painting.’  Matt and Carrie came over for pot roast and for the first time in a long time my gravy came out stunning.  

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Spring Break Day 5

Wednesday Cheryl, Min and I load into the car and drive to/bird to Menan. Load into Suzy’s vehicle and visit the other side of the butte, Market Lake, Camas wildlife refuge, and Mud Lake. (lunch of peanut butter & honey sandwiches, Doritos, carrots, celery, strawberries and banana bread at Camas).  Stopped at Freeman park on the way home, but no birds. Got home very tired at 5:30 and just sat for awhile. Shanna got us to go to Puerta Vallarta for dinner and then to bed early.
Trumpeter Swans
Camas Wildlife Refuge
  1. American Crow
  2. California Gull
  3. Rock Doves
  4. Red-tailed Hawk
  5. Starlings
  6. Red-winged Blackbirds
  7. Canada Geese
  8. Black-billed Magpie
  9. Eurasian Collared-dove
  10. Mourning Dove
  11. American Robin
  12. House Sparrow
  13. Belted Kingfisher
  14. Mallards
  15. Bald Eagle
  16. Mountain Bluebird
  17. Dark-eyed Junco
  18. Rough-legged Hawk
  19. Ring-necked Pheasant
  20. Meadowlarks
  21. American Coots
  22. Red-Breasted Mergansers
  23. Trumpeter Swans
  24. Ring-necked Ducks
  25. Canvasbacks
  26. Yellow-headed Blackbirds
  27. Common Goldeneye
  28. Buffleheads
  29. Killdeer
  30. Northern Hrariers
  31. Wigeon
  32. Tundra Swans
  33. Sandhill Cranes
  34. Marsh Wren
  35. Pintails
  36. Snow Geese
  37. Redheads
  38. Lesser Scaup
  39. Northern Flicker (Mud Lake)

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Spring Break Day 4

Tuesday birding north along 91 to Swan Lake, then in Pocatello and over to the mountain above Arbon valley, on the return discovered gas gauge not only on empty but flashing, coasted to nearest station -TBox. Pausing to admire the wild turkeys in display mode on the road. Grocery shopping with Shanna. Made chili for dinner and banana bread for tomorrow’s lunch along with prepping celery and strawberries.

Sadly all of the pictures taken over the first few days were erased by my camera. This includes the mountain bluebirds in Arbon valley posed on aspen in the snow and the wild turkeys.
Mountain Bluebird
  1. California Gull
  2. Eurasian Collard-Dove
  3. American Robin
  4. Staring
  5. Mallard
  6. Canada Geese
  7. Black-billed Magpie
  8. Red-winged Black Bird
  9. House Sparrow
  10. Mourning Dove
  11. Sandhill Cranes
  12. Red-tailed Hawk
  13. American Kestral
  14. Meadow Larks
  15. Northern Harrier
  16. Common Ravens
  17. American Crows
  18. Trumpeter Swans
  19. Wigeons
  20. Canvasbacks
    Wild Turkeys
  21. Scaup (Lesser)
  22. Coot
  23. Tundra Swans
  24. Pintails
  25. Franklin Gull
  26. Rock Doe
  27. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  28. *Yellow-bellied Marmot*
  29. Mountain Bluebird
  30. *Townsend Squirrel*
  31. Dark-eyed Junco
  32. Black-capped Chickadee
  33. Turkeys Displaying
  34. Red Shafted Flicker
  35. Great-horned Owl Fledgling
Yellow Bellied Marmot

Monday, March 25, 2013

Spring Break Day 3

Monday birding, tried for Gower ponds, ended up at Antelope Island instead, then Bear River Refuge, then over to Daves to visit his family
Chukar
Bison
View from Antelope Island 
  1. House Sparrow
  2. Canada Geese
  3. Red-tailed Hawk
  4. Rock Doves
  5. Black-billed Magpies
  6. Eurasian Collard-Doves
  7. Starlings
  8. Mallards
  9. Northern Harrier
  10. Ring-necked Pheasant
  11. Killdeer
  12. Common Raven
  13. California Gulls
  14. Ring-billed Gulls
  15. Franklin Gull
  16. American Coots
  17. Northern Shovelers
  18. Blue Winged Teal
  19. Redheads
  20. Wigeons
  21. Eared Grebes
  22. Common Merganser
  23. Commn Gldenyes
  24. Meadowlarks
  25. *Bison
  26. Grasshopper Sparrow
  27. Horned Lark
  28. Chukar
  29. *Antelope*
  30. Willow Flycatcher
  31. Dark-eyed Juncos
  32. House Finches
  33. Pintails
  34. Violet green Swallows
  35. Double Crested Cormorants
  36. Rd-winged Black Birds
  37. Great Blue Herons
  38. American White Pelicans
  39. Cinnamon Teals
  40. *Muskrat*
  41. Sandhill Cranes
  42. Marsh Wren
  43. Trumpeter Swns
  44. Tundra Swans
  45. Horned Grebes
  46. Pied Billed Grebe
  47. Gadwall
  48. Lesser Scaup
  49. Ring-neecked Duck
  50. *Mule Deer*
  51. Rough-Legged Hawk
  52. *Long-Tailed Weasel*
  53. Western Grebes

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Spring Break Day 2

Sunday birding out by the pond by the hotel, then Springville (hunt for Lewis woodpeckers), Utah lake, and Saltair. Dinner at Jessica’s.
Selling Mushrooms and Solid Concrete...?

Mule Deer
  1. Mallards
  2. Black-billed Magpies
  3. Canada Geese
  4. Common Raven
  5. Rock Doves
  6. Mourning Dove
  7. American Robin
  8. Starlings
  9. Red-tailed Hawk
  10. Eurasian collared-dove
  11. California Gulls
  12. Ring-billed Gull
  13. American Coots
  14. Red-breasted Merganser
  15. Cinnamon Teeals
  16. Killdeer
  17. American Kestral
  18. Sandhill Cranes
  19. White Crowned Sparrow
  20. American Wigeons
  21. American White Pelican
  22. Common Merganser
  23. Scaups (Lesser)
  24. Northern Shovelers
  25. Pied Billed Grebe
  26. Ring-necked Pheasant
  27. *Mule Deer
  28. Red Shafted Flicker
  29. Canvasbacks
  30. Buffleheads
  31. Common Goldeneye
  32. Domestic Geese
  33. Domestic Chickens
  34. Manky Mallards
Heading to Saltair

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Spring Break Day 1

Saturday I drove to SLC, finished listening to Good Omens a truly funny book.  Flight delays and three gates later Melinda arrives and I pick her up at 12:30 a.m.