Changed my mind

My plan for this morning was to take a trip up the Steen Mountain Drive, but when I got up, I just didn’t feel like doing that trip today.  So, I didn’t do it!  :)  I decided I’ll do it some other day in the next few weeks when it isn’t a holiday weekend.

Instead, I decided to stay home for most of the day and do the laundry, and start a jigsaw puzzle in the volunteer building.  I love doing the borders, but sometimes lose interest in puzzles with too many pieces.  The smallest one I found was 500 pieces, so I started it out.  I prefer 300 pieces, so maybe some of the other volunteers will help finish it when they do their laundry.  :)  Not very exciting, but some days you just need to chill.
Late afternoon, I decided that Emma and I should drive the auto route with the sun in the western sky for a change.  First thing we saw was this doe mule deer.  Don’t know what happened to her ear.
Not surprisingly, we saw quite a few deer at this time of day.  It won’t be long…
before this fellow will be coming to visit those does.  :)
At Wright’s Pond, a young pied-billed grebe was pestering it’s mom for supper.
I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye as we continued on, and backed up to see what it was.  It was a greater sage grouse hiding in the grasses.  I just couldn’t persuade this bird to show me anything but it’s head.  :)  What interesting patterns on each individual feather. 
The trouble with trying to take photos of diving ducks like this grebe is that one second they’re there, and the next second, they’re gone!
I enjoyed a nice view of a great blue heron moving to a better spot, with a great egret in the background.  Behind this pond, if you remember from last week, are…
the silhouettes of the cowboy and the cattle.  Come to find out that the rancher that owns that property erected the silhouettes in spite because he hates the refuge.  Personally, I think it adds a nice touch to the scenery.  :)

I guess fall is here.  The high for today was only 62* with brisk northerly winds.  The forecast for tonight is for a low of 28*!  Yikes!  This evening, I turned off the water at the hookup, and switched over to my on board tank for the night.  I don’t need frozen pipes!  Perhaps this chilly evening will eliminate the mosquitoes and deer flies.  That would be a blessing!  :)  I have so many itchy lumps, that I feel like a dot to dot picture!  :(

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

Another bird survey done.

When the sun had risen and the temperature had increased a few degrees, I headed over to Shoveler Pond to do another bird survey.  What a difference a week makes.  It looked as if someone had pulled the plug on the pond like pulling a plug on a bath tub.  Not all the water was gone, but much of it was which resulted in several huge mudflats.  Instead of a variety of ducks swimming around, there were large flocks of shorebirds working the mud flats for tasty morsels.  I counted 350 long billed dowitchers, plenty of killdeer, and several flocks of least sandpipers.  They were far enough away, that pictures were out of the question.  I was kept pretty busy using my scope attached to the driver's side window.

There were also plenty of wading birds in the outer trench around the drive where there was still water.

Finally, a great blue heron stayed still long enough for me to get a shot.  He was resting with his long neck tucked in.

I couldn't resist another shot.  The herons usually fly away as soon as I approach.  Here he began to uncurl his neck.

The great egret is another bird that usually is skittish when approached. 

Both the great egret and the great blue heron are about four feet tall and have big sharp beaks.  I wouldn't want to get poked by them!  I also wouldn't want to be them if I got a sore throat.  ;)

As you can see, much of the inner portion of Shoveler Pond has tall reeds and grasses.  Because of the drop in water level, today was an excellent day to see many little birds foraging around in the mud.  I was surprised to see a sedge wren, common yellowthroats, and an orange-crowned warbler taking advantage of the exposed pond bottom.

All in all, it was a good survey day that was topped off with a wonderful view of the first white tailed hawk of the season.  Of course, I think any day spent birding is a good day.  :)  Only one more night of temps in the low twenties to deal with, and then things are supposed to improve.  I look forward to that.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy