Refuge Thursday

Hot and dry at the refuge today. Pelicans, geese, terns, heron and egrets along with the Avocets and the Yellowlegs. One male pheasant ran by.
Here's what I liked..

The greeter - sits just inside the gate every time I am there.

Egret and Ibis..

Lesser Yellowlegs in front of the squabbling Egrets..

Two different air transportation vehicles...

Refuge Wednesday

Another quiet day at the refuge today, but the Sandhill Cranes kept me busy. A truck ahead of me drove by the maintenance buildings and suddenly there were two cranes crossing the road right behind it! They just meandered a ways down the road, then into the same field I had seen them in last week.
Further on, a Great Blue Heron surprised me by sitting on the fence. He flew away once before I had a chance to photo him so he came back and posed!
Up on Goose Egg Hill I was practicing being the 'Great Stalker' when a Cooper's Hawk with his lunch flew into the tree in front of me. Lunch was a bird of some kind, I think a dove from the color of the feathers.
After he left, first a Kingbird and then a Hummingbird posed on top of the tree.
On the way out, the cranes posed again and a Tern obligingly swung by for a photo.
Fun day!
When I got home there was a Swallowtail Butterfly on the butterfly bush waiting for me!

A

Refuge Tuesday

What a quiet day at the refuge! White pelicans, Canadian geese, lots of little birds, White-faced Ibis, Black-crowned Night Herons, GBH, ... but very quiet. One or two cars, some workers and that's it.
Oh - forgot the frogs!  Lots of them if you can find them!

Non-breeding American Avocets are still around..

The juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron was hunting from his hiding place. But I saw him!

The frogs - the first one missing one eye. Wonder if it skews his tongue as he hunts?

Albion Sunday

Randy and I got to Albion Basin early Sunday morning. Despite arriving about 7:25 am, there were lots of people there before us and lots coming in after us.
No moose and just a glimpse of a deer in the trees; but the Yellow-bellied Marmots and ground squirrels kept us busy.  Here's a few shots from today..

Enjoy!

Clark's Nutcracker I believe.

Marmots

Ground squirrel - came out as the sun came up..

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

A juvenile Yellow-bellied Marmot (I think)..

Red-tailed Hawk as only they can display!

Refuge Thursday

A cloudy day with a forecast of rain so off to see what the birds were up to. Not much, honestly. Geese and Stilts and gulls all hanging out on a sandbar; GBH in a mental nesting box. White-faced Ibis are still everywhere, busy eating. One Snowy Egret and two White Pelicans!
The stars today were the two Sandhill Cranes that so obligingly posed for me. No evidence of nervousness, they kept on with their feeding as I snapped photos. Beautiful birds.
Enjoy!

The Greeter - but he never smiled!

Beautiful colors on the Ibis.

Little puffball just handing out watching the world go by..

The first sighting of the cranes..

YHBB still around..

Sometimes I just get lucky!!

Trip to Boise

We spent a couple of days with friends in Boise this past week. They showed us around the town, fed us well and we very much enjoyed being with them. And with their dog Toby! She is a doll, photo below!
Here's some shots from the trip..Their deck has an outstanding view of sunsets and they have a lot of hummingbirds at their feeder!
Thanks Janet and Todd!

Morning light on the hills outside ..

A 'Bear' cloud munching up the sky!

A Condor at the Raptor center..

Toby - a wonderful companion..

Cooper's Hawk flyby