Got there just in time to get some shots of this Osprey eating a fish he'd caught.
Down the road sat - a Northern Harrier?? I think that's what these are. This one was screaming about something before it finally took off to hunt.
I walked the trees in hopes of seeing the Great Horned Owls - and I did! The youngsters were about half way down and sitting in the center of the trees. Couldn't get a shot of the one but this one was in great view and keeping an eye on me.
Out at Market Lake you drive north to the end of the canals and then you can take a right and go east - but there at the end where you turn around is a tree. I always cruise by real slow and check for - - - Anything! Here today it Finally paid off as there was a Great Horned Owl sitting in the tree!!! What a Surprise!! Lucky Me!!
The only thing I saw on the way south was a Western Grebe and a Muskrat.
And that brings us to this morning. I was getting things ready to go and happened to look out to the bird feeder and there's the Squirrel - first he's on the ground but then he decided to get some bird seed right out of the feeder. This should be interesting!!
So far - so good!
It's a stretch but he's doing Ok. Then he starts to lose his grip and decides to stay with the feeder.
And then things go from Bad - - to Worse!!
He managed to get back over to get hold of the fence again and decided to give it up and he disappeared. Fun way to start the day!!
I headed north to Market Lake. Was so pretty out there. The water so still. No breeze. Glad I got there early before it heats up today!
Got lucky and found a Short Eared Owl near the road. Love these guys!!
An Eastern Kingbird.
And some pretty sunflowers.
I keep checking - with no luck - for the Burrowing Owl. They must've moved on or - - - who knows.
But out where I'd been seeing them - I'm checking the ground but can hear an owl. When the Great Horned are still young they sound different and I'm pretty sure that's what I'm hearing. Unless he's on the ground the only other guess I have is that he's in one of the two old buildings. So I park and get out and walk - way out from the building - around it to see if I can spot it. Here I get to the other end and there sits the young Great Horned Owl in a hole in the building.
Awesome!!
Never tho't I'd get a shot of an owl and a building!! Such a gorgeous bird!!
Back I went to check the trees and I pull across the canal and stop at the small pond/canal as you pull down into the parking area. I stop as I can see a Muskrat in the water. I got out and just as I raised my camera - - he disappears underwater! Darn. So I wait a few seconds to see if he comes back up and what do I spy along the edge???
A Sora!
These were on my Photo-Bucket List so I got to check that off today! Sora's are members of the Rail Family - and are related to Coots!
Was hard to get a good shot of him and then out of the corner of my eye I see something dart across the road and there goes the Weasel !! I tried to find him but he'd disappeared. When I went back to the Sora - it had disappeared also.
Was pretty quiet the rest of the drive south. The only other thing of interest was the Fish & Game guy that was out cruising all over the canals. He finally caught up with me on the narrowest of the roads and stopped to ask if I'd seen any Sandhill Cranes today. I hadn't - the last time I'd seen any had probably been a week ago down at the south end. I guess he was out looking for them and his mission was to band the baby. Unfortunately the last time I'd seen the Cranes they definitely did NOT have a baby with them. Might have been fun to watch him chasing a baby tho'!!!
Ok - back to work for me the next 2 days. See what the schedule has for me when it comes out tomorrow.
Thanks!!
No comments:
Post a Comment