Fantastic Two Days Off !!!

Yup - this is l-o-n-g!!

There's no other title for this - I had two days off from work so I spent them with my camera in hand.  I got shots of things I'd never photographed before and shots of things I didn't even know what it was!!

Yesterday - Monday - I got up early and was headed to Camas when I got sidetracked by the Burrowing Owls. 

My first stop was for a single Burrowing Owl that sits by a busy highway.  Cars zoom by and he doesn't seem to mind.  I do a quick stop - get a dozen or so shots and I'm back on my way.

The babies were finally out and about at my next destination so I stopped and spent a good hour watching them.  A parent sounded an alert and everyone disappeared as I drove up but I patiently waited and the kids finally came back out.  

There are actually TWO families of Burrowing Owls at this location - the one family is further from where I park so I got a few shots of them and then moved to the family that has their home right next to the road.  Here's a shot of one of the owls that are further away.

While waiting for the rest of the family of owls to come back out I managed to get a photo of 3 flies - you read that right - FLIES.

Nailed it!!  What a fun shot!!

Back to the owls.  First there were only a couple that would come out

There always seemed to be one that I could only see his eyes peeking at me.  Others finally came out too.

Now there are 4

Two were just down below at another burrow

Finally there were 5 at the upper burrow so with the 2 below I had a total of 7

Something scared them and they all made a mad dash for the burrow so I started the car to leave.  As I went to turn around 2 of them watched me from the burrow.

I finally made it to Camas - unlike Market Lake you can actually see lots of the nesting birds - On Their Nests!!  Some of the Coots already have babies

Lots of them are still on nests
 

And this one was still in the building process!!

I'd gone to Camas early in hopes of finding some Short-eared Owls but could only spot one out flying

The Sandhill Cranes were out in the tall grass - one of them had caught a vole and was trying to get the baby - called a colt - interested in it but he must've wanted something else to eat as he just kept walking.

I found a Golden Eagle by the road

And a Bald Eagle too!!

Was pretty slow at Market Lake but I did spy a Northern Harrier sitting in the weeds right by the water - probably hoping to ambush some baby ducks!!

And now it's Tuesday!!  I got an early start and the only stop I made was to check on the Burrowing Owl by the highway and he was sitting on some sagebrush further from the road so I went on by.  

My first surprise came at the south end of Camas - as I'm driving along - watching the water on my left - I look back to make sure I'm still on the road and there's a White-tail Deer fawn standing on the road in front of me!!!  By the time I got stopped and out of the car he was off the road and in the deep grass but sticking around to look at me.

And yes - he is standing up in the photo.  I looked around for Mom and she's just behind me.  

I took lots of photos at Camas - the only noteworthy one was of a beautiful Lazuli Bunting

Now it's time to go see the Burrowing Owls!!  As I get there a parent owl flies off and sounds an alarm and the kids run for the burrow.  I park and wait.  Finally they start coming out.

One

Three 
 

Four

Five

 

 Six.  Don't you Love the one in the front with his eyes closed!!??

Now seven 
 

Eight 

And finally NINE!!!

 

There was lots of wing/leg stretching - this one with attitude!!
 

This one did a double wing stretch like he was trying to save his spot on the burrow!
 

One of them finally came down closer and hacked up a "pellet"!!  I had a front row seat!!
 

  

 Hey - don't look at me - I didn't hack that thing up!!

So much fun to sit and watch them!!  And I finally ended up with a count of TEN!!!

 

 The Bald Eagles were in their usual spot

 

A few Painted Turtles 

I'd kept an eye out for the Great Horned Owls as I walked the trees - I hadn't seen them on Monday - but today I looked up and there one was.  I Love it when they're framed naturally by their surroundings!  I set up the tripod and got my shots - when I was done I didn't even feel the need to go any further in search of the rest of the family.  I was satisfied!

But I've saved the best for last.  Just when you think there isn't really anything "new" to find at Market Lake something is handed to you that's totally unexpected.  You have to stay on the path now when you walk the trees - no going over and checking the bird boxes but there are a couple you can still see if you know where to look and can find them thru all the leaves.  I'd already walked past this bird box - it's one I always look over at to see if there just "might" be a Saw Whet there again.  No.  That's NOT what I found today.  In fact - I didn't even know what the heck it was!!!  

But I back-tracked and found a spot to look thru the leaves and I can see there's something sitting in the opening.  

What The H*** is THAT?!?!?!

Only me and the birds heard that language!!

I got my binoculars and I still didn't know what it was.  

It disappears back into the box.  

NOOOOOOO!!!!!

I've got my camera up but I can't find a spot where I can focus on the hole of the house and NOT on the branches and leaves in my way.  So I sit down on the ground, collapse the legs on my tripod - - and wait.  

Finally it comes back out!!!

Nope.  I haven't a clue what that is.  I snap a phone-photo of the back of my camera and send it to Don - someone where he works says it's what is called a "Pack Rat".  

I had no idea!!  And I showed my phone to the Fish & Game guy and he had No Clue!!  Lot of help he was!!

What an amazing two days off I had!!  I'm pooped!!

Thanks for looking!!

Red Rock Lakes Drive

This was the 13th year that Don and I have done our Red Rock Lakes Drive.  It takes you from Henry's Lake on the east end and out to I-15 on the west end - on the north side of the Centennial Mountain Range.  Some years we've gone back east - on the south side of the Centennial Mountain Range - to Island Park - almost to where we started out - but some years we just head down the interstate for home. 

This is mostly a scenic drive for us.  Animal sightings are a bonus!  Depending on when we go - always after Memorial Day - we may or may not get many shots of the wildflowers.  

We get off Hwy 20 near Henry's Lake and head west.

 

We spot some Mule Deer who quickly disappear.  

A hawk - Red Tailed? - has finished eating whatever he had caught for breakfast.

He pauses to clean his beak and soon takes off to do more hunting.
 

Don and I go back to getting some scenic photos.

This is Hellroaring Creek - there's a sign that says it is "the utmost source of the Missouri River - 3768 miles to the Atlantic Ocean."  Pretty Cool!!

We always stop here and wonder what the story is for this little house.

  
Shooting Star flowers

More abandoned buildings
 

And a Mule Deer who we had to wait and wait and wait on before she would lift her head from eating!
 

Once you get closer to Red Rock Lakes the road is lined with birdhouses so now we spend ALOT of time trying to get shots of the birds landing at them.  Sometimes we get lucky and sometimes we had to wait a l-o-n-g time before the bird would come back to us.  Always fun!

Some of the Tree Swallows are checking out the houses

But we're really on the lookout for the beautiful Mountain Bluebirds!

Here the male is waiting for the female who has gone in to check out this house.
 

Yeah - there were ALOT of mosquitios!!
 

And sometimes the female would wait while the male was inside.
 

We find some Pronghorn near the road but out of all we spot today we're too early to see any babies. 

I love the little critters too so Don has to stop whenever I see the little Uintah Ground Squirrels.

There were 2 that popped up from a hole in the middle of the road but they never came out any further than just their noses!!

We get off the main road to check a pond.  Lots of birds here.

A Greater Scaup

A Mallard and a Cinnamon Teal pair.
 

An immature Double Crested Cormorant.

Couple more abandoned buildings

And then I made the Spot of the Day!!  I found the Fox!!  It never hurts to ask Don if he could stop and back up if I see something I'm not sure of - sometimes it's an Otter Log, a Grizzly Rock or a Bison Rock Carcass - but he's usually a good guy about stopping so I can double check what I've seen.  Good thing we did today!!

She's by herself when we first spot her and doesn't move but just stares at us.

I wasn't sure why she wasn't hiding from us and was just mentioning to Don that I wondered if she had babies when they appear!!

We counted 4 but couldn't get a shot of all of them at the same time with her.

She had acted real spooky and she's finally had enuf and disappears over the hill.

The kits stay out for a bit but finally disappear too.

WOW.  You absolutely never know what you're going to see!!!

On we go - stopping at a bridge I Love.  It's been under construction the last 2 years - I'll have to get a shot of it from the interstate again one of these days.

And here WE are - first up my Wonderful husband Don.

and me

We eat lunch at Stoddard Creek Campground and then we head south on the interstate - stopping at Camas Wildlife Area.

A Northern Shoveler male

Cinnamon Teal male
 

The nesting American Coot
 

There were a Bunch of Eared Grebes!
 

I spied this Short Eared Owl hidden in the brown dry reeds
 

A Northern Harrier 
 

 

And a Meadowlark sings from a sign.  Maybe he's sung from here before??

 

It's getting late so we make a quick run thru Market Lake 

There's a Western Grebe

 We stop to watch the Sandhill Cranes but can't spot a baby anywhere

The Trumpeter Swan family is still right by the road and make for some great photos