Quivira NWR and Cheyenne Bottoms WA

I am in Kansas tonight. Spent a good part of the day at Quivira NWR, and the remainder at Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area.

Saw a really neat sign there


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Quivira photos for the day are here.

Cheyenne Bottoms photos are here.

More on the trip tomorrow.

A Gull's Misadventure

This afternoon I was sitting here fuming because I had hoped to go out to Branched Oak Lake, but instead was waiting for several return calls. It finally dawned in on me that the reason you have a cell phone is so you don't have to sit at home waiting for phone calls. The dawg gave me a woeful look when it was obvious I was getting ready to go yet again. She has been left home alone far too much, far too often in recent days, and she has been letting me know in the ways that dawgs do that she isn't pleased. So I took her along.

It was a very windy afternoon and once we were on our way I wasn't really sure how good the birding would be because of the wind, but on we went.

I had been sitting in one area for awhile. There was a small group of Canada Geese, a couple of Killdeer, and lots and lots of gulls. The gulls were mainly in the air, but there were some bobbing on the lake. I had the scope on the window mount to check out the ones on the lake. I was alternately looking through that and through the binoculars at the ones in the air hoping to find a Sabine's Gull. The reports on the Nebraska birdline have been of juveniles. I decided to move on and as I flipped a u-turn in the parking lot I saw a gull walking along. At first I thought I had my Sabine's, but alas it was not to be!


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I think it is either a Herring or Ring-billed Gull.

The gull continued to walk for quite a stretch, which I thought was a bit strange. After I got a few photos, I studied it through first the binoculars and then the scope. I determined it wasn't a Sabine's. Eventually it mixed with some other gulls that had just landed on the shoreline near the Canada Geese. All of a sudden the geese and other gulls scattered and my gull of interest was left by him/herself. About that time the dawg decided she wanted a drink of water, so my attention was diverted briefly. When I looked back, it looked,to the bare eye, like the bird was trying to fly, but having difficulty getting out of the shallow water. When I looked through the scope I realized that I was witnessing a murder! A Peregrine Falcon had the gull in its clutches and the gull was probably already a goner by the time I looked through the scope.

I am not usually a fan of the survival of the fittest thing. But I sat there absolutely mesmerized watching through the scope. Kind of gruesome, but the wind was blowing the feathers as the falcon plucked them. I found it interesting that the geese that had scattered, wandered back near the falcon with it's meal and so did the Killdeer. I guess once you are out of danger there's no need to be shy.

A Hawk

Yesterday and today were gorgeous fall days, and it was a delight to be out and about.

The instructor of the first birding class I took told us that 99% of the hawks that we would see would be Red-tailed Hawks. Somehow that gave me a mindset that there was no need to learn how to differentiate hawks. I have figured out some of the obvious ones, but other times they just baffle me.

All that said here are a couple of photos of a hawk that is most likely a Red-tailed


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A Neat Day

When I went out to pick up the paper this morning it was warm, muggy and breezy. My reaction was maybe I'll be lazy and not go out this morning. Started to read the paper, and said to self, get yourself out of the chair, you can be lazy in January when it's snowing. So off I went. Decided to go to Branched Oak Lake because I haven't spent much time there lately.

Saw a bunch of Great Egrets and got some nice photos of them. There were oodles of Ring-billed Gulls, and Franklin's Gulls. Talked to a guy who said there had been some Sabine's Gulls seen there last evening. I don't believe I saw them. The gulls that I deemed to be Franklin's all had a white ring around the eye, and according to all my books, the Sabine's doesn't that white ring. I proceded on, leaving him to his search. And boy did I hit a jackpot!

When the first of these guys darted out of the undergrowth I thought it was a Northern Bobwhite. Then I realized that guy isn't a Bobwhite.

I present a Chukar


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Another shot


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There were four of them together


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According to the range maps in all my birding books, these guys aren't normally in Nebraska. However, Sibley's says:

Chukars are released regularly in all states for hunting and other purposes, so are frequently seen outside of the mapped range.

I went back to see if the guy I had talked to had found a Sabine's and to tell him about the Chukars. Couldn't find him and there weren't many gulls around by that time.

Can you guess what I will use as motivation the next time I'm feeling lazy? Yuppers, I will remind myself of the Chukars.

Fall Colors...

a day before the official beginning of fall.


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Photo taken at Twin Lakes WMA

My Power Bird

Your Power Bird is an Eagle

You are spiritual and able to soar to great heights. You are a true inspiration, and many people look to you for guidance. And you are quite demanding in relationships... but you're worth it. People know that you will become even greater than you imagine.

What's Your Power Bird?

I Was Able to Play This Morning.....

albeit briefly.

I dawdled over my coffee and didn't get rolling as early as I should have.

Among other things the doctor ordered yesterday for my mother was some physical therapy. A year ago she could walk with the assistance of a walker. Today, she cannot get herself out of a chair without assistance, and goes, even the shortest distance in a wheel chair. Anyhooo, the Physical Therapist called a couple of minutes after eight. From the conversation, I could tell that she expected me to be there during her evaluation meeting this morning. After the phone call I put my head on the steering wheel of the car and mumbled about how the fates were against me this week.

My new lens is awesome. It's heavier than the old cheapie, but it focuses so nice, and in spite of the person behind the camera takes some really nice photos.

First up is a Dogday Cicada. Isn't he ugly?


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Then there is this Banded Garden Spider


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I just love this photo of a dewy Aster


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Stuff From Other Blogs

Still had some whine left over after last nights post, so I had some cheese and crackers with the remainder....

Most evenings I take a tour through some other birding blogs out there on the innertubz. Thought I would note some that I found interesting this evening.

Search and Serendipity has a post about damage to High Island wrought by Hurricane Humberto. He has links to pictures and additional information. Laura's Birding Blog also has information and links.

Born Again Bird Watcher has a post about an interactive on-line game called Mission: Migration. He says the following

The game is easy to learn how to play but challenging to win. In the process, the player learns a tremendous amount about just what birds endure each Spring and Autumn during their migratory journeys. Teachers from elementary school through university level could (and should) incorporate this game into their relevant lessons for all students would certainly find the experience both interesting as well as entertaining - the two key elements for the long-term retention of information. Adults should play it as well for the very same reason

I played the game, it's fun, and it is educational.

One of the things I decided when I started this blog was that I would not address politics. There are a gazillion blogs that do that, and do it far better than I could ever hope to. I debated with myself whether to add this link, and decided that since it involves legislation that affects birding, its not really wandering too far over into the political world. Wildbird on the Fly says the following:

Two bills being considered by Congress -- H.R. 2757 and S. 1641, both named the Wetlands Loan Act -- could secure a loan of $400 million to buy wetlands and grasslands for the National Wildlife Refuge System during the next 10 years.

If you consider the conservation of wetlands and grasslands important, consider contacting your senators and representatives and sharing your views.

Speak up. Help the birds.

The weather report looks good for tomorrow morning. Hopefully, I will be out playing tomorrow morning.

I Wanna Play With My New Toy!

When I took an early retirement several years ago I thought that I would have unlimited time to play and do what I wanted to whenever I wanted to.

Last week I concluded that the cheapie macro lens that I bought a number of years ago was going the way of all old cheapie stuff. So I did some research and decided that it would be best to buy a Canon macro. It was pricier than other options. I have a birthday coming up soon and I never got around to buying something for myself last year, so I checked the balance of the checking account and decided to go for it. Buying it locally wasn't an option, so I ordered it online. Sunday I received a call from UPS that I had to sign for it, so someone had to be here. So yesterday was spent waiting. After UPS delivered it, it was too late and much too windy to go out and play with my new toy. Today it was rainy and windy. Tomorrow I have to accompany my mother to medical tests. So it will be Thursday before I can play with the new toy.

Bbbbuuut I'm retired...I should be able to play at will....NOT!

In the meantime, a couple of photos of a Dingy Cutworm Moth that I took last week


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Photos taken at Pawnee Lake SRA

More Squaw Creek Photos

Two Turkey Vultures and a Great Blue Heron perched in a tree


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Then they were "attacked" by a small flock of Red-winged Blackbirds


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The Turkey Vultures flew away, and the Great Blue Heron is now standing and alert


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