Monthly Archives: August 2015

Sylvan Lake Trail

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Custer State Park’s Sylvan Lake is surrounded by an easy, 1 mile loop trail, officially known as the Sylvan Lake Shore Trail. The trail requires an uphill elevation gain, but it is very short and offers views over the lake. Some scrambling and exposed rock surface areas near the top would make this trail hazardous during wet weather. There are lots of areas for picnicking and stopping along the trail. In most areas it is a wide trail allowing for ease of passing or room for large groups.

Sylvan Lake Custer State Park, SD

Sylvan Lake
Custer State Park, SD

A notable mention for this trail is the abundance in mammal life we came across: red squirrels, chipmunks and marmots. This particular red squirrel did not appreciate me encroaching on his space and decided to “bark” at me. Hilariously his mighty stance was nothing compared to the squeak of his roar.

Red Squirrel Custer State Park Sylvan Lake Shore Trail

Red Squirrel
Custer State Park
Sylvan Lake Shore Trail

Chipmunk, species unidentified Custer State Park Sylvan Lake Shore Trail

Chipmunk, species unidentified
Custer State Park
Sylvan Lake Shore Trail

Bird of the Day: Barn Swallow

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Barn Swallow Cheyenne Bottoms WA, KS July 2015

Barn Swallow
Cheyenne Bottoms WA, KS
July 2015

Swallows…

An enigma for me as a photographer. Wicked fast in flight, frustratingly so! Occasionally though, they do sit still and pose. 🙂

Throughout my trip I saw swallows and possibly swifts in many locations. Identifying them in flight is not always easy and I’m sad to say that on more than half of the occasions that I spotted them, I didn’t try. Some species are easier than others, of course, and I spent some time familiarizing myself with key identification markers that make it easier. As my trip progressed it became easier to spot the species that I frequently saw… Cliff Sparrows and their white foreheads and Bank Swallows and their breast band. Violet-green Swallows quickly became my favorite for their brilliant coloring. But I can’t deny that a familiar face is always nice, and the Barn Swallow was a staple among many of the species that I encountered on my trip.

Bird of the Day: Belted Kingfisher

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Belted Kingfisher MacKay Island NWR Dec. 2014

Belted Kingfisher
MacKay Island NWR
Dec. 2014

This female Belted Kingfisher (notice the lower rufous breast-band) found me at MacKay Island NWR back in December. While observing a large raft of American Coots I saw out of the corner of my eye a smaller flying bird. She landed in a small tree just a few feet from the car.

I love the composition and the glint of light in the eye. Unfortunately the lighting was lacking, and the photo suffers from excess noise due to a high ISO (1600).

Flashback: Road Trip 06/18

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Rolling_Sandhills_NE

I know that I have posted this photo before, but it is one of my favorites from such a memorable afternoon. It epitomizes the road conditions of at least 30% of my trip: dirt/sandy roads winding along the landscape.

West-central Nebraska, north of Oshkosh on Rd. 75 heading towards Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge. I could not have asked for better weather to accompany the scenery. Beautiful white fluffy clouds and bright blue skies as far as the eye can see. A very different contrast from the massive thunderstorm I drove through not one hour before.

I would not recommend this route in a non-4wd during or following rain.  Patches of gravel along the sandy areas are all that provide traction. Some places of gravel can be few and far between.

Bird of the Day: Franklin’s Gull

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Franklin Gull Bear River MBR, UT Jul. 2015

Franklin Gull
Bear River MBR, UT
Jul. 2015

The first time I encountered a Franklin’s Gull, my first thought was: Laughing Gull. Coming from the east coast, these two species are strikingly similar. Both species are a grey and white gull, with black heads, white eye-rings and red beaks. Juveniles have dark beaks.

Despite their lack of range overlap (some noted exceptions: FRGU migrants on the coasts and LAGU at the Salton Sea of California), some of the differences outlined by my several guides include:

  • White bar and tips on the wing. The Laughing gull simply has black tips.
  • Pale gray central tail feathers, which are not shown in the picture above.
  • My guidebooks also make the distinction that the Franklin’s gull’s white eye ring is more pronounced and more complete around the eye. If you would like to compare it against my photos of the Laughing Gulls, click here.

Bird of the Day: Northern Flicker

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Northern Flicker Custer State Park, SD Jun. 2015

Northern Flicker
Custer State Park, SD
Jun. 2015

During my summer road trip I had the opportunity in the field to view both yellow-shafted and red-shafted Northern Flickers. Yellow-shafted flickers predominately live on the east coast, so my first sighting of a Flicker that looked “unique” was a highlight.

The particular bird above has the red nape and yellowish tinge of underlining on the wing. The lack of a cheek stripe indicates the bird is female.

Even after recognizing the different colored cheek stripe and lack of a red nape, it wasn’t until Yellowstone NP that I witnessed the brilliant red lining of the tail and wings that give the two varieties their names.

Northern Flicker Yellowstone NP July 2015

Northern Flicker
Yellowstone NP
July 2015

More photos of Flickers & Woodpeckers

Bird of the Day: Cattle Egret

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Cattle Egret Cheyenne Bottoms WA, KS

Cattle Egret
Cheyenne Bottoms WA, KS
July 2015

During my summer road trip I passed through Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area near Great Bend, KS. Designed for waterfowl, the habitat here was mostly large pools of freshwater and marsh. While there, I came across a large flock of Cattle Egrets. Most of them still in breeding plumage.

More photos of Cattle Egrets

Mermet Lake

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While passing through Illinois, I stopped at Mermet Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area. The cypress swamp is encircled by a two-way dirt road which I drove counter-clockwise. As a birding location I was disappointed to find very few species here, but the time of day and time of year were not favorable. The road was in good enough condition and wide enough to stop for wildlife and still allow other traffic to pass (a characteristic a lot of National Wildlife Refuges lack!).  Located throughout the drive were small picnic/rest areas with bathroom facilities and several pull-outs to stop and look for wildlife. The site also contains two marked interpretive trails, but I did not try either due to the heat.

My favorite photo was of a Great Blue Heron, below. Another great find was the Mississippi Kite, which I did not identify until I downloaded the photos later.

Click Here for more information about this location.

Click Here for more information about this hotspot from eBird.

Great Blue Heron Mermet Lake SFWA June 2015

Mermet Lake SFWA

Mermet Lake SFWA