Great Crested Flycatcher
Pee Dee NWR – June 2014
Bird of the Day: Great Crested Flycatcher
Bird of the Day: Wood Ducks
The, if not one of the, most beautiful ducks! This photo is of captive ducks residing at the Sylvan Heights Bird Park. My go-to place to see them in the wild are at the Pee Dee NWR in Anson County, NC.
Wood Duck (captive)
Sylvan Heights Bird Park
Nov. 2014
Bird of the Day: Yellow-Headed Blackbird
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Elk Creek Rd., SD
Flashback to Devils Tower
I’m not an evening person, I’m at my most productive in the morning (without coffee!). With that said, I was really productive this afternoon managing to knock more than 10 things off my running to-do list.
Today I’m flashing back to Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. It was just a two-hour drive from my base in Custer State Park. Instead of the short, 1 mile trial circling the base I opted for the longer 3.4-mile Red Beds trail. Not overly challenging and with intermittent shade, it made for a nice mid-morning romp with great views of the country, and of course the main attraction: Devils Tower.
I included my favorite picture of the tower in a previous post, so I decided to share a different perspective this time. The trail gets its name from the exposed soil areas it passes through. This particular photo captures an eroded section that kind of reminds me of the Easter Island statues. The little tree to the center right is only about 2 feet tall.
Red Beds Trail
Devils Tower NM
Wyoming
Custer State Park 6/20
Sorry for the time between posts, but the beginning of each school year is a little hectic and time consuming.
Now settled in, I hope to get back to processing photos from my trip.
Custer State Park
Wildlife Drive
June 20, 2015
Sylvan Lake Trail
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
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
Chipmunk, species unidentified
Custer State Park
Sylvan Lake Shore Trail
Bird of the Day: Barn Swallow
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
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
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
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.