Snow Goose

 

 The dark morphed Snow Goose is also known as the "Blue Goose". 

 They are very common and found grazing on marshy vegetation or agricultural fields.
 

They are often found in very large flocks.  There two colors of them.   Most are all white  with dark primaries.  Then the dark ones are rare.  They have white heads, pink bill and legs and black body

They are medium size, with a pink bill, plus a grin patch along the cutting edge of the bill.   Often their faces is stained rust from oxides in water.

 They are abundant here.  A few in Europe and rare in Japan.   They migrate south in late Aug.

Northbound begins in Feb.

 

 

 This is a long over posting.  Enjoy  Kitfoxgal

 

Cibola National Wildlife Adventure

 

My first good blog since I got my computer worked on, hoping it is ok.  I'll have Mr. Southern check it out before I post it.

We are at Cibola NWR.

I must get this off my mind first.  This is a comet that came up this morning.  DesertDale was up bright and early to try and find it.  He had no luck, it is not very bright. 

We are at Cibola, where we go birding every morning to see the thousand of birds that winter here.

Cibola NWR was established in 1964.  It is located on the California and Arizona

 borders.  It provide a habitat for migratory birds, wintering waterfowl and resident species.

The first photo of many, many birds  of Sandhill Cranes, Canada and Snow Geese  plus many type of water fowls.

 

The next  photo is one of the Yellow-headed  Blacks that gather here.  Yellow Heads are the males. Females are smaller and sooty brown.

This photo is of a swam of the black birds coming in for a landing.

 This is a burrowing owl.   We were very lucky for DesertDale to get this photo, as they are not seen often out of their nest along the right of way.

 The coyote are even harder see.  They are found in open range.  They run up to 40 miles a hour.

You can see a few of the Sandhill Cranes.  In summer they are in marshes, winter in fallow fields and salt flats.
Plus we saw 50 or more deer a long the base of the trees.

These are just 2 of the Canada geese we seen flying over head.  Many of the honkers where resting in the ponds,  that are all around.

Hope you enjoy the posting.   Plus enjoy life, as we are.  Kitfoxgal

Kingston, Nevada Trip

We had traveled to the Kingston, Nevada.
The Toiyabe Crest Trail offers travelers over 70 miles of trails.  Trout fishing in Kingston Creek or nearby Grove Lakes. A stock  loading ramp available for horses or other pack animals. Hunting for antelope and deer in season. Fishing, hunting, horseback riding, hiking, and picnicking.
Enjoy the your visit.

View of the Kingston area.

This was the old Gas pump at the town gas station.

This just some of the buildings a bandit at Kingston.
There is some trout fishing at the creek.










Trout fishing in Kingston Creek or nearby Grove Lakes. Stock loading ramp available for horses or other pack animals. Hunting for antelope and deer in season. Fishing, hunting, horseback riding, hiking, and picnicking.



Just found this one, I guess I did not post.  So here it is just the way I found it.  Kitfoxgal

Cibola National Wildlife Refuge

This is a Kestrel that DesertDale took.
Male and female both have black sideburns.

Not much info with this posting.  Have had major trouble with my computer.  Got it fixed but things are different on it.  So a whole new learning process .  It has been many months since my last posing. Hope it will not take so long between the next two.  Kitfoxgal.

Black-necked Stilt

 Black-necked Stilts wade in the shallows, picking delicately at the tiny creatures on the water surface.
They are noisy.   Even more so when something goes near their nesting area.  

 Small groups nest on open flats near water.  They lay their eggs on bare open ground.  Their eggs are a blue-gray color.
Their numbers have been increasing in recent years.  Photos was taken at Illipah, just yesterday.

This Black-necked Stilt, DesertDale took this at Ruby Lake.

White-breasted Nuthatch

 This White-breasted Nuthatch was taken at the Visitor's Center near Frenchglen.
They are common in a mature woods.  They are a loners.
The Nuthatch's feed on insects and seeds.

This White-breasted Nuthatch was taken at Patton House in Arizona.   They are seen on trunks or major limbs.  They often are climbing  head down.

DesertDale took both photo.   Sorry about the delay in posting, as he takes enough photos to be posting at least once a week.
 Kitfoxgal

Evening Grosbeck

 The Evening Grosbeak are common but irregular in a mixed forests.  They are almost always seen flying over head and perched in tree tops.  They are often seen at bird feeder.  They feed mainly on insects and seeds of trees.

They have a massive head and  bill.  They do have large and short feather tail. .  The female has a pale bill, dark lores, white wing patch and  a greenish nape.

Enjoy the posting.  Kitfoxgal

Bobolink

The Bobolink does travel some 12,500 miles to and from South America every year.
They are fairly common in the summer time.
  Boboink means rice eating,  as they eat rice and grams.  They molt twice a year.  The male grows feathers on wintering grounds they all have yellowish tips.  Eventually the pale tips wear off to reveal his black and white breeding colors.
They are daylight foragers.  On bright nights you may find some feeding    at night. during migration.

Hope you enjoy this posting as much as we did at Page Springs.  Kitfoxgal

Townsend's Warbler

 The Townsend's Warbler are common in mature forests.  They nest and foraging high in trees.  You can find them in the Pacific Northwest in the summer.
Most Townsend's Warbler go to Mexico or Central America for the winter.

A small number will remain along the coast north to Oregon, Washington and some will go  to Vancouver Island.
 A very pretty bird.  Kitfoxgal

Bewick's Wren

 The Bewick's Wren is a very common in brushy habitats .  That also includes  mesquite tickets to near forests.    The Southwest Wren's are paler and grayer than Pacific Wren's are.
Their call varied from dry harsh notes to a soft dry sound.

 DesertDale  caught  this Bewick's Wren, building its nest along the rail, next to the walk way at the park.

Kitfoxgal

Canyon Towhee

This is a Canyon Towhee.  DesertDale took it when we went to the Bed & Breakfast, close to Sierra
 Vista.

 They scurrying on the ground from bush  to bush.  They peck for the  seeds and insects on the ground. The males perch on short shrubs or cacti to sing in the  breeding season.
You will find them in the desert grasslands, rocky terrain, and dry , scrubby areas.  They stay away from neighborhoods.  They favor the remote areas.

This is a female the Vermilion Flycatcher .  That was close by.

Kitfoxgal

Roadrunner

 The Roadrunner  is a cuckoo that runs on the ground.
Their track show 2 toes forward and 2 aft.

 They are a large, slender bird, with a long white-edged tail.  They have a shaggy crest and long legs.

They are found in U.S. to central Mexico.  They are found in the desert, dry open country.  Sexes are alike.  They eat caterpillars, other insects, seeds and fruits.

Enjoy the post .  Kitfoxgal

Verdin

 The Verdin thrives in the desert.  Also in arid brushland .  They feed on insects , perches on flowers to get the nectar.  They also visits hummingbird feeders.  They are found in pairs or are alone..

They nest in a bulky, twiggy globe with entrance on the side.   They are very small, mostly gray.  Adults do have yellow heads.
Juveniles are a plain gray and a pale bill base.

Enjoy.  Kitfoxgal

Sandhill Cranes

 Sandhill Cranes largest flocks are found at the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge.  and the Colorado River Indian Reservation.  They nest in northeastern Nevada, southwestern Utah and southwest Idaho, northwestern Utah and southwestern Oregon.

 In  1992 the population was estimate based on counts in staging areas was about 20,000.  Winter range in New Mexico, around Bosque del Apache NWR, the Sulphur Springs Valley and nothern
Mexico .

they begin nesting in about 4 years of age, usually lay 2 eggs.  In winter they mostly feed on grain left in fields after harvest.
They arrive in Arizona in October and will remain there until about February.
The best place observe sandhills are in harvested corn fields near the Willcox Playa and the north       boundary of the Cibola NWR.

These are a few photos DesertDale took on one of our outings
Enjoy the info.