Laguna Atascosa NWR-Part II

Laguna Atascosa is home to tropical birds that you won't see elsewhere in the United States.

Some of those birds are
(The first two photos were taken in March)

Green jay


Plain chachalacas


Great kiskadee

Laguna Atascosa NWR-Part I

The reason for going to South Padre Island wasn't to see the tourist trap. The reason was Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

On the most southern tip of Texas, along the shores of the Laguna Madre, dense patches of thorny brush rise among unique wind-blown clay dunes called “lomas.” In a region of Texas some call the last great habitat, thorn forest intermingles with freshwater wetlands, coastal prairies, mudflats and beaches. Here, where tropical and temperate zones overlap, the endangered ocelot silently hunts within the brushlands, white-tailed deer browse on a banquet of plants, aplomado falcons soar above the grasslands and nearly half of all the bird species found in the continental United States rest, feed, nest and migrate.

Laguna Atascosa is home to three endangered species. The Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, the Aplomado falcon, and the Ocelot

South Texas, Laguna Atascosa NWR in particular, is the last stronghold in the United States for the ocelot, a small cat that once roamed from South Texas up into Arkansas and Louisiana. This species has been reduced to approximately 50 animals in the United States. This is due primarily to loss of habitat.
The dense thorn forest that once covered much of the Rio Grande delta is hunting ground for the small, nocturnal cat. With the clearing of the brushlands, ocelots are forced to cross open fields and risk the dangers of vehicular traffic and predators, such as dogs. Increasingly isolated on these ‘islands of brush’, the ocelot’s genetic viability is of growing concern to biologists.

Throughout the refuge there are these signs

I believe that I saw an Ocelot. The last day I visited the refuge I was leaving the refuge at dusk (the story of that late departure will be the subject of another post) and a catlike critter crossed the road in front of the car. He paused briefly on the other side of the road and looked back at me. I grabbed for the camera, but by the time I had it in my hands, he had disappeared into the undergrowth. Would have loved to have proof, no matter how crummy, of what I saw.

One of the very common birds on the refuge is the Northern mockingbird. The mockingbird was named as the state bird of Texas in 1927.



More posts on the refuge to come.

South Padre Island-Part III

Drum roll....

My favorite photo from South Padre Island



The rest of the South Padre Island photos are here.

South Padre Island-Part II

While the beautiful beaches and weather draw many to South Padre Island, many come because it is a place that caters to tourists. Much of it colorful, or gawdy. How better to draw the attention of the tourist, than to paint the building for your business bright colors?



Some of them offer t-shirts for $1.99 and sweatshirts for $3.99. Wonder how well they survive their first trip through the washer? Does the irony of the name of this tourist trap appeal to anyone else?



The name of this establishment amused me



The paint has faded on this building, but I like the water tower that shows through under the thatched roof on the left. I believe that the water tower is for the Border Patrol Detention Center. That center was previously known by many as the Border Patrol Academy.



I'm going to do one more post with my favorite photo from South Padre Island.

South Padre Island-Part I

Decided to fire up the blog again...

I arrived on time and on schedule on South Padre Island. After three days of traveling, and a couple of days going out to the refuge, I needed a lazy day. So, one day I hunkered down, with only a short foray out to take some photos of South Padre.

There are lots of areas where you can access the beach. This is one of those access points. You can see that it was a breezy day. Wind off the gulf is common.



The sand drifts across the highway in the undeveloped areas



Saw this sign, and my reaction was, yuppers, you too can have the opportunity of a lifetime to ruin the beauty.



Some of the skyline. Most, if not all of the tall buildings are condos



Will do another post featuring the touristy part of the island, probably tomorrow.

The Other Fauna At The National Bison Range

Have had a delightfully lazy day.

A couple more photos from the Bison Range

A Pronghorn antelope


A White-tailed deer


I think I have provided links to most of the galleries of photos over on the photo site, but I thought I would put them all together in one place.

State galleries
Montana
North Dakota
South Dakota
Nebraska Sandhills

National Parks and National Grassland
Badlands National Park
Buffalo Gap National Grassland
Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Wildlife Refuges
Bowdoin NWR
Fort Niobrara NWR
Lacreek NWR
Lake Ilo NWR
Medicine Lake NWR
National Bison Range Wildlife Refuge
Valentine NWR

Since folks seem to have enjoyed this blog, I will most likely do it again when Miz Winnie and I hit the road again.

Scenery of the National Bison Range

Arrived home this evening. It's good to be home. Miz Winnie seemed to be happy to have a yard again. I watched her interaction with the neighborhood dogs with interest. Alex, who always try to come through the fence, stayed in character and gave Miz W a normal welcome home. She just stood and watched him for a few moments and then walked away. The two white dogs came out and did a normal barky welcome home. She wandered over and looked at them, then continued about her business. So, it appears that we didn't lose any ground on the home front. That was a relief.

A couple three photos from the Bison Range. It was a beautiful place to spend a couple of days. There is a nineteen mile auto route through the refuge. It goes uphill and then back downhill. The folks at the visitor center say it is a two hour drive. I went through the refuge three times and it always took me far longer than two hours.



This is the Flathead River




The rest of the scenery pictures are here

I'll do one more post tomorrow about some of the rest of the critters at the Bison Range.

Wildflowers at National Bison Range

I'm back in the state of Nebraska. Scottsbluff is my home for the evening. Tomorrow night, I will be in my own house, Miz W will be in her own yard, and we will be in our own bed.

There were lots of wildflowers in bloom at the Bison Range.

I think these are some sort of Aster


Daisys and Asters


Daisys and a few Asters

More Bison At The National Bison Range

I'm in Sheridan, Wy tonight, will be in Scottsbluff tomorrow night, and home sweet home Thursday night. Got up this morning and decided it was just time to head home.

Some adult Bison photos


These two guys tussled briefly. Ended just as quickly as it began


The rest of the Bison photos are here

Internet connection is cranky, so I don't think I'll even attempt to put up the rest of the photos from the National Bison Range.

Fresh Out of the Camera-A Rainbow

I was sitting at the computer typing the post on the bison calves, and I looked out the motel window and saw a rainbow. Quickly took a couple of photos through the window. Then decided that wasn't going to cut it, so I quickly leashed up Miz W, and headed outside.

National Bison Range Wildlife Refuge

Plans are what you make until you know what you've done.

I had planned to spend only one day at the National Bison Range. Since plans had already been totally upended, after yesterday at the Bison Range, I extended my stay in Missoula for one more day. So instead of heading east today, I will now head east tomorrow. Plans will be adjusted as I go.

Last year I decided I wanted to go to Theodore Roosevelt NP so I could try my hand at photographing Bison calves. That trip didn't work out. Did make it this year, and although I saw the calves, they were well out of camera range. Well, I hit the jackpot at the Bison Range.

I love the little nubs where the horns will be and the tongue, too


This little guy had an itch he just had to scratch


Walking with dad or mom

Scenery Enroute to Missoula

Saw some beautiful country today. Headed up into the Rocky Mountains. It's been awhile since I have seen mountains, so I really savored the scenery.


Crossed the Continental Divide at an elevation of 5610 feet. Not quite a mile high. Kept humming John Denver's Rocky Mountain High. Good thing Miz Winnie doesn't mind my off pitch, out of tune singing!


Love the rivers that run along side the roads in this part of the country. This is the Blackfoot River.


Would have loved to have taken more photos along the way, but hopping out of the car on a highway where the speed limit is 70 has to be at least semi-suicidal. The rest of todays photos are here

Bowdoin NWR

Don't have a lot to show for the last couple of days. Weather and lighting haven't been particularly cooperative.

Did get a few shots of this American avocet. Notice the blue legs. Don't they contrast nicely with his other colors?


Black-necked stilts always seem so ungainly


These are the skies that kept me moving last night.


On to Missoula tomorrow, will be there for the 4th weekend. Then will head back east in the general direction of home.

There's not many more pictures, but the rest of them are here

Medicine Lake NWR

First of all, both Miz Winnie and I are okay. A brief explanation of last nites cryptic comments are in order.

I obtained Miz Winnie from a Beagle rescue group. She is about five or six years old. The rescue group told me that she wasn't real good with other dogs, that they had had to separate her from the other dogs they had in rescue. We discussed it a bit and they thought, and I thought with the proper handling, she could get over whatever had caused the problem. I have worked with her and felt she was to the point of being introduced to other dogs up close and personal. Had I not felt that way, I would have never made the plans to go to Seattle, as the friends I planned to stay with have a dog. The last night we were in Dickinson, I was going to take Miz W out for a stroll and get some ice for my cooler. The motel room had a screen door. I let Miz W out and realized I didn't have the ice bucket, so stepped back in the room to get it. I heard Miz W and other dogs barking. The owner of the motel had three dogs and they were in the courtyard and the four dogs were going at it big time. Got things settled down and Miz W and I had our walk. When I went to bed I noticed some little spots of blood on the sheets and that is when I realized that one of the dogs had managed to bite Miz W. It's a superficial wound, she had cleaned it up and it looks to be healing just fine. The upshot is that I am back to square one, or even possibly square -10 in dealing with this problem. So we will not continue on to Seattle.

Now on to photos from Medicine Lake NWR

An Eared grebe


An Eared grebe and her little one


Little one all by him/herself


Notice how far back the back legs are. Grebes are divers and are never seen on land. The legs are strategically placed to accommodate their diving. Something I didn't know before last night, Eared grebes are flightless nine months of the year, they only fly during migration.

I love the tongue on this Marbled godwit


More Eared grebe photos and the rest of the photos from Medicine Lake NWR are here

All is Well

Figured I needed to put up a post of some sort this evening. A brief recap of the past two days is in order.

Yesterday morning I left Dickinson about 8am. Went back to Ilo Lake NWR. Didn't get any really good photos there. On to the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt NP. Got some nice scenery photos there and one so so photo of a White-tailed deer. The only thing of note about that photo was it was the only time I saw deer in the park. I got to Medicine Lake NWR after 5pm. Mostly did a drive through to figure out where might be good spots to try to photograph birds. Wasn't really concentrating on photography, but got good photos of an Upland sandpiper and Willet. Got to the motel in Plentywood after 8pm. By the time I got my stuff in the room, Miz Winnie walked, and the computter hooked up and connected, it was after 9pm. It had been a long day, I was tired, and verging on cranky. A good nights sleep does wonders though!

I was back out at the refuge relatively early this morning. Based on what I had seen the evening before, I really wanted to get some photos of Eared grebes. They are not a bird one would normally see in Nebraska (other that during migration). Did okay in getting some photos of a couple Eared grebes, but I was frustrated in my attempts to get them with a young'un. Came back to the motel in the early afternoon and got caught up going through photos from the past couple days. Went back out this evening and hit the potluck with an Eared grebe and a young'un. I took over 400photos (which includes other photos taken of other birds). Taking that many photos in a short period of time means I had my finger on the trigger button almost continuously for a short bursts. It also means that because the birds are moving about and you are constantly trying to move with them, there are lots of out of focus junk photos. On my first go through of those 400+ photos, I deleted 100. Don't know how many on the second round. I now have the grebes down to 35 photos. Still have to winnow out more. I need to get some space from those photos for tonight, and get a fresh look at them tomorrow.

An entirely separate issue. There was an unfortunate incident with Miz Winnie and three other dogs in Dickinson. Continuing on to Seattle is definitely in question at this point. I have pretty much made up my mind about what to do, but want to sleep on it one more night, or perhaps given the time, one more morning. More on that later.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Spent part of the day in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Have throughly enjoyed the park. Was thinking today, if I could only go to Badlands NP or Theodore Roosevelt NP, which one would I pick. The scenery is similar, ie. badlands. Badlands NP is flatter, and the road is straighter, Theodore Roosevelt is hillier, and the road is not nearly so straight.

My final decision was Theodore Roosevelt NP. There are plenty of visitors, but not the hordes that there were in the Badlands. Makes it easier to stop in unauthorized places and take a photo or two. Getting to either park before school is out would probably revise visitor numbers down some, but there were plenty of old geezers like me, so it might not make that much difference. I do think the scenery is slightly more dramatic, and there are far more animals to photograph. The last one is probably what swung the vote to TRNP.

Saw more Bison. This guy was really shaggy and he looked different from the others in this mini-herd. I suspect he is not an adult, though he certainly wasn't a calf. Right after I got this photo, he ambled across the road right behind my car and rubbed and rubbed on one of the posts holding up the guard rail. Guess he had an itch!


Friday I saw a mini-herd of feral horses up on a hill. Today they were down by the road, and that allowed for close up photos. These two mares seemed to be enjoying a few quiet moments without their colts nearby.


The rest of the critter pictures are here.

I went through Arby's drive through to pick up their Chicken Cordon Bleu (mmmm) for dinner on the way back to the motel. Noticed this sign, and couldn't resist the urge to photograph it.


Moving north and west tomorrow to Plentywood, MT

Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge

Saturday did not go as planned.

First of all I didn't get up as early as I would have liked, because I was up too late the night before. Checked the weather report and took one look at the radar screen and said, oops, guess I will sit tight for awhile. After that little squall passed through, I headed out. The skies looked pretty good. Dark to the east and south, but good to the north and west, which was where I was headed. Lake Ilo NWR was on my way to the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt NP, and since I can never pass a wildlife refuge by, it was my first destination.

This Willet chattered at me as I photographed him


This Upland sandpiper was posing nicely and I was firing away with the camera when I heard a big pickup approaching. I was mumbling under my breath to myself about it as he passed by. After he was gone and I was looking at the photos I had just taken, I mumbled, thanks pickup guy, you just got me a nice one.


I would have liked to stay at the refuge, but I looked at the time and said, gotta move on. The sky to the north and west still looked pretty good, so off to the west I went. As I went west the skies started to darken and the wind began to pick up. By the time I got to where I had to turn north to go to the North Unit of the Park, I had decided that heading south was my best option.

This photo was taken shortly after I turned south. The skies looked blacker than this photo portrays.


Got back to the motel and took Miz Winnie for a short stroll. Hustled her along as I could hear thunder in the distance. We hadn't been in the room long when the wind picked up, the thunder, lightning and rain started in earnest. Didn't last too long, and it cleared up after that. Probably would have been okay had I gone to the North Unit of the Park, but better safe than sorry.

The Scenery of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Some scenery photos from Theodore Roosevelt National Park

One very big, very white cloud

Fauna of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Well, I made it through all the critter photos, deleted the junk, picked and chose the ones I think are the best, and got them uploaded to the photo site. So, here are the one's I like the best.

Photographed this Lark sparrow very early in my time at the park. So early, that I kind of forgot about getting his photo. I think Lark sparrows are the prettiest of the sparrows.


Aw, Mom, I love ya (Prairie dogs)


Feral horses reside in the park. After taking a bunch of photos of this herd, I realized the grungy white pickup also parked in the pullout was a guvment vehicle. So I talked to the Ranger for a couple of minutes. She verified that this was one of several mini-herds of feral horses in the park


Check out the nasty scar on the shoulder of this feral horse


Then there were the Bison. Look at the tongue this guy has!


The rest of the critter photos are here

Not even going to tackle the scenery photos this now morning.