BlueRavenBirders

9/2/2017 My original plan for Saturday morning was to go to the Sheepdog herding competition at the Eastern Idaho State Fair. But when I got up later than I expected and was reluctant to face the crowds I changed my plans and birded around Gray’s Lake National Wildlife Refuge.  Some of my favorite photos on the 2017 calendar came from this refuge.  So I set out with my paper Idaho Atlas because the back roads rarely have cell service and my nav system doesn’t give me a complete picture.

I used both cameras, the Nikon superzoom and the sony a6500.

Fishy (zoomed in on this little 6″ fish)

Alexander reservoir

Summer heat

Red tailed hawk

American kestrel

Swainson’s hawk

Barn swallows

Brewer’s blackbird

Sandhill cranes

Bald eagle 1

Bald eagle 2 (I just wish I hadn’t needed to shoot through the passenger window, I might have been able to keep all of his wings in the frame *sigh*)

Bald eagle 3 (talons)

I see you

Red field

Sandhill crane flight

1. Red tailed hawks
   Magpies
   Ravens
   Brewer’s blackbirds
   Barn swallows
   Starlings
   Kestrels
   Swainson’s hawks
   Mountain bluebirds
   Vesper sparrows
   Sandhill cranes
   Western meadowlark
   Mourning doves
   Bald eagle
   A.W. pelicans
   Turkey vultures
   California gulls
   White faced ibises
   Cinnamon teals
   Gadwalls
   Double crested cormorants
   Coots
   Mallards
   Canada geese
   Horned larks
   Rock doves

Not a huge number of bird species, but a lovely drive and lots of birds to look at even if many won’t pose for me.

— Jenny