Pocatello to Lava to Chesterfield Reservoir and back
Friday 8/30/19
Late summer colors are stunning
Good thing the scenery is great because the birds were unwilling to pose.
There were large flocks of mixed yellow headed and red winged blackbirds. The flocks would break down into clusters of each species.
At first glance I thought ‘oh just another red tailed hawk’ and was going to drive on. Then I remembered how few photos of birds I actually had on my camera and even though photos of birds on phone poles are not ‘art’, they’re still great for blogs and identification. I made the right turn onto the dirt road which brought me closer to the hawk and the phone pole. I am so very happy I made this decision. It wasn’t a Red tailed hawk, but a Ferruginous hawk! I’ve known they are fairly common in my area, but I’ve never been able to find one. Now there were three and I was able to get a decent photo. I now know a lot more about what to look for while birding in my region.
Sorry about the rain spots on this Ferruginous hawk photo.
Of course if a horse is going to pose for me, I’m going to take photos. I think this paint horse is stunning.
And of course more scenery
It was a lovely evening and the birding was great. I was particularly surprised by the Greater sage grouse that crossed the road in front of me on the way home. It’s lucky I was going slow for the birding. I was unlucky in that it dashed off the road as soon as I raised my camera.
— Jenny
Birds
- Rock doves
- Turkey vultures
- Black billed magpies
- Sandhill cranes
- American crows
- American goldfinche
- Barn swallows
- Cliff swallows
- Vesper sparrows
- Lesser goldfinch
- Prairie falcon
- American kestrels
- American robins
- Northern harrier
- Red winged blackbirds
- Yellow headed blackbirds
- Tree swallows
- Ferruginous hawks
- Eurasian collared doves
- Red tailed hawks
- Bank swallows
- American white pelicans
- Assorted gulls
- Double crested cormorants
- Various ducks
- Bullock’s oriole
- Clark’s grebe
- Green winged teal
- Cinnaomon teal
- American coot
- White faced ibis
- Eared grebes
- Western meadowlark
- Grasshopper sparrow
- Savannah sparrow
- Horned larks
- Mourning doves
- Common merganser
- Greater sage grouse
- Belted kingfisher
