thebirderspost

Sasha: November 9, 2000 – June 3, 2014

by Bill Lang

I never expected to be writing about the loss of another companion so soon after the loss of our other cat, Tyrian, but it has happened. We euthanized Sasha on June 3rd. After several days of nagging doubts and several more days of active concern, we discovered that Sasha’s kidneys had failed. Clearly suffering, he would yell at us gently as if to say, “Please do something.” We did the only thing we could do. Death was rapidly approaching regardless. All we could do is take some of the pain away sooner.

One of the joys of having a pet is that you can give them that rare gift that any feeling being can hope to get: a life of some comfort and safety. Imagine, the life of a feral cat by contrast. I start here because one of the most striking things about Sasha was that he just seemed to assume that he should be treated well. This is not to say that he did things we did not want him to do or acted spoiled in any way. He was well behaved. If he needed to be corrected, however, he would do the right thing but then holler about being required to do it. He always let you know that compliance came with a protest. In a similar attitude, he did not seem to ask for things so much as just did them. So unlike Tyrian, who would be very careful to make sure he was welcome in your lap, Sasha would just turn up there—and kick Tyrian out of the way if he needed to.

The closest thing to begging was when he raised up and put front paws on you, This meant that he wanted to be picked up, held and petted—until he wanted down. It was not really begging. It was a demand. Only fair I guess. If you treat them like they should get comfort and safety, some like Sasha will act like they deserve it.

Every bit as affectionate as Tyrian and every bit as important to us, he nevertheless lived in a different way than Tyrian. Strange that Sasha was dominant but he took his lead from Tyrian on such important matters as strangers, strangeness and anything that might be dangerous. Although they never seemed to really get along, Sasha paid a lot of attention to Tyrian. Tyrain was his guide on many maters. Sasha was smart enough to know that Tyrian was smarter about many things—and that kind of wisdom is a pretty smart thing to be able to do.

For quite a while after Tyrian was gone, Sasha would announce that he was looking for him with soft calls in the night. I don’t know if the loss hastened Sasha’s death but I would not doubt it, even though, after a while, he seemed to have move on.

It was with the passing of Tyrian that Sasha came to take a new stance in the world. He became even more affectionate and more appreciative somehow. Maybe all that bravado was partly an outgrowth of a feeling that he played second fiddle to another in some ways. With Tyrian’s death, he got double the attention and maybe a sense of security that he did not have before. Or maybe he just came to have more peace in the world as part of his struggle with the loss of his companion.

For us, the loss of Sasha is more than just one big loss right on top of another. We lost a new beginning with him. I am glad we had it but it ended way too soon. I assume one day, we will recall the similarities more than the differences. Both cats were marvelously dispositioned. Both were sensitive, affectionate, loyal and well behaved. Very illustrative is that both died in a way that made the respective veterinarians feel as good as they could about what they had to do. That was with strangers. Russian Blues do not like strangers. Imagine what they were like with us. They gave us so much. All we did is pass along a little comfort and safety. We will try to do it again. Even now, the sense of reward is greater than the sense of pain and loss.

Sasha as a kitten.

Sasha with his buddy, Tyrian (Sasha on left)

Our little sweetheart

Wed. May 28:  After a rain delay Monday, we got out today although showers persisted here and there.  Heading past Mud Ck. out to The Narrows, an immature Bald Eagle flew over, eliminating our need to find their nest across the water.  This is good, since it is too wet to get to the bench and the docks are still sitting on the grass.  The lake has finally completely melted of ice, so more activity around.  The clouds are hanging heavy over the water, like fog, with temps around 8C.  Nonetheless a few new birds for the list and a few photo ops.   Here’s a little cutie-patootie – Black-capped Chickadee.

A mother bear and her 3 cubs were feeding alongside the road – these are yearlings.  We haven’t seen any tiny newborns from this year yet.  3 cubs still going strong is pretty good though!  Couldn’t get all 3 in the photo, as one was misbehaving – staying behind while Mom and the 2 others left the scene (these are babies)!

On one of the lakes we found a female Yellow-headed Blackbird busy in the grass.

The trees are just starting to leaf-out.  This has usually happened by the time we arrive – so very late this year – like everything!  Colors and textures are beautiful.

At the boat dock we found Bonaparte’s Gulls strutting around – another great-looking gull with great red legs, checking out his reflection.

Common terms were making a lot of noise, so Bill shot one of them  (didn’t shut them up).

A Lincoln’s Sparrow sang in a bush – a plain little bird with a lovely song.

Despite the rather inclement weather, it was a fun morning!

Wed. May 28:  A trip into town for groceries today and on the way, a reconnoiter of some of our old haunts.  Still managed to nab a few new birds for the list.  At Sandy Lake we scanned for Western Grebes, but instead found a row of about 10 Black Scoters (too far away for a photo)!  Just shows it’s worth scanning any time you go by.  At the entrance kiosk at the south end of the park we heard and saw more than 1 Nashville Warbler.  They are darn hard to photograph – but Bill will keep trying!  We drove out the east road to one of our favourite walks, hoping the road wasn’t blocked.  Despite a small slough overflowing its banks across the road, it was drivable.  Chestnut-sided Warblers sang, and another Bluejay sat nicely for his photo (can’t resist these beauties).

We found our Eastern Phoebes here also and Bill managed to capture part of a Purple Finch peeking out from behind a tree!

The promise of more good stuff to come when the weather is better!

Sat. May 31:  Yesterday was a trip to PA to get out little cat checked out.  He wasn’t “keeping regular” so thought we’d better do it before  the weekend.  The vet gave us some new food, a laxative and a few things to look for.  Hopefully all is well. Last night Moe and Marg arrived, but they were tired, we were tired and no festivities ensued!  However, this morning we got out early-ish with Moe to Mud Creek and today were able to walk around the complete trail.  (Maggie stayed in bed).  Just the parking lot produced a few new birds – first a Gray Catbird, then Mourning Warbler and finally 2 pairs of Evening Grosbeaks.  Here’s a male.

Three of us made it across the bog on the boardwalk, which had been slightly repaired, but held together okay.  Marsh Marigolds will be profuse shortly, but few were in full bloom.

The trees haven’t progressed too much since a couple of days ago, but the bright lime green of new leaves is wonderful.

When we first got to the creek we saw 4 river otters frolicking in the water.  They didn’t stay for a photo, nor did a beaver, but we heard the “slap” of a tail a few times.   pair of Common Mergansers sunned on a small islet.

We’re pretty sure this is the same imm. Bald Eagle we saw the other day at the narrows – markings look right – pretty scraggly as it moults – “the eagle is landing”.

One of our favourites is the Chestnut-sided Warbler, which we call with our phone each year and it responds.  We try not to do it too much, since it is defending its territory and we don’t want to wear it out!  It stays closer to the ground, so is not as hard to photograph as, say, Bay-breasted.

We also heard and saw the Bay-breasted as well as Canada Warbler.  Will try for photos again of those 2.  Moe spied an Olive-sided Flycatcher high in a tree – just a record shot.

Moe’s hearing isn’t so good any more, and since Bill got his hearing aids, he has passed his little “bird song” device to Moe, who is using and enjoying it.

Back at the parking lot we found a Spotted Sandpiper just close enough for a photo.  We’ve seen them in many places.

In the evening M and M came for dinner to our trailer.  The only other guests we’ve had is Don last year!  It’s about time eh?  A delightful evening and our guests brought gifts!  Moe a red and white of his own wine – and Marg 2 bottles of her homemade chokecherry syrup – yummmmmm!  (Don’t tell anyone eh, all the family will be jealous!)

Sun. June 1:  Another beautiful day – mostly sunny and high about 20C.  Headed straight to our much-loved area near Hunter Lake at the south end of the park.  The birds were singing everywhere!  Many Amer. Redstarts – both male and female flitted among the trees.  Also caught this Rose-breasted Grosbeak, which I can’t resist.

Three types of vireos were singing:  Red-eyed, Philadelphia and Blue-headed.  Here is a Red-eyed and we needed the book to confirm! These ones are tough!

Half way along we finally got a half-decent shot of a Canada Warbler – we love this guy with the necklace.

Virtually the whole way we heard Yellow Warblers singing.  They are so beautiful with their red-streaked breasts, that I couldn’t resist throwing another in – and such a cute pose!

Walking with our rubber boots allowed us to go as far as we’ve ever gone down this trail.  This little House Wren was singing from a high perch in a swamp.

At the end of the trail we added a Baltimore Oriole to our list, but try as we might, we couldn’t spot him high in the trees which have leafed out and provide excellent hiding spots.

PS – added bonus this little violet I took with my phone.  It is the 1st I saw and Bill wasn’t around to use his camera.  It wouldn’t download from my phone until a trip into PA!  Not bad for a phone.

Thursday, May 21:  It was a foggy morning with promises of temps in the mid-20’s!  On our way to Mud Creek we, as usual, found some wildlife along the road:  a Ruffed Grouse cooperated nicely for his photo but he probably thinks he is camouflaged against the road!

A single Bluejay appeared amidst 3 Gray Jays.  Jays are my target bird to see all species in NA.  Missing Florida Scrub Jay (maybe next winter) and Island Scrub Jay (when we get to CA).  The rest I’ve seen!  They are a big, bold species!

There was lots more open water today, thanks to some warm weather yesterday.  The fog created a haunting photo of the loons.

Spring/love is definitely in the air with pairs of birds everywhere.  Here is a beautiful pair of Common Mergansers (male is the whiter).

This pair of Canada Geese was protesting the arrival of another pair.

We were able to get to the path, though had to go in the back way and return the same due to snow.  Lots of trees had fallen across the path, so it was “duck, leap and sweep” – and when we finally got to the creek it was pretty quiet.  No catkins, which seems to attract the most birds this time of year.  We did hear a Ruffed Grouse drumming and a Winter Wren singing.

Stopped at Waskesiu River to see if there were catkins there, but not many.  Did see a Spotted Sandpiper and watched the Barn Swallows building nests.  Found a pair on a couple of posts (1 out of focus that’s why I didn’t get the pair this time) – this one has a blade of grass in its mouth which looks like a moustache.

At Spruce River a Wilson’s Snipe was displaying and calling most of the time.  Barn Swallows were busy under the bridge here as well.  Finally found a Wilson’s Warbler who was too far for a photo.

Friday, May 23:  Don, Carman, Moe and Marg arrived today!  We were so excited we were up pretty early to be prepared for them.  Went for a little walk past the kiosk at the edge of our campground, to kill some time and discovered another new warbler:  Canada!  It didn’t stick around for a photo, but a beautiful male American Restart did.

Back to the trailer to await our friends.  Sure enough we finally got underway after lunch.  Here’s the gang (l-r):  Carman from Prince Albert, Marg and Moe from Birch Hills (and a cabin here at Waskesiu), (me), and Don from Broadview.  We met on a birding trip to Costa Rica and have also been on another trip to Belize.

At the Waskesiu River bridge we took the boardwalk to seek respite from the heat (yep, she’s a-hot today – 28!).  A pair of beautiful Common Goldeneyes (male whiter) cruised along the river, their golden eyes gleaming.

We’ve seen Boreal Chickadees a couple of times, but finally got a record shot.

There is evidence of lots of beaver activity here – though these are fairly old.  Amazing how a tree can still stand a long time after this much destruction.

We headed south and discovered a Red Fox along the road.  He didn’t leave or run away, so Bill got a shot of him trailing Don’s vehicle, then turned back toward us and as we slowed he got closer and closer until he was looking right up at us in the truck.  We think someone may have been feeding him?

At Spruce River we observed this beaver munching happily on whatever, and who looks like a giant compared with the little Blue-winged Teal just behind him!

An American Goldfinch glowed among the bushes..

On the way back we saw a black bear lope across the road into the bush.  But a few minutes later we came across a mother with 2 yearling cubs and they stayed when we slowed down, to shoot a couple of photos.

There are few wildflowers blooming, but I found a few early blue violets.  They are very tiny, but these were a little larger than usual (the perfect spot?) but still only about a half an inch blossom.

We visited and drank wine together later on.  It was so much fun to catch up with everyone.

Saturday, May 24:  On our last walk before Don and Carman left, Bill found another American Restart in action.

Flycatchers are one of the most difficult species to identify because they all look quite similar.  Their song is the best way to do it, but even without its call we finally added a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher to our list!

We craned our necks watching this busy Blackburnian Warbler high in the trees – whose throat glows orange like a burning ember.  Then he was on the move.

Our last “spot” as a group was this group of Amer. White Pelicans flying over in silhouette.  They have just arrived – quite late due to late thaw!

We said farewell to Don and Carman, who headed home – then had another walk later in the afternoon with Moe and Marg.  Not much at Boundary Bog, but a Gray Jay and an Amer. Kestrel prevented a shutout!

Enjoyed a glass of wine with Moe and Marg, then said farewell to them at suppertime.  They may return next weekend – we hope.

Sunday, May 25:  A fairly quiet walk this morning at one of the Red Deer trails.  This is what many of the forests look like with their beautiful green moss carpet.

The morning produced a beautiful Magnolia Warbler.  Haven’t been able to get a photo before because they are usually up too high!

On the way out 2 birds were spotted at about the same time.  Here’s a Brown Creeper.

We’ve seen lots of workings from an American Three-toed Woodpecker, but never spotted the culprit until today.

After lunch a short walk at the end of Waskesiu Drive was nearly silent (except for the ubiquitous White-throated Sparrows and Ruby-crowned Kinglets).  But at the truck we found another Boreal Chickadee.

Dinner and early to bed after watching some of the first round of the French Open tennis!

Thursday, May 15:  Went birding with Ron in the morning – added 11 new species to our list!  One of them was Trumpeter Swans – little did we know the controversy we’d created!  Ron called it in right away to the bird alert and apparently someone was out within the hour to photograph them!  Math – definitely one of my shortcomings – was wrong earlier and we only had 87 birds on the list (I though 97).  But now we have 98!  No photographs for the day, since it was raining all day.  We had dinner with Ron and Julie at one of the their favourite restaurants in S’toon (Truffles) where we enjoyed amazing food and wonderful company.  All in all, a fabulous day!

Friday May 16:  Drove to Waskesiu, stopping for groceries in Prince Albert.  We have to stock up because there isn’t much in Waskesiu.  Set up our trailer in the “A” row (next to the cabins on Pelican St) – then registered.  Takes about an hour to set up.  When we arrived at the kiosk, they told us pre-booking is now allowed (this was new to the registrar also) and our spot was spoken for for 2 of the days – so we had to move – yikes!  This is always a difficulty due to our satellite dish atop the trailer needing a clear view to the south.  So we looked around to see where we would find a clear view again.  Picked one in row “D” – first row when you arrive.  Seemed to get a lock okay, so set up again.  Afterwards, realized it wasn’t quite “on”.  So went back to check available sites and drove around to check them out.  Picked another possibility, then hooked up to the truck and tried moving back a few feet, to double check – GOT A LOCK!  So after 3 tries, we’re settled.  Oh woe! 

In bed early, but awoke at 11 PM to find out the power was out!  Holy Mackerel!  Bill got up and dressed to move the truck around in case we ran out of battery for the propane heater (and needed to hook up to the truck).  He watched around the campground in case he saw any “official” type vehicles driving around to inform us of what was going on.  Nothing.  So about 2 hours later, he called 911.  He was royally told off for doing this – but explained that he didn’t know who to call in an emergency like this.  They DID call back to say a tree was down and Sasktel was working on it.  Finally he came back to bed – but we both lay awake for a long time, worrying if the propane would stop.  Low temps were about 6C.  At about 4 AM I awoke to see our clock was back on!  Hallelujah!  But it was an exhausting and worrying night!

Next day was cleaning, laundry and sorting for our stay here.  The campground was getting pretty busy with long-weekend visitors.  With the lake still completely frozen, right up to the shore, there will be no water sports!  Still snowbanks everywhere, though we hear they are going to open the golf course!  No birding today.

Sunday, May 18:  BIRDING AT LAST!  Headed out early to our favourite hike – Mud Creek.  Well, the gate was closed, so we parked.  First bird we saw just behind the truck was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak!

It was pretty quiet – no Tennessee Warblers, which are the most common warbler in the park!  But we heard a Winter Wren (one of the best singers in N. Amer.).  The road was muddy and it was pretty wet everywhere (along with snow banks), but we did hear an Eastern Phoebe – and finally saw him.  I love the next 4 sets of shots:  first the bird, then the take-off!  Here’s the phoebe first:

Next is a bird we normally have trouble seeing, because it nests high in tall fir trees – we usually hear it.  So it was great to have it so close – Cape May Warbler.

This mixed group of warblers was feeding on “pussy willows” which were starting to go to seed.  Here’s a Yellow Warbler:

A Blackpoll Warbler was feeding in other nearby trees.

Above is a Yellow-rumped Warbler – of the beautiful Myrtle variety.  The Song Sparrows were the only other birds singing in the area and they were chasing each other around and looked pretty serious about getting “spring” activities underway. This despite the size of the snowbank shown here with a Chipping Sparrow in front.

Chipping Sparrows were not singing here but we’ve heard one outside our trailer regularly.  Here’s a shot showing more snow and some of the frozen lake.

We also found a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (gotta love that name) but no photo.  We left before noon to go back home, Bill needing to work.

Monday, May 19:  A morning trip back to Mud Creek.  We drive slowly to check any movement along the road and also stop at the small lake just before the turn-in to the creek.  We looked up a few times to observe skeins of Snow Geese flying – maybe the ones we found on our way to S’toon!  I’ve never seen so many in my life and the patterns they made was beautiful.  Here are 3 (I think Bill had about 20 of these shots).  There must have been thousands!

While at the lake I had another LIFER – actually not a bird – a WOLF!  I knew they were around and he was trotting down the road.  Bill said he saw a coyote cross the road, but when we looked it was a medium coloured wolf – so exciting!  He ran off before Bill could get a photo.

Nearby in the lake we saw a Common Loon (a long way off).  We’d heard them flying over, calling yesterday.  I imagine they were complaining about Lake Waskesiu being frozen!  But the small lake was open and we found a Blue-winged Teal closeby.

When we checked out the parking lot at the creek, the phoebes were building a nest under the peaked-cap roof of the information kiosk. I sure hope no one disturbs them once it gets busy with people.

We rushed home to do laundry then wash the trailer.  Bill dropped me off (it’s a few blocks away), but came rushing back a few minutes later realizing he’d left his iPhone in the pocket of his pants – YIKES!  Well, there’s no stopping these front-loaders, so it did the full 20 minutes.  It was completely black when I removed it after the cycle stopped (sigh).  So when the drying was done we rushed home for lunch and prepared to drive into Prince Albert to buy a new chip for my iPhone (just reserve our Rogers chip for our return to AB).  When we finishing lunch Bill exclaimed “the Apple came on!!” — well, sure enough we were able to get the tethering back to hook up to the internet (Bill especially needing this facility) – plus using the internet, email, etc.  The screen was a little iffy around the edges, but not bad.  I tried calling Mom awhile later, but it cut me off after a couple of minutes.  So we decided to go into town tomorrow if things weren’t any better by then.  The afternoon was occupied by hand-washing the trailer:  1 bucket for soapy water, 1 for rinse water.  Then after it dried, buffing with a towel.  We also cleaned the windows.  Now we have a gleaming silver-bullet!  We were so exhausted we went out for dinner to the Hawood (excellent meal)!

Wednesday, May 21: In the morning the screen had cleared up, the tethering was working great and we called the LW office and spoke for 10 minutes or so – all good!  Yay!  So no trip to PA.  Off to bird awhile.

Across the road from the campground is a path which connects to some others, and paralells the water treatment ponds.  First bird we heard was a Yellow-rumped Warbler.  Chipping Sparrows sang a little way off.  They we found a pair of Amer. Kestrels – male and female (ah yes, spring is in the air!)

A short way along Bill found a Pileated Woodpecker – the largest  woodpecker in NA.  We heard it drumming earlier, but is sat in this tree with it’s red crest glowing like an ember!  What a huge, beautiful bird!

A large puddle prevented further exploration, so we drove back to Waskesiu Drive, parked at the end and walked the old road.  When we first hit the path several sparrows were feeding along its edge.  A White-throated Sparrow glowed in the sun!

A veritable goldmine of warblers fed among the catkins in a large swampy area.  Lots of Tennessees.

Another Cape May showed up (and you can never get enough of these beauties).  I hadn’t realized it had those white spots on its wings – you never know what you’ll find when a camera shoots 3 to 8 shots per second!

We found a couple more Boreal Chickadees, but could only get a photo of this little Black-capped fellow on a stump.

There were American Redstarts, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (male and female), Yellow-rumps and some flycatcher we couldn’t find again to identify.  It was loads of fun!  At the end of the road we found this little guy quietly munching on something, minding his own business.

On to PA for groceries after that – then a good night’s sleep.

Hallelujah, at last we’ve left for our spring trip.  We were home for a month and spent the whole time recuperating from the terrible flu, unable to bird (or do much of anything).  Still not quite 100% but feeling better.

Thursday, May 8:  We took our truck to cousin Wilf for a service  in Maple Creek, our first stop in SK.  While it was in the shop he drove us out to his “ranch” in the Cypress Hills (a 1/4 section).  What a beautiful place with a full-service RV hookup!  We’ll stop for a few days there on the way home.  The crocuses were blooming on many hillsides – fuzzy pale lilac petals with bright yellow stamens  amidst the dead brown grass.  On the way back we spotted our first Mountain Bluebird sitting on its home on a fence line.  No camera nor binoculars on this drive!  Also stopped at the winery, which we’ve heard about, but never been to (maybe when we return).  Had dinner with Penny and Wilf at the Commercial  Hotel which has been restored by a group of Philipinos who have done a fantastic job – a year and a half of hard work.  Wilf’s friend took us on a tour of the rooms after dinner – they did a great job.

This time of year is so much fun – I especially love the baby animals in the fields.  The calves are so small their hind-quarters are higher than their fore-quarters (if those are the correct terms).  When they romp, it just makes me smile – so lots of smiling as one drives along the highways and byways.  I also saw a tiny foal, only a few days old, propped up on the most ungainly long legs – light brown with white socks – adorable.

Friday, May 9:  On to Swift Current.  A day of shopping and organizing, so we’re ready to go!

Saturday, May 10:  SK Landing for our VERY FIRST DAY OF BIRDING IN CANADA!  What a joy to be out and see our first birds of spring.  High was only about 10, but mostly sunny (a bit windy also).  We found some crocuses blooming here as well – and this time Bill had his camera!

Some of our favourite birds include male Mountain Bluebird.  No photo of him, but a thrill to see his bright blue, almost iridescent colour as he sat in a tree.  The tree swallows were more numerous and this pair were getting first dibs on this bluebird house staked along the fence line.

We added a Say’s Phoebe, N. Flicker and a few sparrows at the equestrian campground also.  At the trailhead we found a Brown-headed Cowbird and more Tree Swallows were vying for nest boxes out in the meadow, but a female Mtn Bluebird sat in one – with a male nearby (yay!).  On the way out we heard Savanna Sparrows singing – here’s one now .

On the other side of the bridge, we went by the golf course and the new full-service RV park.  Kyla, Karen’s daughter and family were building their fire pit (I think that’s what it was).  We didn’t stop, because birding was just too important!  Most of the trees were showing catkins, but very few leaves were out.  A Sharp-tailed Grouse stood long enough nearby for a quick shot – not dancing on a lek, but a happy event!

Numerous sparrows were feeding along the roadside (a common occurrence) and one of the most beautiful in NA is the Lark:

On the way out we found an unusual looking deer, lying in the grass – such a white face and those are some eyebrows!

When we returned, we had dinner planned with cousins Karen and Harold.  They dropped in to see our new Airstream first where we enjoyed a glass of wine and began our visit.  Then on their favourite Greek restaurant for a delightful dinner and more visiting!  So much fun to catch up.

Sunday, May 11 – Mother’s Day!   Sent some quick good wishes off to Mom before we left – too early to phone!  She’s going out with brother Brian to our cousins’ place in Cochrane (one of whom is newly engaged to be married – Robyn! – such exciting news!).

Off to Chaplin for shorebirds – something we’ve really been missing, since we didn’t find many further south.  North of Morse we found hundreds of Eared Grebes – along with hundreds of Franklin’s Gulls!  Here’s a shot of the “special” rear-end of an Eared Grebe, along with its red eye.

Not many of the shorebirds get close enough to have their photo taken, but Bill and I thought this was another interesting “rear” shot of a group of Am. Avocets.

Happily we saw a couple of Tundra Swans on Reed Lake – since it is one of my favourite spring sights, especially when flying.  The white against different colored skies is always unusual.  Some of our prized sightings were unable to be photographed, but include Red Knot, Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Piping Plover, White-winged Scoter, Black-necked Stilt and Red-necked Phalarope.  We were able to photograph a Willet and a Marbled Godwit – 2 of the larger shorebirds.

We returned home tired but elated with our wonderful day.

Monday, May 12:  Again we headed east to Morse and the Reed Lake area.  The day was cool (high 14, though they said it would only reach 10) and mostly sunny.  Windy also, but not as bad as yesterday.  We reached 80 species yesterday – that’s in 3 days!  Wow, I say!

The Black-necked Stilt was in the same slough on the west end of Morse, along with (we hope) it’s mate!  Hopefully they’ll breed here – and we got a photo.  This is especially for you Don!

A Yellow-rumped warbler foraged at the edge of Reed Lake – not an expected place.  We also found one later and captured it taking off, which I thought was pretty cute!

A Yellow Warbler accompanies these 3 Yellow-rumps!  Another exciting bird was a Western Kingbird – all alone and didn’t stop long enough for a photo.  A hawk which landed on a telephone pole caught our eye.  We think it is a dark-morph Swainson’s (Don, Moe, Ron?).

A couple of Gray Partridge appeared in a farm yard but didn’t stick around long.  Here’s a record shot, which at least provides identification.  Bill didn’t think they occurred this far east – but here it is!

This Yellow-headed Blackbird nearly glowed in the reeds in a nearby slough.  There were lots of pairs courting and chasing each other in this slough.  Again, if you haven’t heard one and have an app on your device with bird calls – check it out.  Hilarious!

Here’s Bill’s nicest photo of the day, of a very common sparrow, singing his little heart out – Vesper Sparrow.  For a LBB (little brown bird) he has lots of pattern!

At Highfield Reservoir we added another new species – Forester’s Tern.  One obliged by landing on a nearby post – then Bill took on the challenge of holding up that gigantic lens while they were flying (he’s great eh?!).

We observed this herd of Canvassbacks.  It seemed an unusual sight with so many sitting on this little spit of land – along with a few other ducks.

It’s hard to photograph moving targets, but a farmer who was tilling his land obviously turned up some “goodies” from the earth and a large flock of Franklin’s Gulls were following along, many standing on the ground.  Their normally white underbody glows pale pink in the spring – quite the showy gull in my opinion with that split eye-ring, and red bill.

The last photo is a Loggerhead Shrike, who we chased down a fence line until it stayed long enough for Bill to lift that lens over the side-view mirror and capture him!

Just another great day!

Tuesday, May 13:  A morning trip to SK Landing gave us 5 new birds for the list – Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Downy Woodpecker, Wilson’s Warbler and Brown Thrasher.  The latter sang in the top of a tree, but not in the best light.  It is a mimic and was in fine spring form, using many, many bird calls to lure a mate. Pretty impressive!  Couldn’t get a shot in the sun – record only.

At the equestrian campground we discovered this Great Horned Owl with 2 rather large owlets.  We’ve seen a few GHO’s on our rounds, but this was the chance for a photo.

We finally captured the male Mtn Bluebird in the same meadow we found him earlier (and yes, his mate was there also).  Reminds me of the Vermillion Flycatcher, which seemed to be lit from within – only this one is electric blue!  Hopefully we’ll be able to find one a little closer before we’re done here.

Nearby was a lovely little Tree Swallow near his box.  They are pretty sweet also I think.  Great flycatchers.

One of our other new birds was this Song Sparrow – singing his little heart out at the top of this tree beside the slough.

The first dandelions of the season showed up here also.

The landscape in the hills is so beautiful – can’t really be captured on this medium, but Bill has many wonderful scenery shots on his DVD’s.

Our total for these 4 days is 94!  (We added a Broad-winged Hawk across from the RV park at the end of the day!)  Off to Saskatoon tomorrow to bird one day with Ron!

We drove all the way from Moab to Brigham City (north of Salt Lake City) in 1 day (6+ hours).  We had planned to stay at a place where we would re-trace part of our planned route, but decided against it.  We were going to take 2 easy days driving, so Bill was pretty beat after this longer day.  Must be getting old!

Friday we got all our errands done (service the truck, laundry, fax important documents home, etc.) then a quick drive to a reservoir in Mantua (15 minutes away).  Found 2 more birds for the list without really trying – Common Goldeneye and California Gull!  So we have 197 now and should hit out 200 goal!

Saturday off to Bear Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary.  It is a loop drive and we saw 2 new birds right away – Red-breasted Mergansers and Ring-necked Pheasant!  Then we added 3 new grebes:  Clark’s, Western, and Eared!  This is a beautiful Clark’s, which is a bit hard to find up north – but our SK buds know where to find ’em!

Of course a couple of Northern Harriers were flying around including this lovely male.

Lots of Bald Eagles, but no photos.  We had more than one chance to look at the Red-breasted Mergansers.  One of the cutest and prettiest ducks, I think.  Such a great hairdo!

(Sorry the above photos are a bit blurry – Bill’s camera got “re-set” somehow).  Now fixed.

On the way out we had a closer view of a pair of Sandhill Cranes.  They are paired up now, not in large flocks and not calling too much (Bill only a photo of 1!).

Sunday we headed a bit further north to the Golden Spike National Historic area – where the last spike was driven in 1924.  We however, were just looking for birds!  Found a turn for the first loop route and as we entered the road – there they were – 2 Chukars!!  Yes a Lifer and a great looking bird besides!

As we drove around this sagebrush/prairie landscape, we came to the edge of the precipice overlooking the Great Salt Lake valley with surrounding mountains.

We came across this arch, named “Chinese Arch” to honour the Chinese who worked on the railroad.  Not quite as picturesque as Arches National Park, but has it’s own raw beauty.

W. Meadowlarks were singing everywhere – what a beautiful sound (if you have iBirdpro or some other bird sound app – and don’t know the sound they make – check it out!).  Makes me think of Tarie – so these are for you Tarie!  I hope you hear and see them at home soon (and that the snow is gone)!

Next we stopped for one of the many Horned Larks flying around. They’re pretty fast and a bit skittish – also sort of comical.

The next day (Monday) we headed south to Antelope State Park.  It is an island in the Great Salt Lake with a causeway attached.  I liked this white stump in the middle of all the flat land.

It is actually a beautiful spot and with a day of no wind the water was like glass.  The white mountains made a nice reflection.

First bird was a Long-billed Curlew.  We have a photo from Willcox, AZ, but that group was hard to see.  An impressive schnoz eh?!

Little did we know it would be a banner day for our birding list!  First we found not 1, not 2 but 3 Chukars (our lifer from the other day) out in the open, calling!  Honestly, the photo below looks like a cartoon with the bird having filled up its cheeks with are, as if to whistle!

Again, there were W. Meadowlarks singing all day long – what a joy.  We found a couple of Burrowing Owls.  A record shot, but great to add an owl to our repertoire.  We were also hoping for a Barn Owl at the old ranch, but no luck there.  We understand why it’s called Antelope Island!

Not only lots of antelope, but lots of Bison as well!  Here’s a herd grazing way down on the flats – but some were closer.

Luckily for brother Brian, we were finally able to get this shot of his favourite bird – thank goodness!

Most all the gulls we’ve seen on our trip are Ring-billed.  Finally we got a nice shot of a California!

Our little Horned Lark showed up brazenly on the side of the road, singing his heart out – what a cute, funny little bird!

On the way back off the island, we were also treated to a closer shot of a coyote.  He didn’t really seem to mind us there – not like at home!

Then it was time to go.

Tuesday – a perfect day!  Weather was calm and warm – high 21C. Just look at the reflection of the ducks in the pond against the mountains.  We also added 2 more to our list – Marbled Godwit and Black-necked Stilt (no photos, too far away).

We really have lots of photos from today – so sit down and get ready.  Bill saw a racoon and a long-tailed weasel, but wasn’t quick enough for a shot of either.  So here is our little muskrat.

We saw lots of Amer. White Pelicans floating (and flying) around.  Their nose bumps are getting well-developed, but still have a way to go.  Impressive stuff!

Also saw lots of Western and Clark’s Grebes.  Some were courting, although not the full-out running across the water together as they do on their breeding grounds.  Nonetheless, they make beautiful shapes together.  The top photo is a Clark’s (with white above the eye) – lower is Western.  The third is obviously a grebe getting rid of a foot cramp!

There are some dreadful invaders within these waterways – huge carp which stir up the mud and make it difficult for diving ducks to see to catch fish.  Not easy to capture in a photo because the mud is churned up – this one about 2+ ft long!

The second-smallest grebe, Pied-billed floated nearby.

Lots of Song Sparrows were singing.  They blend into their surroundings very well but their prominent breast spot is visible.

Bill has been trying to get a good photo of a Cinnamon Teal – such a beautiful duck!   Here’s a pair (m & F), then a male, glowing in the sun.

The Red-winged Blackbirds were singing everywhere.  Such a spring sound around sloughs at home.

Also saw a Yellow-headed Blackbird – just discernible amongst the grass fronds – and a lovely complementary colour palette.  If you don’t know what one sounds like and have a bird app on your phone or device, you should hear it.  Hilarious!

The Marsh Wrens were also singing everywhere.  They often sing from a hidden perch, but we found this one atop the same grass fronds.  Tail up, singing his little heart out!

One of my favourite things is any bird taking a bath – which I think I’ve said before.  I am always looking for a new bird to add to the list and this series shows a Great Blue Heron bathing – hilarious, I think!

Double-crested Cormorants don’t usually stay close when swimming, but this one did and showed us his yellow face.

On the embankments on the way out we saw several Ring-necked Pheasants, both male and female.  They didn’t stick around, but Bill got this male running away.  Since they are hunted, no surprise!

For the next 2 days it was diagnosing Tyrian – finding out he had cancer (probably multiple cancers) – deciding what to do – making the decision to have him euthanized – figuring out how to get his ashes home.  The kind vet took his remains personally to a different place to get him cremated then returned to us before we left.  They were just wonderful.  Suffice to say, what with me being sick with a terrible cold as well – the 2 worst days of our trip (lives).

Friday was the last day we had to do anything re birds, so we did a quick tour around Bear River again and added a Barn Swallow to our list.  We were surprised to see some Helmeted Guineafowl at the side of the road!  They haven’t established a wild population, so not included in our bird count, but these weren’t in a cage of any kind.  Pretty exotic.

Along the road we found another few Long-billed Curlews.  They have a call as well – so this bill can do more than probe for food!  Pretty impressive!

This is a better shot of a Pheasant than before I think.

When we arrived at the turn for the road loop the swallows were either feeding or resting on the pavement.  One little Cliff Swallow in the front – the rest Tree Swallows.

We leave tomorrow.  Pending some great sighting along the road to add to it, our final total:  206!

I will add another blog or 2 on our spring birding trip to SK in May. See you then!

XO Lois

Our dear old cat Tyrian is gone.  He had been failing and was after all, almost 16. He has travelled with us and been the most beautiful, sweetest and smartest cat we’ve ever had.  We will miss him terribly.  We still have his cousin, Sasha.  We bought both of them from a breeder in Toronto and flew them back to Calgary (Sasha, 2 years after Tyrian).  There are few breeders of Russian Blues in the country.

He was better-known than many house pets because his name was used for many years as the password to get our trainers onto the LivingWorks website.  His picture has been put up on screen in many, many trainings.  Here are a few candid shots, including one of him and his cousin, Sasha (who’s on the left).

We left Socorro NM for Cortez CO on Saturday.  Winds were forecast to be gusting to 56 kph.   Holy Mackerel!  Maybe not a whirlwind – but nearly gale force!  We did not blow off the road, but I pretty much white-knuckled it the whole way.  We passed through a couple of terrible dust storms where we could barely see ahead.  We also endured the attack of the tumbleweeds (some tumble trees as well!!).  Those things can really get stuck up under your vehicle, but we came away with just a few small fragments in the front of the truck.  Interesting topography as we neared the CO state line – some interesting rock formations sticking straight up out of the plains, foreshadowing what lay ahead.  Sometimes they appeared as dark shadows, cloaked by a cloud – then the sun would slowly reveal their crevices.  Would have taken a photo except for not wanting to step out in the roaring gale!  Had to do it once anyway to add fuel to our tank from the spare one – yikes, what an ordeal!  It was a 6 hour drive and I nearly got a headache (which I rarely get)!

The next day in Moab it was nice and mild when we arrived.  Only a 2 hour drive from Cortez, CO.  Winds were calm and it was lovely a huge relief.  Shopped and oriented ourselves – went out to dinner (Fiesta Mexicana) where we ate a few years ago when we stayed here – still good.

Even though it was partly cloudy in the morning, we drove half an hour to Arches National Park.  This is an amazing place.  Many will recognize Delicate Arch from the license place of Utah (first photo).

Here’s a photo of a license place too!

Drove along the Colorado River after lunch then up into the mountains where we viewed Castle Rock.  Some may remember the 1964 Chev commercial with a red cadillac convertible perched on the its top (or not).  It is an impressive sight.  First the close photo, then from high above in the mountains.

The highway we took ended in gravel and since there was lots of snow around, we turned back.  At 3:30, almost back to the main highway, we saw a bird blow by – Mountain Bluebird!!  Not 5 minutes later we found another blue flock.  First we thought they were Western Scrub Jays – but NO!  Pinyon Jays!  So after not really birding or thinking we’d get any new birds today, we added 2 new ones and our grand total is now 195!  Sorry we couldn’t get any photos.

Tuesday off to Needles overlook.  Along the way we pass beautiful Wilson’s arch right beside the road.

The Needles overlook is somewhat like a mini Grand Canyon and still has the Colorado River running through.  Here are some perspectives.

On the way home we saw our first Black-billed Magpie of the year!  I must say (dear brother Brian) we were pretty chuffed about it!

Wednesday we headed off to Arches again.  A sunnier morning, though not very warm (high today was supposed to be 14 – only got to 12 – most of the day around 5 C).  Ran into a flock of Juniper Titmice (Titmouses?) – but Bill didn’t have his camera.  Also saw a few Pinyon Jays – calling.  The only creature photo we got was a Hopi Chipmunk – very cute!

More amazing formations including Landscape Arch.  In 1991 roaring thunder was heard in the park – a large chunk of rock broke away from the underside of the arch, creating this noise.  No one is allowed to climb up to the arch any longer – it is very delicate and the widest span of any arch known in the US – nearly 300 feet.

It is nice to see the park staff build a fence allowing the local twisted juniper to continue growing without cutting it away!

There is lots of character in these old logs.

There are too many amazing formations to include in this blog, but here are a few more – also including some from Dead Horse Point State Park.

Off to Fillmore for 1 nite – then Brigham City, just north of Salt Lake City for (hopefully) spring birding on the Great Salt Lake!

Well, a few anyway.

We drove through Roswell – being careful to take the Bypass to avoid alien abductions – made it!  We drove through some much higher mountains on our way to Socorro.  Bill remembers coming here when he was young(er) with Ginny.  It is a ski area! A big surprise for me about New Mexico!  Every state seems to have something unexpected – I love it!

There is a large wetland area 18 miles south of Socorro – Bosque (boss-KAY) del Apache – encompassing a tributary of the Rio Grande River.  It is a wintering ground for Sandhill Cranes and Snow/Ross’s Geese (plus other waterfowl) – like Whitewater Wash in AZ.  Most of the cranes have left, but there were a few hundred Snow and Ross’s Geese left.  At the front of this photo are 3 different plumages of Snow Geese.  Ross’s Geese have a much smaller size, and an especially short bill – sorry, no obvious specimens in this photo.

The canals throughout the area are bordered by glowing red-gold willow bushes.  Bill nearly got a photo of a female N. Harrier hovering just above them, but she was too quick.

Nonetheless, we did find her (or her cousin) sitting on a bush a little later.  Such a distinctive face!

Some of the canals have muddy banks and I spied a very large turtle – different from most I’ve seen so far (usually Snapping Turtles) and found out later it was a Spiny Softshell Turtle with a shell over a foot long, from neck to tail!

There were ducks galore, but nothing we hadn’t seen before.  But we think Buffleheads show up so well with their black and white colouring.

We saw a lot of raptors while driving around – Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, N. Harrier and Kestrel.  Found a Cooper’s sitting in a tree, but every shot Bill took has twigs obliterating it’s head.  Finally we saw one flying over – here he is!

At the end of the day, just before we left, we found this Kestrel taking off from a stump into the blue, blue sky.

It was a cool and breezy day, so no big hikes (high today was 17 C – Calgary was 14!).  A short walk onto a boardwalk beside a slough garnered nothing, so good idea to keep driving and stay warm.

Monday we had to be back for a conference call Bill has scheduled for 3 PM, so just an outing this morning to the same place.  Our first bird of the day was a Double-crested Cormorant – nothing new, but it was sitting on these picturesque twigs.

Next was a sleeping Great Blue Heron.  They usually fly away when we get close, but this one (despite his “open” eye) just sat there in a stupor.  We also heard a Virginia Rail – but didn’t see it (it was a lifer early on in our trip at Patagonia).

We saw this hawk sitting in a tree and both immediately thought it was a Red-tailed Hawk – right size – but it had such unusual marking we took some photos.  Pretty sure it’s a Harlan’s variety of  Red-tail (Don? Ron? Moe?).

As we entered the boardwalk hike, we found this Say’s Phoebe glowing in the sun.  There are lots of Black Phoebes as well – but we restrained ourselves from adding any more of them, since I think they’re pretty well covered previously in this blog!

Stopped at the visitor centre to cheek out the feeder, because a Golden-crowned Sparrow has been seen there.  We didn’t find it, but saw a lovely White-throated Sparrow in full spring plumage, along with this Spotted Towhee.  The feeder is located behind a pane of glass, hence a bit of a film in front of these two.

A lovely morning, though it was just below freezing this morning – high toady scheduled to be 22 – and light winds.

Tuesday and Wednesday – full working days for Billy, so me too.

Thursday we headed 1 1/2 hours south to Elephant Butte Lake State Park as well as another state park.  I’m afraid we’re really too early to see much.  The odd Amer. White Pelican and lots of ducks, but no shorebirds.  However, we did see a dark morph Ferruginous Hawk, which we have never seen before.  They comprise only 10% of the population, hence the reason for not seeing them in 40 years!  Also added a Crissal Thrasher – so 2 more for the list.

Friday headed west of Socorro to check out a couple of canyons in the mountains.  The top of these mountains is snow covered!  Not much luck in finding anything new and the day was cloudy with scattered showers.  Twice we had to abort out hike into “The Box” where we knew there was a Canyon Wren – ACK!  Here are some caves at “The Box”.

Down Water Canyon we found a beautiful picnic area, which sometimes holds the Red-faced Warbler (late April) – once again, we’re heading north too early!

However, we did find a small flock of Steller’s Jays on the way out.  He has a white eyebrow and small white vertical lines on his forehead – looks like part of the grass, but it’s him!

This view is seen as we return to the highway – dramatic skies.

Back south to Bosque to ask about the sparrows seen there.  We saw 2 different White-throated Sparrows and finally found the Harris’ Sparrow.  He is a 1st winter specimen, but unmistakable – the largest sparrow in NA (7 1/2″).

Also had a great view of this Ring-necked Duck – he is a beauty.

We searched in vain for some longspurs, but no luck there either.  We did find a coyote who stayed put long enough to capture.

New Mexico – “Land of Enchaantment” – as their license plates say.  Two of the brightest license plates in the country!

Now, one night in Colorado then on to Utah and the Great Salt Lake.  Hoping to get 200 species, now at 193.

Well, maybe, maybe not!  We have indeed added a Montezuma Quail to our list, but it was only heard!  We will not really feel fulfilled until we get a good look at one.  We were given a hint from some birders (from Indiana I think) to go to David Mtn. State Park in TX where the quails are at a feeder.  Unfortunately, we found out  there was a fire in the park in 2011 and they haven’t seen them there since.  So we proceeded up the road to the LE Woods picnic spot and walked some of the Nature Conservancy Trail.  Nothing new there, though we saw a beautiful, male Western Bluebird against the sky.  Unfortunately his glowing blue back can’t be seen from below very well, just his rusty breast and sides.  But believe me, he’s gorgeous!

On our way back to the car after about an hour’s hike, we heard the Montezuma Quails.  They were on the hillside opposite the road.  We walked down the road and listened some more, but no appearances by these little beauties.  Perhaps they’ll remain our nemesis?  On the way back to Davis Park, we saw a herd (?) of javelina’s and this time they stayed near enough for a quick shot.  This is a mother with a little one.

Back at the park, we stopped at the bird feeding station once more and spotted a Black-crested Titmouse!  We haven’t seen one since we stayed in TX a couple of years ago.  They’re so cute and always look shocked because of the white crescent behind their eye!

Couldn’t resist a male Lesser Goldfinch in full spring plumage.  Reminds me of a Vermillion Flycateher which always looks lit up from the inside.  Same for this little yellow beauty!

We haven’t seen a Western Scrub Jay for quite awhile – just Mexican Scrub Jays.  So here’s a lovely one sitting on an agave spike.  He has a few gray patches on his cheek and back as opposed to his Mexican brother who is mostly blue.  Pretty.

On to Carlsbad, NM.

Arrived Saturday to high winds and hot temperatures – 31 C!  They have a kitchen here at the KOA Campground and offer either delivery to your RV or you may eat in their dining room.  They smoke their own  pork, ribs and brisket – make their own french fries (regular or sweet potatoes), potato salad, and great pinto beans.  Since we’d arrived around noon and had errands in town, we decided to take them up on a dinner.   It was excellent and there are enough leftovers for Bill for another meal.   The hosts of this campground are by far the most cordial  we’ve run across.  Since there is no cell phone service here, they let Bill use their phone when his new Verizon hot-spot mechanism wouldn’t work.

Sunday was rainy, cloudy and highs around 13C.  Bill had to work today, so it was laundry for me.  The wind blew so hard, we put the satellite dish down around 3 PM (I hoped it would go up to record the Oscars!).  Around 4:30 it died down to almost nothing, so we put it back up.  All good!

Bill went to bed early to read and by the time I went in (at 9:30) he was asleep. I had just checked the weather and saw it was supposed to get down to -1C overnight – but I didn’t bother to wake him to go out and plug in the electric hose.  Unfortunately, at 2:30 AM when I got up to pee, the toilet wouldn’t flush – NO WATER – FROZEN!  So I had to wake him anyway to go outside and do that.  It was -4C!

Monday we took the truck in for a service at 7:30, then did some grocery shopping but we finally got out Tuesday to do some birding for the first time.  Visited nearby Brantley Lake (on the Pecos River dam) where we discovered a small flock of Lark Buntings in the scrubby desert nearby, which look like they are starting to come into spring plumage, though still a way to go (they have a month or so though, eh?).  We found a couple of groups of Amer. White Pelicans along with the usual malladrd, coots, etc. These pelicans are getting their nose knobs – they’re ready for spring! The only shorebirds were Greater Yellowlegs and Killdeer.

More work for Bill Wednesday, so more laundry for me.  Finally Thursday we headed out – and on the way out of the RV park, spotted Scaled Quail!  Didn’t think we’d be able to get a shot, but sure enough, so now we have a personal shot – just for the record (not from the internet)!

On south toward Carlsbad Caverns stopping first at the McKittrick picnic area.  Lots of large trees and a pond.  Here we found one of our favourites, the “lit up from inside” Vermillion Flycatcher (can’t ever have too many!).

Then a flock of Amer. Robins – probably heading for Calgary!

Several Western Bluebirds were flycatching in the area, so here’s another a little closer than the last time.

Not much after that, but a couple from Ohio told us the Cave Swallows had just returned to Carlsbad Caverns – so we made a stop there.  Sure enough we found one!  It was kinda cool, since we were at the mouth of the cave and it flew round and round, higher and higher until it finally emerged.  We also found one of our favourite birds and Bill hadn’t brought his camera – so here’s a couple of shots – record only – of a Canyon Wren.  They’re blown up, taken with my iPhone – so pretty terrible.  But maybe you can see how pretty this little wren is.

Friday we headed west to the other side of the Guadalupe Mountains, to Dog Canyon.  These mountains would be categorized as “hills” by most Calgarians, I suspect.  But they have their own unique beauty, set in a desert landscape.

The campground at Dog Canyon contains the state champion Juniper tree.  Hard to get the perspective, but the diameter of the trunk was probably about 3 1/2 feet – about 5 times the size of most of the surrounding junipers.

We also added a new bird to our list – Stellar’s Jay.  Just a record shot.

We were hoping for a Williamson’s Sapsucker, but no luck there – nor with Pygmy Nuthatches.  Oh well.

On to Socorro NM tomorrow (for about 5 days or so) hoping for some migrating shorebirds.  More later!