A Few Birds, One Rude Coyote

Felt like seeing some birds this morning so I headed out for a big loop drive. I take Sunrise onto Kiefer Road that crosses over a little bridge at Blodget Reservoir. Until I checked a map, I thought the spot was just a mucky area. Reservoir? Really? I think of it as my own personal stash of Tundra Swans. Here below is the view from the ensie bridge.


View of Reservoir over my spotting scope
facing the swans in the photo just below

Only through binoculars or scope can you see the birds

Tundra Swans; unseen in the foreground,
Greater Yellowlegs and Wilson's Snipe
My next stop is closer to the Kiefer Landfill. Today there were loads of livestock, I think Sheep to graze the grass, and goats to eat any shrubbery.


Sheepies and Goats
There was an airshow going on overhead; the odd Northern Harrier, and 2 different amorous pairs of Redtailed Hawks. One pair was being harassed (or maybe I'm wrong and they were doing the harassing) this Rough-legged Hawk.


Had to photoshop a bit to even see this Roughlegged
Hawk's underwing pattern - a bit of it anyway
After watching some Redtailed Hawks flying at each other with their legs fully extended, I went right on to Jackson Road, left to Dillard and left again onto Meiss Road. That's where last week Don and I viewed a Prairie Falcon and Ferruginous Hawk - no such luck this week on the Hawk front. Did notice that the year's first Frying Pan Poppies; last weekend they were non-existent.


a few Frying Pan Poppies
I looked for Grasshopper Sparrows and Burrowing Owls, but no such luck yet. Loads of Savahnah Sparrows.


Shot this Savannah by a Kiefer Road Pasture
At the end of Meiss Road, its right onto Ione Road, then right again onto Twin Cities Road. Loads of oaks & Lewis Woodpeckers, a host of raptors: Red tailed & shouldered, Ferruginous, Rough-leggedhawks Hawks, Northern Harriers, Prairie Falcons, Kestrels and Merlins. Driving on Twin Cities I took a right onto Desmond Road and found myself looking at a massive flock of wild Snow Geese. Crummy shot here, but the birds were quite a distance off. I spotted at least one nice blue phase goose, but no way I could accomplish a shot of it.


View of Snow Geese flock
I decided that at 4.17 a gallon of gas, I'd gone far enough for one day. I headed back, hitting a few odd spots along the way. For example, on Michigan Bar Road I managed the best photo to date I've managed of a beautiful Lark Sparrow. I recall they used to be so exotic to me, and now I see this species at least a few times a week.


An amiable Lark Sparrow
I haven't said much about Michigan Bar in the past but it is beautiful and full of great country birds. I only did a quick drive down to its bridge and back. As I came back over the bridge I spotted my first California Quail of 2012 - a cock and a hen out for a stroll.


Shot taken through my car's windshield
They both took off when they realized I was there. I followed the cock to his little hiding spot where he hunkered, quite certain the evil, fat human couldn't see him. Right!


You can't see me!

Hum... well maybe you can - I'm outta here!
I made a v. quick stop at Sailor Bar where for once, the Common Merganser hens were close enough to get reasonable pix of. Love the sharp demarcation between their rusty heads and their nun-gray bodies. Live to get a photo of Red-breasted Merganser hens like this.


Common Merganser Hens at Sailor Bar's dabbling duck spot
Earlier today I saw the Mute Swan - way far off - on Kiefer Road. I was tickled to see no less than 3 mute swans near a housing complex just off Sunrise Boulevard; exotic and oh-s0-pretty.


That's one elegant little swan
In the same pond were numerous American Widgeons, a ton of Coots and several nice floatillas of Ring-necked Ducks.

Lovely Ring-necked Ducks
Totally enjoyed my little Grand Tour. Loads of birds, and one mammal; a coyote that I'd spotted, not far from a dirt stretch of Kiefer Road. The coyote stared at me glumly, then trotted on.

This Coyote looked a bit glum

Turned tail and headed off Woman? You still staring at me? In retrospect. That was one rude coyote.


Want something to stare at? I'll give
you something to stare at!

Sneaky Hen: an Update

Ahhhh HA! The omlette plot thickens! Apparently, it's not that Lucy stopped laying, it's that she found a nice place to hide her eggs. A place I only happened to spot this morning. Mind, I've looked under the Toyon bush many times, just not in front of the Toyon, under its spreading limbs. Note to self: If you're going to hunt Easter Eggs, do it right!

So, I'm up, a half dozen of Lucy's eggs. Hum... I think a nice quiche is in order.

Leap Year Eggs!

First Efforts
Tonight as I was making my hens snug in their coop for the night, I spotted - GASP! - an ensie little egg by the chicken netting. Such excitement: one of my Maran pullets laid her first egg.
A few minutes later, after I gave the hens their 'good night' pats, in the egg box was a 2nd Maran egg . It was slightly larger than the first, and a few shades closer to dark brown. Both of my Maran pullets laid their first egg on the same day. At long, l-o-n-g last, my widdle pullet girlies have grown up! I am so proud of mes petites brats!

These 'first effort' eggs are 'small', and the egg colors are 'off' from the dark brown their breed is noted for. New Pullet's first eggs are often small and/or off color (for the breed). Am excited to see how their eggs end up looking once their internal egg apparatus get all tuned up.

My Easter-egger Lucy laid eggs a few weeks back then stopped. Then, when I was openly distraught about the dirth of eggs, the Faverolles each, begrudgingly gave me an egg. Now the pullets have popped out an egg each. A slow start, but a start, none the less. Why the slow start? Well, the daylight hours have begun to increase, but baby it's cold outside! Fair Oak's night time temps this year frequently dipped into the mid to low 30s. I found frost on the coop just a couple of mornings ago.

Oh well! I'm happy with my Leap Year eggs. Hopefully there'll be a few more due before the next leap year in 2016.

Top row: store bought large egg, Maran mini-egg,
Bottom Row: Faverolles egg, Maran egg