The answer to last week's quiz was Killdeer. For this week, since today is Halloween, a bird that we might think about in an eerie situation. Good luck!
October 2008 Archives
This portion of the Colorado Plateau is known as the "High Plateaus" region, with Bryce Canyon forming from headward erosion of one of those plateaus, the Paunsaugunt. The Sevier Plateau lies to the north and its highest point, Mount Dutton, is over 11,000 feet (3,365 m) high. There's a forest service road that climbs up to Dutton and we took a ride up there yesterday. While most of the rock you'll find in southern Utah is sedimentary, this area is volcanic, and several million years younger in age than, for example, Bryce. One of the interesting aspects of the drive is some of the interesting forms that are created as the basaltic rocks erode.
The sad part is that, unfortunately, a few years ago an Rx fire got out of control and burned thousands of acres. We drove past several miles of burned out Aspens like these (with some conifers in the mix, too). While there are signs of the forest beginning to regenerate, it looks like it will be many years before it returns to what was probably an incredible drive in the Fall. We never did make all the way to the top, it was too depressing seeing all that dead forest.
Bewick's Wren was the answer to last week's quiz. This week we have a species that can be found just about everywhere in North America (except above the Arctic Circle). Good luck and great birding!
Little chance for explorations this week. Monday was consumed by a shopping trip to the "big city" for provisions and, maybe more importantly, some supplies I needed for winterizing the ol' homestead. Then I spent time actually doing the winterizing and then waiting around in vain yesterday morning for the satellite TV installer to not show up ("out of stock" on a required cable - "maybe next week").
We did get out for a while yesterday afternoon and drove up to a reservoir north of the park that I'd not visited as yet. Too cold for the old girl to take a dip (besides I have heard stories of people swimming there and coming out of the water with leeches firmly attached - no thanks!) but we scan for birds while there. Mostly American Coots (2 or 3 hundred) but I did pick out some Pied-billed Grebes and Ruddy Ducks.
And I finally got around to taking a picture of these signs. Nothing particularly special about the top one - it's a sign you may have seen in just about any area where there are horses. The bottom one, however, is a little different. And unless you've been to Bryce recently, it is new to you because only two exist that are like it: this one and the one on the other side of the intersection. The design was one of the projects I completed this summer and we got them back from the sign maker just in time for the UPD's to go underground for the winter (actually they've been up about a month). This spot is where we have the highest incidence of "accidents" involving prairie dogs so hopefully come spring things will be better (it'll also help when they put in a wildlife viewing pullout - not sure of the timetable on that, though).
Last week's bird, rarely seen in this plumage (except in wintering locations) was a Common Loon. For this week, a little bird with a nice song found in the western part of the country. Good luck and great birding!
No, we're not leaving Bryce. Sunset Campground, our home for the last 6 months, closed for the season the other day and we're moving back up to North Campground where we spent last winter. Roxy is a bit perplexed because she knows I'm up to something with all the hustle and bustle this morning getting things ready to move. She'll probably find familiar smells once we get settled in at our "new" location.
(time passes)
And here we are. All settled in, my satellite internet up and running (otherwise you wouldn't be reading this . . .), and Roxy relaxing in her usual spot on the floor. Now it's off to work!
We have had a blast of unseasonably cold Arctic air hanging around for the past few days - highs around freezing or a little above and lows of around 16 (-9C). There was supposed to be snow associated with it over the weekend but, at least around the northern end of the park, saw only a few flurries. I did hear from a few visitors that Zion, 4000 feet (1220 m) lower and further south, had snow on the ground, however. The good news is that beginning today things will be returning back to fall-like temperatures.
There's a Pronghorn buck roaming the park (I haven't seen it yet myself, but have seen photos) carrying around an extra appendage: a hunter's arrow. It was first reported about a month ago just outside the park boundary, the arrow up on one of his shoulders and it appears that the arrowhead is just barely under the skin. He seems to be getting along fine, eating and roaming around, and no apparent sign of infection. I've asked those who would know these things about tranquilizing him and doing a little surgery to remove the arrow but the answer, unfortunately, is that Pronghorn apparently do not react well to being tranquilized or netted. The associated stress would probably kill him, so the plan is to just monitor the poor guy and see how he does.
Today being Tuesday, October 14, the most important election of our lives (at least for those of us in the U.S.) is 3 weeks away. Still officially a resident of Florida (though that will soon change now that I will be in Utah for the long term), I have already cast my absentee ballot. I may write more about this particular topic between now and November 4. Too me the decision is so simple, after all we have been and are going through, that I am utterly astonished that things are as close as they are.
Last week's member of the woodpecker family was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. This week we have a bird that may be a little tough to recognize because they are some much more handsome in breeding plumage and you rarely see them in photographs looking like this. Good luck and good birding!
Well, as of today I've been blogging away while we've made three laps around the Sun (though I haven't always been exactly consistent at it - sometimes there just isn't much to say or share). For the occasion I put together another slide show with 36 images representing my 36 months of posting here. I think they are all in chronological order and I really could have done a lot more to truly be representative of everywhere I've been - and everything I've seen - over all those weeks and months. But don't count on a 48 image slide show for next year's anniversary - it's too much work (smile).
In addition to celebrating the "blogoversary", I'm also celebrating something else: A couple of days ago - after a lot of worrying about how I would rate compared to the other 20 applicants - I learned that I will be staying on at Bryce. And this "new" position isn't seasonal, where I have to worry every six months whether or not I'll have a job, but a term appointment that could last up to four years (subject to available budget on an annual basis, however). Needless to say, I couldn't happier about it. And you'll be seeing a lot more of Bryce and the surrounding area for some time to come.
And to all of you, thanks!!!!!!
Around this time last year a right nasty Fall storm came in just as the aspens were peaking and I got only a couple of photos before all the leaves were blown of the trees. I almost blew it this time but, on Tuesday as I was doing some chores early in the day, I decided that maybe I just ought to load up the dog and my camera gear then head up into the high country. That turned out to be a fortuitous decision because, as I type, this year's Fall storm is just arriving and I'm 2 days away from my days off and another chance at the aspens. Given that most of these were taken above 9,500 feet (2,895 m) and there's supposed to be several inches of snow up that high, even if the leaves weren't all blown off by the wind that is sure to follow the front, the road would probably be impassible on Monday or Tuesday when I would be able to go back up. Lucky me!
Once again I've used Flash to put together a slide show; there are 10 images in the sequence - click on the thumbnail to open the show, then click the green arrows (right forward, left back) to navigate through the images. Enjoy!
Finding ourselves down by the shore, our bird last week was a Great Black-backed Gull. This week we'll try our luck with a species found in the forests of the east.
Good luck and great birding!
