Okay, so I've been messing around with the bats a little. The photo here is anything but high quality but is still kind of cool for a first attempt. Facts are, great bat photography is done with electronic triggers and, usually, multiple high speed flashes - equipment I don't have and won't be investing in anytime soon (though I'd like to). I pushed the envelope a little here and could probably improve my results just by changing some camera settings (higher ISO) for increased shutter speed. Though things look nice and bright, don't be fooled. It was dark in that little corner of the building and I was trying to prefocus (autofocus was useless) and hope that I could react quick enough to fire just as the bats exited the crevice. Another few hundred shots and maybe I'll actually get something worth keeping (smile). Not sure but I think these are Big Brown Bats - can't say with any degree of certainty. I know someone I can check with, but will probably need a better photo.

Last night I shot some video of them coming out of a vent. Being just past sunset, there just isn't any light to work with so it's kind of crappy - and even if I had lighting for video the bright light shining might just keep them inside. The first couple of clips are there to give you an idea of numbers -though there are gaps when not many are flying out, this still goes on for at least 20-25 minutes. The last segment is of a bat coming out that I've slowed way down for your viewing pleasure - enjoy!

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I decided at the last minute this evening to go try and shoot a little video. While I didn't have a lot of battery life in the camera, I did have enough to at least grab a couple of minutes worth. The file is kind of large - about 14 +/- megabytes - but I hope you enjoy it anyway. This is not the same kit that I photographed yesterday - notice that this one has some white on its paws.

And please don't overload on cute.

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 09:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I managed several photos of the foxes this afternoon, but they aren't what I thought they were. In my entry on Tuesday I raved about the fact that I saw some Gray Fox kits but it turns out I was wrong. I made the assumption that they were "Gray" because they master list of park mammals shows Vulpes vulpes as being "Unconfirmed" and Urocyon cinereoargenteus as being "Present in Park". I suppose it is time to update that list, since I now have the necessary photographic confirmation to show that Red Foxes are also "present". The dark legs are one clue, but the real clincher is the Red Fox has a white-tipped tail and a Gray Fox would be sporting a black-tipped tail.

I believe there are three of them living in the culvert along with their parents, though I would most likely have to return at either dusk or dawn to catch a glimpse of the adults as V. Vulpes is mostly crepuscular (active at twilight). Though it may ultimately be to its detriment, this one was rather tame while the other two seemed a bit shy. The fact that the culvert where the den is located is a very busy intersection can't be a good thing, either. Over the next couple of days I'll probably see what else I can come up with, though I should be looking for Pronghorn fawns about that same time of day, also.

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Every once in a while I see something that makes me nuts and I just feel the need to spout off about it. Yesterday over at the reservoir was one of those days and there were two separate but similar incidents that I witnessed that made my blood boil. I've written in the past about OHV's (Off Highway Vehicles, a group which includes ATV's/4-wheelers and off-road motorcycles/"dirt bikes") and I don't have much love for them - or at least the percentage of users who are irresponsible. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind having a "4-wheeler" for some of my backcountry adventures. I was hanging around the trailer yesterday morning (see below), and would really prefer to get out to the reservoir earlier with Roxy since there are many more families on summer vacation infesting the area. There are some pit toilets near one the spots I take her to swim and that is where I saw the first object of my ire. A woman, presumably the mother, was parked outside the toilets with 2 children - a girl, aged 11 or 12, and a boy about 8 or 9. There were two 4-wheelers, which meant the mother must have been the driver of 1 and one of those kids would have to have been driving the other. Despite the fact there is a helmet law in this state for minors under 18, there was not a helmet in sight. To me this is just the height of stupidity, especially considering that they had to travel a road with blind corners that is also used by cars and trucks.

But it gets worse.

The second incident involved a guy, probably in his early thirties on a dirt bike that I saw just as we were leaving the "swimming hole". This idiot was riding around with his 3 or 4 year old daughter, also sans helmet, straddled across the fuel tank in front of him. The road they were traveling on is used frequently by pick-ups towing cattle trailers that I know for a fact fling rocks along this gravel road and have the chips in my windshield to prove it. We won't even get in to the possibilities of what might happen if he should lose control and her head were to hit the ground just "right". I simply do not understand the mindset that would put children in such a high risk situation and it makes me just a little crazy.

On a more positive note, in the past few days the Northern Flickers, who've been in the area since I moved over in April, have begun frequenting the bird bath. This is the male just before he dropped down for a little refreshment. Don't know where they've been getting water up to now, but it seems like the pattern was similar last summer, too. While I was waiting around for photo ops, the Williamson's Sapsuckers showed up as well, though they are exceedingly shy and very difficult to photograph. In fact, the female stayed on the backside of the dish, drinking from the overflow and only occasionally showing herself.

THEN I SAW THE GRAY FOX KITS!

Sorry for shouting, but I've never seen a Gray Fox before today and these two "babies" were my first. It was around dusk and photos, even if they would have been out where I could get a good views, would have been near impossible. Their "den" is a culvert under one of the park roads, which makes it kind of scary since it is a pretty busy intersection near one of the main viewpoints. They're also near a prairie dog colony though, being mostly nocturnal, the adults are probably preying on other rodents or rabbits. Pretty cool stuff, sure hope some pics are in my future!

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 06:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the Mule Deer that had been visiting my birdbath for a drink. The title of that post was "All Are Welcome Here" but I'm rethinking that sentiment a little. Tonight when I came home from work to find she had not only drained the birdbath, but had proceeded to begin devouring the native plants I'd been nurturing through the spring for the hummingbirds. The Scarlet Gilia that was just about ready to bloom is gone. One Eaton's Firecracker (billed as "great for hummingbirds") is gone and the other, like the Scarlet Gilia also about to bloom, will probably survive (I arrived home just in the knick of time because she was about to eat it, too). It goes without saying that I am not happy about this turn of events. It isn't like I can drive down to the corner store for replacements - it's 200 miles round trip to the nearest native plant nursery (at $5 per gallon).

I can't stay too mad at her, though: She looked a bit pudgy and is probably eating for two.

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

. . . of Utah Prairie Dogs have emerged from their burrows within the past several days. This is - I guess it goes without saying - one of them that posed for a few shots for me. I didn't have much time to hang around since I have to work shortly, but it looks like it has been a pretty good year for them. I know the folks in Resources dusted for fleas yesterday in the colonies to hopefully reduce the chances of plague - a disease introduced by westward expansion of us 2-leggeds - from spreading and potentially wiping out a colony.

In other news, I need to update my Utah "year bird" list soon as I have added a couple of species (Mourning Dove and Lesser Goldfinch); tomorrow's quiz will feature a bird I've seen frequently but photographed for the first time a couple of days ago. See you then.

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 09:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I had this rather large visitor to my birdbath/dripper this evening, though she didn't sit on the available perch (a good thing, I suppose). She wiped that little birdbath clean too - but ,at well over 45 kg. (100 lbs.), she would probably require a lot more water than your average Yellow-rumped Warbler or Western Tanager . . .

(Actually, this post's title isn't entirely correct. Skunks and Brown-headed Cowbirds are not welcome here.)

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 08:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Strange coincidence.

Went out looking for birds on this the 4th month & 1st day and what do I do: notch 41 bird species on the day (a new personal high around these parts, though a far cry from the 98 I had on a bird-a-thon in Florida). I suppose the April Fool's Day joke on me was that I didn't manage to get a single bird photo, just a couple of more rodents to add to the collection. The chipmunk was the first I'd seen up and around since last fall, though some visitors mentioned seeing one a few days ago. For what it's worth, the total number of vertebrate species I tallied was 47 (birds+mammals). Included in the avian total was 5 new "year birds" and that total also includes 1 "lifer" (wigeon). It may be possible to break 50 birds in one day covering the same ground I did today, though once more songbirds arrive later this month the ducks will, for the most part, be long gone.

Here's the list: Common Raven, Greater Sage-grouse, American Kestrel, European Starling, Horned Lark, Steller's Jay, Western Meadowlark, Mountain Bluebird, Red-tailed Hawk, Eurasian Collared-dove, American Robin, Juniper Titmouse, Western Scrub-jay, House Sparrow, Killdeer, Canada Goose, American Coot, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Mallard, Pie-billed Grebe, American Wigeon, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, Black-billed Magpie, White-crowned Sparrow, Rock Pigeon, Golden Eagle (6!), Northern Flicker, Western Bluebird, Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon & Gray-headed), Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Harrier, Spotted Towhee, Turkey Vulture, Say' Phoebe, Wild Turkey, White-breasted Nuthatch, Clark's Nutcracker, Pygmy Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee.

(year birds, lifer)

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 08:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

In the past couple of days I've seen some more stuff either here in the park or very close. New bird species include the arrival of White-throated Swifts - seen yesterday zipping around from the Sunset Point overlook as I was chatting up some folks just prior to my Geology Talk (leaving the talk I also saw some activity at the last prairie dog colony to emerge - almost a month later than the first!). The day prior at the laundry I saw my first Northern Flicker as well as a pair of Western Bluebirds within the park. New additions today included 1 bird and 1 mammal: the bird was a Northern Goshawk flying just outside the park; the mammals were a couple of herds of Pronghorn outside the park, they have migrated from lower elevations where spent the winter.

In the "I'll Have to Go Look for This One" department: Yesterday a park visitor reported seeing a Peregrine Falcon zooming around the park's southern end at Yovimpa Point - I'll be down there in a few days when I'm off and be sure to let you know!

And in the "Wish I Could Have Been There" department: A few days ago the park's superintendent witnessed a Long-tailed Weasel take down and drag off a significantly larger Mountain Cottontail. Can you imagine????!!!! No doubt I'd feel bad for the bunny, but that would still be an amazing bit of nature at work to be lucky enough to witness.

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was my Best Birding Day So Far This Year; I was hopeful that I would hit 30, but came up 3 short in the end. On a positive note, I added 4 new species to the year list, bringing that total to 45; all were within the range of the Bryce checklist area, too. The additions are Killdeer, Wilson's Snipe (a big surprise I found hanging around the edges of a pond where I was checking out the ducks), Vesper Sparrow, and Savannah Sparrow. The only (bird) species I managed to photograph was this male Greater Sage-grouse. They should be lekking soon, if not already, and the spot where I shot this one seems to be a major hangout for them. This was the third time I found them there and, who knows, it just may be one of the leks . . .

Birds weren't the only thing happening today, either. Since it was quite a bit warmer and the winds were a little calmer than yesterday, the Utah Prairie Dogs were up surveying the scene again. I am kind of surprised that I have not seen any chipmunks yet and, to date, only one Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel. Maybe later in the week if the weather holds (though the weather has already proven that it can be schizophrenic this time of year 'round these parts).

(Today's birds: American Robin, Common Raven, Horned Lark, Mountain Bluebird, Greater Sage-grouse, Ferruginous Hawk, Western Meadowlark, Townsend's Solitaire, American Kestrel, European Starling, House Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon & Gray-headed), Red-tailed Hawk, Western Scrub-jay, Killdeer, Savannah Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Canada Goose, Wilson's Snipe, Western Bluebird, Steller's Jay, Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Mallard, Golden Eagle, Pygmy Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch.

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 09:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I didn't do much bird chasing on my day off today, but did go check out the Utah Prairie Dogs to see what they were up to. There are a lot more out and about now as the weather continues to warm; some of the colonies that were not active are now showing signs of stirring, with the occasional head peering out from behind a mound of snow. This one knew there was nothing to munch on near the hole and had ventured out to where the snow had melted beside a road. Looking at those paws, it appears things are a little on the gooey side, too.

While I wish I could say that I had seen them (better still, wish I could get a photograph), but all I can come up with for now are more tracks. The difference in these tracks and the last ones is this: these are about 100 feet from the front door of my trailer. Apparently momma and her kittens have been roaming around North Campground sometime in the past couple of days (top one is a kitten; the last one, according to the books I've checked, would be the front paws side by side when "bounding") . We had snow Saturday night so that means these were made since that time or they'd be covered just like the first set I found. There's also some prints in the mud near the campground's restrooms a 100 or so yards away - they've been wandering around here just a little. Spooky in a way, yet kind of exciting; will definitely have to keep a closer eye on Roxy when we're outside . . .

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night after work I took Roxy for a walk at one of our usual locations for such endeavors. We walk along a Forest Road that is used for Cross Country skiing in the winter, never more than about 1/4 mile from the road that leads into Bryce. I couldn't help but notice the series of very large - about 4 inches by my crude measurements - tracks. There is no doubt in my mind as to who made them: Felis concolor. With paws that size it must be one big Mountain Lion - and I think it was accompanied by a couple of little ones, though in the crusty snow those prints weren't as distinct.

Update: I changed the photo after waking up to some sun and having shadows helps to make the print show up better. The quarter - which measures just under an inch or 2.5 cm - is there for scale; this a large animal that I don't think I would want slapping me around. I also took a few pics of the smaller prints; they are about 70 or 75% the size of the adult's prints.

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 09:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As I said in the last post, my main mission was to shoot some stills of the Utah Prairies Dogs and here are a couple of the keepers. It took a lot of patience to wait for these three to get lined up. They were in and out of the hole, sometimes a fourth would make an appearance but hang out in the back, or they wouldn't all be looking the same general direction. But I stuck with them and it paid off, even if the one on the left is squinting a little (I bet you would be too after being holed up for 4 months, then coming out to all that bright white snow . . .)

This "kissing" is a somewhat common behavior and a form of greeting/recognition of another member of the coterie. It really isn't so much a "kiss" but touching incisors. Though they live in colonies, each coterie has its territorial boundaries; if it were an interloper a fight would likely take place (though in late summer and fall they will often share "common areas" at the edges of their territories).

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 09:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Yesterday I was on my way home from a little adventure (which I'll get to in a minute) and, as I passed by one of the meadows in the park, I cast a skeptical eye in that direction and wondered when "they" would be making an appearance. It took all of about 500 feet to get my answer. The Utah Prairie Dogs had gone below ground to hibernate in late October, so it was right at 4 months since I had last seen one. I've since checked out 3 colonies in the park and there is activity at all of them, and I saw activity at another colony outside the park. The snow is still pretty deep so finding food must be a little tough. Even with that, this one looks pretty plump and must have had a lot of food stored away.

The tree at left was the object of my adventure yesterday. I happened upon it about 10 days ago while leading a snowshoe hike out near Bryce Point and it is one of the more mature examples I've seen here. The others I've seen are, for the most part, rather spindly, while this one had some bulk (trunk about 10 to 12 inches in diameter) . With the rate of erosion here as high as it is, Bristlecone Pines (Pinus longaeva) don't live as long as they do in the White Mountains of Eastern California, where a tree called "Methuselah" is about 4,800 years old, they can still live longer here than everything else around. The oldest one known at Bryce Canyon, now unfortunately dead, lived about 1,600 years. Bristlecone Pines are the oldest living single organisms on the planet.

Far from being an expert, I'm guessing this one is maybe 1,000 years old based upon size and what I have read about their rate of growth. If I'm right, it means this tree would have been a sapling during the time of the Fremont Culture (Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited portions of Utah concurrent with the more famous Puebloans - formerly called Anasazi - who inhabited the Four Corners region) and Europe would have been mired in the Dark Ages. Kind of cool when you think about it. Of course that's nothing when you realize Methuselah would have been a sapling during the time of the pharaohs . . .

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I suppose I will have to come up with some more creative titles since there's certain to be many more days of snow over the next few months. It has been a few years since I've lived in a place where snow was common and we got another 3 inches or so yesterday. The view in this photo is looking toward Sunrise Point (far left) and Queen's Garden from the Rim Trail. Even though the temps today were barely above freezing, a lot of the snow on the slope (which faces south and gets a lot of sun) was gone by mid-afternoon.

This Limber Pine is one of the most photographed trees in the park. Located at Sunrise Point, erosion from the plateau's edge has exposed the roots and it is known as the "Tip-Toe Tree". In a sort of twisted sense it almost looks like it is too cold and is trying to get up out of the snow. Actually, I think it would be interesting to know the extent of the root system; it looks pretty healthy so it obviously it gets the moisture it needs though it isn't a particularly tall and robust tree as Limber Pines go . . .

Finally, for all you lagomorph fans, I saw lots of these tracks (click to view) in the snow this morning. The "wabbits" in question are probably Mountain Cottontails having fun in the freshly fallen snow after all the "two-leggeds" leave for the evening. I also saw some tracks that appeared to be canid but not very distinct - probably too small for Coyote; might have been the elusive Gray Fox. Out rabbit hunting maybe?

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 09:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It had been a while since I'd shot any Utah Prairie Dogs so I stopped by one of the towns this morning just for fun. Though I see them frequently I just hadn't made the time to stop by and make some images. Their habits have changed a bit with the cooler mornings and they usually aren't out and about until mid morning. With fall upon us I do see that they are putting on some weight for the long winter ahead; soon sightings will become very rare until next spring.

In Bar-tailed Godwit news, the 4 birds with transmitters are still in Alaska as of yesterday and E7 is in an area she spent time in last March. In Bar-tailed Godwits on the Move John at A DC Birding Blog has links to a news article about her journey (ignored, apparently, by the U.S. media so far even though the project is based in Alaska - though kudos are in order to the researchers involved from New Zealand).

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Okay, not really.

We all know it's really a fawn and, though I've been seeing them for the past couple of weeks, this is the first time one has been out in nice light. Every other time they have either been in heavy shadows, overcast ,or on the wrong side of the road to the direction of the light. I say "they" because this is one of a pair of twins that have been hanging around with mom in the same general area.

Soapbox Time: I know that in most (all?) areas of the country people speed on a regular basis - 5 to 10 MPH over the speed limit (or more). Now, it is bad enough that people litter in our protected places (a gripe for another day), but earlier this week I flagged down one NASCAR wannabe and probably saved a deer's life - then tonight waved and yelled at another after I'd just seen this family preparing to cross the park road. The idiot tonight was really flying and barely stopped in time - from my vantage point he looked to be within 10 or 15 feet of hitting the doe. He waved to thank me and I have a feeling he knew what was going to happen if I hadn't let him know (not that I gave a rat's a$$ about him - my concern was for the doe and/or her 2 fawns). The park's already lost one Mule Deer to a speeder this week and I know the L.E.'s are doling out tickets but, with limited resources, there's only so many of them to patrol the whole park (and some are away helping with fires out of the area - which makes things that much tougher). People visiting the park(s) just need to chill out, show nature a little respect for a freeakin' change, and leave their stinking "mad rush lifestyle" back in the big city.

(I'm done now. Enjoy the fawn.)

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 10:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Sunday featured another bird walk morning (21 species including 3 warblers) but it began when I stopped by the Visitor Center/Admin Building to pick up a radio to take on the hike. On the lawn outside the VC I found a male Yellow-rumped Warbler feeding a Brown-headed Cowbird fledgling. So today I had a little time before my shift began to drag the camera gear out hoping to find them again. I didn't see the Yellow-rump but did see a female Grace's Warbler feeding one. Unfortunately they never were in position to get a shot though I continue to be amazed at how much of this is going on. It really is quite sad because when the warblers or the junco I saw last week are feeding they are only feeding one bird which leads me to think the rest of the clutch is lost. When I have seen other warbler families they always have either 2 or 3 that they are feeding. Having said that, it is also possible that a mate is tending to any surviving chicks.

At least the ride up to the Visitor Center this morning wasn't a total loss because I did get some shots of one of a pair of twin Mule Deer fawns on the way there. The rotten cowbirds notwithstanding, from the Prairie Dogs to the Pronghorns and now the Mule Deer - along with lots of young birds in between - what a joy it has been to see so much new life this summer!

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 12:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This morning on my way to "town" to pick up a few things I spotted an animal just off the highway in the ditch. I noted as I drove by that its head was up yet certain that it wouldn't be just lying down in that location. After turning around to get a better look I headed out of the canyon to where there would be a cell signal in order to make some calls and try to locate a wildlife rehabilitator who might be able to help this animal. Sadly, what I found out was that in this state - still hopelessly mired in far too many ways in the 19th century - it is illegal for a rehabber to try to help certain animals.

Reluctantly, I chose the only other real option: contact the State Division of Wildlife Resources who would then send out an officer to "take care" of this creature. Though it brings tears to my eyes, better that than know that this beautiful Red Fox would otherwise lie there, suffering, until the final moment inevitably came.

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 01:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I haven't taken much time to write for a few days, though I have tried to make some things happen by spending a fair amount of time at the bird bath in the mornings on this stretch of days off. This afternoon there was some cloud cover so I dusted off the flash and even did some shooting this afternoon. This fledgling Western Tanager is a result of that effort and we know that at least one pair of tanagers here in the campground was successful this breeding season. I also made some images of a pair of new species the past couple of days - one that I have just missed getting previously and, one that is new to the neighborhood of late (Woo-hoo! New stuff for the Bird Quizzes!).

The local rodents are frequently around for a little entertainment while I'm out shooting birds by the bath. They are a feisty bunch - the chipmunks squabble with the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels or amongst themselves and, naturally, the ground squirrels don't always get along with each other either. I am not sure what it is they fight about though it is probably over food - birds certainly do the same around bird feeders. Actually, the birds seem to fight over territorial rights around the bird bath, too.

This image was taken during a very different sort of territorial battle I witnessed today - one I wouldn't have expected. This White-breasted Nuthatch was climbing down the tree when it encountered the chipmunk making its way up the tree. I suppose the nuthatch was saying "Look how big I am, Mr. Chipmunk! You better get out of my way!" Or something to that effect, anyway. Wish I could remember who came out the victor in that - though in the end it doesn't really matter because the behavior was fun to watch!

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

They seem to be coming out of the woodwork! This is one of the fledgling White-breasted Nuthatches that have been begging in the trees here in the campground. On both Friday's and today's Bird Walks the group encountered several family-sized flocks of Pygmy Nuthatches swarming through the pines with no shortage of begging little birds. In addition I have been seeing larger groups of Cassin's Finches moving around along with several fledgling Robins recently. And it looks as if the Western Bluebirds nesting near my trailer have also fledged their brood in the last 24 hours since yesterday the adults were still making frequent trips to the nest cavity.

Friday after dinner I made the short drive out to East Creek Meadow in hope of finding the Pronghorn fawns on the sunlit side of the park road and hit the jackpot. I counted a total of 9 of them (plus the adults). This one kept trying to grab a teat whenever the doe stopped to graze but she would just move on right away - guess mother knows best when it is the proper time for nursing. I managed to catch a few others: here's one strolling alone, three hanging out together, and, finally, these two playing around butting heads.

My most recent bird walks have begun in a different location that where I been starting previously and each time the first bird of the day was one of the Say's Phoebes that were quite obviously feeding young in a nest in the rafters on the front porch of a building adjacent to the parking area for Sunrise Point. This morning's group was treated to seeing 3 birds fresh from the nest being fed insects on a regular basis by a pair of very busy adults. We also got to see one of the adults "dive bomb" a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel each time it ventured near the bush that the fledglings were perched in - and we could clearly hear the phoebe smacking the squirrel. Luckily for me the little one's were still in that same bush when I got off of work - I went back a couple of hours later and they had moved on for the night.

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 12:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It has been a pretty productive couple of days off. The Utah Prairie Dog pups are growing rapidly and I spent some time with them yesterday in the morning and afternoon. Not sure what the pup on the right was yelling about, but it made for a nice pic anyway. What is sad is while "my" prairie dogs are protected as a threatened species, the Forest Service is getting ready to poison thousands of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs on the plains. Please take a moment or two and send a comment to them so that maybe the slaughter can be stopped.

Here's one of the most skittish birds in the neighborhood, a Northern Flicker. I hear them frequently and have even seen them at the bath drinking a few times but this was the first time one posed long enough for a clean shot. The flickers here are the red-shafted race, the red underneath their wings clear visible when the fly off. Early this evening I was out chasing Pronghorn (see below) and, when I arrived back home, heard one in a tree next to my trailer and discovered a very whiny fledgling male up there!

The flicker fledgling wasn't the first "new bird" I saw today - in fact I've seen quite a few. First thing this morning a pair of robins were at the bath along with a heavily spotted fledgling. A short time later I noticed this White-breasted Nuthatch gleaning insects (and/or spiders) from the bark of a Ponderosa Pine, then flying up high in another tree to 3 young nuthatches who were begging and fluttering their wings. Then tonight after the flicker flew off I saw a female Cassin's Finch who was also attending to 3 young beggars.

I did have some luck finding the Pronghorn fawns though they were in really difficult light (as in "backlit"). I snapped off a shot of them anyway, while the image is pretty soft it was still quite a sight to see three of them chasing each other around while the moms grazed. I have no clue as to their ages but I can tell you that they are FAST. They had to be going between 30and 40 miles per hour - they were just ripping across that meadow. I can only hope to get another chance with the light behind me . . .

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Over the past week or so I've seen a Chipping Sparrow gathering bits of grass on a fairly regular basis. This morning while waiting for some birds to come by the bird bath a pair of them happened to come around and decided to put on a show. About four times, in fact. Naturally they were never positioned in such a way that I could get the camera pointed at them (not that anyone would particularly care to see photos of copulating Chipping Sparrows).

Things were otherwise quiet so I set out to see if there might be some photo ops with the Utah Prairie Dogs.

(Sorry for the interruption but I caught a glimpse of some Mule Deer walking by and just watched one of them empty the bird bath.)

The youngsters were pretty cooperative today and I managed to make a few nice images of them. After the prairie dogs I took Roxie over to the lake so she could get in a little swimming and, while there, ticked off the 74th bird species I've seen since arriving almost 2 months ago - lone Western Grebe was swimming at the north end of Tropic Reservoir. Maybe I'll hit the century mark by this time next month . . .

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 08:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a fantastic morning and I got to spend a little time out by the birdbath before the light got too harsh. Finally got a shot at the male Cassin's Finch (plus another couple frames of a female) on a nice perch. The robin's were around quite a bit as well as a male Western Tanager (unfortunately I was a little too slow with the shutter with him). Wish the Western Bluebird nest wasn't up so high because that pair really seems to be actively feeding somebody in the hole in that big old Ponderosa Pine.

When I'm sitting in the blind the Uinta Chipmunks and Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels will come close, too. They also come to the water and I caught this pair of chipmunks doing some kissy-face thing. One of those moments when I wish I had a zoom instead of the fixed lens since I couldn't get them completely in the frame.

Just a few minutes ago I added to the list of birds I've seen at Bryce when an adult Accipiter gentilis (Northern Goshawk) flew right over the campground. I knew they were here and a breeding species so it was only a matter of time, I guess.

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 09:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Over the past few weeks we have been gearing up for the busy season here at the park and much of my time - even on my days off - has been consumed creating PowerPoint programs for my evening "ranger programs". At present they are on Saturday evenings, I now have 2 completed and they are "Wings on the Wind" (about migration) and "Birdwatching Basics." I'm also leading bird walks on Sunday and Friday mornings in addition to my other duties at the info desk and a bit of design and printing work.

Today's bird walk was the best out of the first 3 with 18 species; the bird of the day was a male Virginia's Warbler that put on a show hawking insects for several minutes. The group also got to watch a female Western Tanager chasing a Steller's Jay around (presumably trying to keep it away from her nest). The really bizarre behavior we saw involved a White-throated Swift. Three of them flew by and were flying around not far from where we were standing, doing a lot of chattering when one completed an in-flight maneuver that had us all shaking our heads.

The only way I describe it was that it stopped flying and began to spin and slowly lose altitude. The non-word that springs to mind is "helicoptering". I have since checked Cornell's Birds of North America Online and learned that they do a "courtship fall" but it doesn't mention the spinning aspect. I plan to write them about it, though I would most interested to hear from anyone that may have observed this behavior before or has heard of it somewhere.

The newest visitor to my little birdbath has been this Williamson's Sapsucker, on Thursday it made a least 3 visits. I've seen a Northern Flicker there on a couple of occasions in the past week, too. And over at the headquarters/visitor center building I've found nests in the eaves: Say's Phoebe and American Robins. All those big Ponderosa Pines around and they had to pick the building. The phoebes must have chicks because they are doing a lot of flying back and forth to the nest (as are the Western Bluebirds with the nest cavity near my trailer).

With a lot more traffic in the campground the chipmunks and ground-squirrels seem to have gotten tame and I have to wonder if they are being fed (actually, I'm pretty sure they are). A couple of days ago I was working on the PowerPoint when I glanced over at Roxie and she was staring out the screen door. When I peeked out to see what if anything she was looking at and there was a Golden-mantled Ground-squirrel who had climbed up the steps and was peeking inside. I don't know if that is a good thing. Anyway, pictured is one of the Uinta Chipmunks (and they drink from the birdbath, too).

Update: I did find this little snippet about White-throated Swift aerial copulations in The Birder's Handbook but what we witnessed yesterday was a single bird and not a pair:

Among the most spectacular sights North American bird enthusiasts can see is a mating flight of White-throated Swifts. A group may come swooping down a canyon at high speed, shortly after dawn, with pairs tumbling together as they copulate in midair.

Posted by Kevin, F.C.D. at 12:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With training here at Bryce Canyon finally completed I was able to do a little photography on my day off and, with calm winds and flowers beginning to show all around, decided shooting some of them would be a good idea. At right is a Scarlet Gili