A New Lens

On Wednesday of this week I received my new Canon 100 mm, IS, f/2.8 macro lens and this morning I took it to the San Gabriel trail to try it out.  This was an exceptional August morning here in Georgetown, Texas as we have had an unusual cold (?) front and the temperature is a cool 72 degrees as I begin my walk.  They (the weather liars) are promising some rain as well.  It has been 50 days since we had any precipitation.  The lack of moisture is very evident and many of the plants are stressed and shedding their leaves.  However, our very wet spring has recharged the springs that feed the San Gabriel and they continue to flow, albeit at a slower rate.  And Lake Georgetown continues to release water so the river is in good shape. 

I truly love this trail.  I discovered it shortly after moving here in 2008 while leading birding walks for the Recreation Center.  Actually, I choose my current neighborhood because of its proximity to this trail.  It is but a short half mile trek to the low water crossing where I begin and by the time I return home it is a nice 3.5 mile walk.  The river provides some nice scenery, is canopied for the most part by trees and their is abundant understory for birds, insects and animals  to utilize.  I often encounter deer, birds, dragon & damsel flies, bees, reptiles and one time a ring-tailed cat.  Here are a couple of pictures of the more scenic areas.

All three of these were taken with the new lens and photos were bracketed, then processed using the new Lightroom 6 HDR option to complete them.

In addition to the nice scenery there were still a few plants in bloom in spite of the lack of recent rainfall.  I am attaching several here.

The first one has become one of my favorites, Texas Lantana.  This hardy plant I well remember from my childhood.  I particularly enjoy the native, wild variety over the more recent hybrids.  It is a great plant to attract butterflies.  The second one is Low Wild Petunia and adds color along the trial. It is abundant in bloom at this time.  The third is American Beautyberry whose fruit is now ripening just in time for the fall bird migration and the final flower is the Common Sunflower.  As you can see from this picture there is a bee actively working to pollinate this flower.  Shortly the plant will produce seed that are especially appealing to finch of which we have three species.  Our resident species are Lesser Goldfinch and House Finch who will soon be joined by wintering American Goldfinch. 

Our final picture is of a female  Common Whitetail, a rather common dragonfly for this area.

So much for my first experience with the new macro lens.  This type of photography opens up an entirely new field and one I am looking forward to spending more time pursuing.

Jim

San Gabriel Trail

Now that my term as president of the Texas Ornithological Society has ended and I have given up leading trips for that organization, I will have more time to devote to this blog and my photography.  I do plan on doing some travelling with the new travel trailer I purchased this past spring.  So you might want to check back occasionally to see if I have added anything new to the blog.

I am fortunate to live close to Booty's Park here in Georgetown, Texas.  It is a short 15 minute walk from my house to the low water crossing on the east end of the trail that runs along the San Gabriel Trail.  I really enjoy a walk along this beautiful tail and then return to my home in about an hour.  It is a 3 mile round trip and is one I regularly take for exercise in addition to my gym time.  On Tuesday of this week I made the trip. With all the rain we have had here in Williamson County this year the river is in great shape a
and the water is running swiftly.  I love the peaceful sound of water running over the dam. this is where I begin the trail. 

As I strolled along the tail this morning I could hear a Canyon Wren singing across the river.  I was a bit surprised to hear this as it is far down the trail where I usually encounter them.  I even questioned if a Mockingbird had master his song, but it was a complete in length and that is usually not what Mockingbirds do.  The tail is canopied with tall trees for the most part and the spring at the top of the hill (Booty Spring) is rushing now.  This is a rock bottomed, spring fed river that is somewhat rare here in Texas.  The Tonkawa Indians called this are the land of Good Water because of the clean water sources in the area.  As I moved toward the parking lot area I really heard little in the way of birds, but the morning was relatively cool and I enjoyed the quite time. 

After reaching the parking lot area I continued up the trail toward the dam and bird songs became more numerous.  I heard the chortle of a Summer Tanager, the hard clack call of Northern Cardinals, the near constant song of a White-eyed Vireo, and the call of a Bewick's Wren, which responded to my pishing and came close to check it out.  There were also Black-crested Titmouse and Carolina Chickadee singing as I moved along.  This years abundant moisture has really had its impact along the trail as evidenced by the heavy growth of flowers and bushes adjacent to the trail.  I noticed the presence of many dragonflies active this morning.  I was able to get a couple of shots the first one is a Common Whitetail

 And the second one I am told by a reliable source is somewhat rare for this area, a Slaty Skimmer, dragonfly that according to range maps reaches its western extreme in this area.

 

As a bonus we often encounter other wildlife here, especially white-tail deer such as this one.



 

 

On my way back to my house, once I reached the area where neighborhoods exist I began to here the call of Blue Jays and House Sparrows.  These birds seem to enjoy neighborhoods more than the wilds along the water.  So I finally arrive home and ended another hike along the San Gabriel.

 

 

 

 

 



 

Barrow, Alaska--From Nome we traveled back to Anchorage before heading to the most northern part of North America, Barrow.  Barrow is an isolated Inupiat village that can only be reached by plane,over an ice highway in winter.  Many there live on subsistence hunting.  They pride themselves in their ability to hunt bow head whales, which they do every year.  I must say I admire them because they truly risk their lives the this pursuit.  Their whaling boats are made of skins and they are manned by a five man crew.

To be selected to serve as a crew member is a high honor within the community.  When they are successful in their hunt, most of the villagers turn out to help with the large task of cutting up and transporting the catch across the massive ice pack to the shore.  Later the village will be invited to a pot latch celebration and dinner.  

The village is a very poor one as can be evidenced by the poor housing in which they live. Only in recent times have they had the luxury of natural gas to heat their homes.  There are several wells in the area which provide this much need resource.  Since there are no trees of any kind, the highest living plant is grass that may reach to be a foot tall, you can understand their need for a source of heat. While we were there on June 10 it was in the mid thirties and it snowed as we were leaving.  I take no photos of the homes or living conditions as they do not was that done by outsiders.  But as you drive through the neighborhood's you are struck by the abandoned vehicles, trash and other items laying about.  

For birders this far north community offers the opportunity to enjoy some very colorful species, specifically king, spectacle and Steller's eiders.  Fortunately on this trip we got them all.  Here are some pictures.

Top: King Eider, Middle, Spectacle Eider, Bottom. Steller's Eider

In addition to these beauties, we are also able to get very close views of red phalarope, enjoy the display of both pectoral sandpiper and dunlin which are very interesting to watch.  The sandpiper puffs out his chest feathers and using a rapid flutter of his wing as he sails just above the ground to attract his mate.  Not to be out done, the dunlin flies high up in the air and then begins a rapid fluttering decent.  I always enjoy these displays.  In this community there are only twelve miles of road which be driven by traditional vehicles.  To go off into the tundra you will need a special permit and a four wheeler, something I have yet to experience.  

There is also a possibility of a polar bear which in winter are known to wander into town.  In hopes of keeping them out of their community the locals place the whale and other hunting remains out side of town on the ice pack, thus encouraging them not to invade their space.

Let me conclude this with three other favorites the red-necked phalarope, long-tailed duck (which used to be called Oldsquaw before political correctness) and snowy owl which are specialties of the area.

Day 7—Today was a very windy day and the birds were hunkered down for the most part.  I headed out Council Road and Safety Lagoon once again. There was little activity at the Nome River Crossing and there were no birds visible from Nome Point.  Once we reached the Lagoon it did pick up but not very exciting as the most numerous species was Northern Pintails.  My objective was to confirm the nesting Gyrfalcon under the bridge at Salmon River.

This  was the extent of travel out Council for the time being.  The total lack of snow or ice remains striking to me.  There was some snow pack left in the higher elevations.

On the return I did find a few interesting birds.  The Common Eiders were out in great numbers.

Along the shoreline in a large group of gulls I found a nice Sabine's Gull.  There were many Black-legged Kittiwakes among the raft of gulls as well

And to complete the day we had a small group of Harlequin ducks at Nome Point.  This is one of the most beautiful ducks in my opinion.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day with less or no wind.

Day 6—I’m still in Nome and today I did the Kougarock Road out to Pilgrim’s River.  Along the way we encountered Kim Risen and his group stopped looking and photographing a Bluethroat.  I got some of the best pictures of this bird I have ever taken.

 He came within 30 feet and perched for our photos.  That was clearly the best part of the day.  Other than that I encountered the same basic species of Dickie birds (small birds) as on the other days.   The weather was mild again although the wind was more apparent.  Some of the other birds included a nesting pair of Golden Eagles (although the nest is concealed from view), a nice singing Gray-cheeked Thrush, 

and a somewhat cooperative Willow Ptarmigan

Another bird of interest this day was found near town, a Northern Shrike. This bird was here last year in the same area.  For the first time in the many times I have been in Nome I drove the road into Pilgrim Hot Springs.  I was a bit disappointed in I found there.    The is a good field on the way in for Northern Wheatear. 

As an interesting side note at dinner this evening we observed a highly intoxicated man passed out on the rocks outside our window.  The police eventually came and roused him and made him move on.  Alcohol is a major problem here in Nome.  There are numerous bars and liquor stores up and down Main Street.  It is very different in Barrow in which there is no alcohol and therefore less drunks.

Day 5—This day started off better as we headed out Teller Road.  At our first stop we had Orange-crowned, Yellow, and Wilson’s warblers as well as a group of Musk Oxen.  Then as we headed up the road we encountered two Surfbirds coming towards us in the middle of the road.  They offer a great photo opportunity for us.   As we went further we encountered Golden-crowned and American Tree Sparrows, many Long-tailed Jaegers and finally a Willow Ptarmigan.  We encountered another group of birders who had located a Bluethroat and we could see it in the scope but didn’t pursue getting closer in order not to disturb their opportunity.  At Wooley Lagoon we found our Northern Wheatear and had the opportunity to witness a mating display of Black-bellied Plover.  Along this road we also had several American Golden Plover.  At Bluestone River we encountered a family of three Rough-legged Hawks to cap off the day.

Day 4—Last night (Saturday) I attended the Eagle River AA meeting where I got my chip for 26 years of sobriety.  When I think of that I am amazed that it has been 26 years.  Then on Sunday morning I prepared to leave for a week in Nome.  The plan is to do some scouting and then wait for the group to arrive on Friday.  So after our flight arrived at 11:30 went to get the vehicle to use for the rest of the week.  Then I grabbed a sandwich and headed for Safety Lagoon to do some birding.  The temperature here is in the mid 70’s and I am not dressed for this, forcing me to finally take off my shirt and bird in my t-shirt.  Boy is this surprising!  There is no ice anywhere to be seen.  That is the first time in all the years I have been here that there is no ice.  The other thing is the surprising lack of birds.  There was a diverse species present but numbers are significantly reduced.  I think the best birds of the day at Safety was Aleutian tern that flew over the road. On this trip I had two at the Nome sewer ponds and the one out at Safety.  In years past they have only occurred at what we call the Train to Nowhere.  So rather disappointed by what I saw at the lagoon.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Alaska--2015

Day 4—Last night (Saturday) I attended the Eagle River AA meeting where I got my chip for 26 years of sobriety.  When I think of that I am amazed that it has been 26 years.  Then on Sunday morning I prepared to leave for a week in Nome.  The plan is to do some scouting and then wait for the group to arrive on Friday.  So after our flight arrived at 11:30 went to get the vehicle to use for the rest of the week.  Then I grabbed a sandwich and headed for Safety Lagoon to do some birding.  The temperature here is in the mid 70’s and I am not dressed for this, forcing me to finally take off my shirt and bird in my t-shirt.  Boy is this surprising!  There is no ice anywhere to be seen.  That is the first time in all the years I have been here that there is no ice.  The other thing is the surprising lack of birds.  There was a diverse species present but numbers are significantly reduced.  I think the best birds of the day at Safety was Aleutian tern that flew over the road. On this trip I had two at the Nome sewer ponds and the one out at Safety.  In years past they have only occurred at what we call the Train to Nowhere.  So rather disappointed by what I saw at the lagoon.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Alaska 2015

Day 1—Travel to Anchorage—My daughter took me to the airport around noon on May 28.  My flight to San Francisco was on time leaving and arriving without incident.   Not so for my partner, Melanie Hoffman, whose plane was delayed over an hour in El Paso.  Fortunately, Melanie was able to secure another flight that got her into Los Angles in time to take the Alaska Airline flight she was supposed to be on.  I arrive at 10:50 PM in Anchorage as scheduled (equivalent of 1:50 AM CDT).  That will give me time to gather my luggage and get the rental car arranged before Melanie arrives at 12:15 AM.  Then its off to the Puffin Inn for the night.  I am excited about breakfast in the morning at one of my favorite restaurants anywhere—Snow City Café.  So after a long days travel of over thirteen hours and a few hours of sleep it will be time to scout the Anchorage area.  It is supposed to be in the 70s this week so all the Alaskans will be at Walmart buying fans for the heat wave they will experience.  They have no idea what heat really is!  

Day 2--After what was a short night—I hardly slept—we woke up at 6:30, had our coffee and then headed down to Snow City Café for breakfast.  This is always my first stop in Anchorage for a meal and as usual it was excellent.  I especially like their raspberry and boysenberry jams on sourdough toast.  The usual wait of 45 minutes is made easier by the beautiful, sunny day and sitting outside with a fresh cup of coffee eating one of their famous pecan sticky bun.  After breakfast Melanie and I headed up to Arctic Valley to do some birding.  Birds were fairly active and we logged Yellow and Yellow-rump Warblers, a Fox Sparrow, Swain son’s Thrush and at the ski lift site we were able to get good pictures of a Golden-crowned Sparrow.  From there we headed to Campbell Creek Bridge to check and see if the American Dippers had an active nest this year and we were rewarded with more pictures.  There is another spot nearby that I usually check out and there we encountered a family who reported an active grizzly near the lake I wanted to check out.  To insure not surprising this animal I used the technique taught me by a park ranger at Glacier--

You shout “hey bear” as you trudge along.  Not much on the lake so we headed to Potter’s Marsh to check it out.  The number and diversity to birds at Potter’s since I came here in 1998 has vastly decreased.  We found the usual Mew and Glaucous-winged Gulls, Red-necked Grebe, several duck species and a very large number of Cackling Geese.  After a brief tour on the boardwalk we called it a day and headed to the hotel for a nap before supper.  We were joined at Moose’s Tooth restaurant by Kim Risen and Larry Vaughn and had a great visit over beer, root beer and pizza.  One my favorite places to eat in Anchorage.  Then we called it a day.

Day 3—Anchorage—This morning Melanie and I joined a group of local birders to participate in the annual Potter’s Marsh Smackdown (so named by the venerable White Keys, president of the local Audubon and real nut).  The contest last from 8 till noon and the area is limited in which to bird with an oath the beginning on a National Geographic Bird Guide written by White Keys.  This was a hoot.  We then headed out with our respective teams to chase down birds.  We ended this contest in 3^rd place with 41 species for the day.  Probably the best bird for us was a Western Wood Pewee but the opportunity to visit with local birders was worth our effort.  A former president of the Texas Ornithological Society, Lynn Barber, recently moved to Anchorage and it was good to see and visit with her again.  Following the contest we had a burger at my favorite hamburger place, WeeBe’s.  Jim, the owner is 91 years old, still works every day and is old school for sure.  He make his own fresh sour dough buns, grinds his own hamburger meat and even makes his own ice cream for the delicious shakes he sells.  Always a treat to return and Jim still at it.  He is an inspiration.  The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping for groceries to take with us to Nome, packing and repacking for our trip there in the morning.  We will meet the group there this coming week and we will do some scouting in hopes of making it easier to locate special birds when the group arrives.  Tonight we are eating the Bridge, a local restaurant specializing in salmon (something Melanie loves) and then head to Eagle River for an AA meeting where I will get my 26 year chip.   (note—if there are grammatical or spelling errors just overlook them.