Great Basin Wildlife

There seemed to be less Pronghorn in the valley this year, but that could be as much to do with it being a drier year than last as the activity. Occasionally, one or two would walk by quite close.

I hardly saw any shrikes in the area in March, but they were quite common in April. The contrasting black and white wing patches and fluttering flight are eye-catching.

Sage Thrashers are the other common large perching bird. Rarely do I get a nice clear and close look. This look didn't last until the next frame snapped on a continuous photo burst.

I turned in this photo on bugguide.net to find out what it was. These beetles were gigantic and fairly common in the valley. It turns out that they are a kind of Darkling Beetle called a Desert Stink Beetle in the genus Eleodes. Maybe even E. obscurus.

I stopped by the Great Horned Owl nest the morning before I left to see how the owlets were doing. Both fuzzy nestlings, plus both adults, peaked out from their nest.

Uinta Chipmunk

This confiding little fellow climbed down a tree near me along the summit trail at Great Basin National Park. Page 54 of this great mammal guide to Great Basin describes the Uinta Chipmunk as having more dorsal stripes than the Cliff Chipmunk and fewer side stripes than the Least Chipmunk.

Great Basin Scenes

Last week a strong front came through, bringing quite a bit of rain with it. I couldn't see the mountains around Ely due to the rain as I drove back to town.

Even when the thermometer says it is cool, if there is bright and intense sunlight, it feels hot. Everything looks like an impressionist painting in the distance, including this Pronghorn.

When I was in Ely in March I was there for the full moon. I wish I had been more aware and had caught it rising above the Schell Creek range. It looked gigantic. This past trip took me there over the new moon. I drove to mountain pass at three am and got out to enjoy the completely dark sky and the milky way. I haven't quite mastered the art of taking pictures of night skies.

Another picture from March. In March the snow made hiking in the mountains nearly impossible. In April the mountain trails were perfect.

Great Basin Birds

Red-breasted Nuthatches were very common and friendly in the forest above 10,000 feet on Sunday morning. Several landed right next to me as they passed through the area feeding.

Yellow-headed Blackbirds got to Comins Lake just a little before I did this year. Here the sunset lights up a male near the lake.

Bushtits act like and hang out with Ruby-crowned Kinglets, combing the shrubs along Cleve Creek. It is very hard to get one to sit still for a photo.

Nestling Horned Larks beg for food out in the valley.

Again this year I spotted an Osprey in Spring Valley. Must be passing on through...

A Pied-billed Grebe patrols his part of the marsh at Comins Lake.

Marsh Wrens will sing incessantly from deep inside the bulrushes. This guy stepped out into the open for a brief second.

Western Meadowlarks didn't seem to prefer the open valley, instead they were usually on the edge of the valley where there were scattered trees.

Golden Eagle Taking Flight

I was driving back from work, when I saw a Golden Eagle sitting beside the road. I wonder if there was some roadkill, since when I stopped, there were three Golden Eagles in the general vicinity. I enjoyed how massive the talons and primaries look.

American Three-toed Woodpecker

American Three-toed Woodpecker

A view of Mt. Wheeler from high above the Summit Trailhead. I felt like I could have quickly gotten there, but that will have to wait for another time. Things would have dramatically changed if the snow got softer.

One of the 'decoys'. I normally enjoy seeing Hairy Woodpeckers, but not when I am searching for an ATTW. The Hairy's seemed to be everywhere. Plus, there were Red-shafted Flickers and even a Red-naped Sapsucker to add to the woodpecker mix.

Last Sunday, my friend/coworker visited Great Basin National Park and reported seeing a Three-toed Woodpecker. I had not even seriously considered these as a possible species to chase. The only problem was I had to work on Saturday and was leaving on Sunday. I decided to head up to the Summit Trailhead on the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive on Tuesday after work. It was a nice sunny day in the valley, but it was cloudy, windy, and stormy at the top of the mountain. The birds were very quiet, and I had no luck with the ATTW. I thought that if I had a chance on Sunday, I'd make a try for it. I got up at four, shooting to see the sunrise on the mountain. It was a glorious morning, the sun was bright, the sky was clear and calm, and all the birds were singing. The snow was still frozen hard enough that I didn't sink. I had about three hours to search. I didn't find the guy until less than an hour before leaving for the airport. It was such a relief to find him.

Great Horned Owl Nest

A couple of days after first seeing the three adult Great Horned Owls at the Steptoe Valley Wildlife Management Area headquarters, I stopped by again as I was birding in the area. The manager and I started chatting in the drive, right about from where this picture was taken. Suddenly, the top image came into focus. Both parents were sitting there with their two fluffy nestlings. The nest is located right in the center of the photo, on that main trunk that goes straight up.

A little bit closer view of the nest. These western cottonwood trees all seem to have a funny habit of keeping dense clusters of dead twigs. I am sure that wildlife appreciates this characteristic.

Looking out across the Steptoe Valley Wildlife Management Area towards Ely from near the headquarters.

The Great Horned Owl family appears to only grudgingly welcome the morning sun. The nest is located right off the route to my work site, so it is convenient to check up on the progress of this great family.

Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge

A Northern Harrier watches the sunrise from his roost in the marsh.

Greater Roadrunner on top of a bluff.

Western Kingbirds were everywhere, and fairly noisy as well. Cassin's Kingbirds show up at the refuge, so I had to keep my eye on them.

A gorgeous Bullock's Oriole shows off briefly. I could hear orioles in several different trees, but I had very little luck catching glimpses of them. Of course I was also looking for Hooded Orioles.

Rock Wren

Black Phoebe

Taking my siesta in the shade beside Upper Pahranagat Lake. The day got up into the nineties, and I had gotten on the road by three, so it was nice to relax.

Last Saturday I visited Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge near Alamo, Nevada. The refuge is located in a valley on the edge of the Great Basin and Mohave Desert. The variety of habitats, including lake and wetlands attract many birds. I struck out on several birds (Verdin, Phainopepla, several different Thrashers), so I might have to go again if I get a chance.

Wilson's Phalarope

A beautiful phalarope was swimming around a pond at Pahranagat NWR.

Gambel's Quail

Gambel's Quail were one of the species I was hoping to see at Pahranagat NWR. I had seen them before in Arizona, but they are such cute birds. I couldn't get them to cooperate by having the sun at my back, but at least they cooperated by holding still for a second.

Mount Irish Rock Art

Princess Pahranagat anthropomorph

View back down towards the Pahranagat Valley

Here is the description from the brochure: "Unique to the Pahranagat Valley is the anthropomorph called the "Pahranagat man". This amazing Pahranagat figure is approximately two feet tall."

"One of the large Pahranagat anthropomorphs, this bird-like figure is positioned approximately 4.5 feet up the boulder face. Its head and left arm are partially covered by lichen. From its prominent location, it is surrounded by other petroglyph panels of figurative motifs."

I was chatting with a volunteer naturalist at Pahranagat NWR, and she mentioned this rock art location. It struck my fancy, so I decided to head there on the way home. The turn of SR318 was not marked, and had a barbed wire gate that lead to a gravel road. The road headed up into the hills. I was glad that the hand-drawn map had pretty accurate mileages. Needless to say, the area had a fairly isolated feeling. It became almost a challenge to find some of the pieces of art. I enjoyed the setting and the artwork.