Karen and I have done a Raptor count for the East Cascades Audubon Society for the last 6 years. We enjoy a reason to get out and do a little Raptor watching. We normally start in Nov and do them each month ending in March. I finally got a Digital SLR, so this trip was a bit of an introduction to the camera. The run is 158 miles and takes us about 5 hours to do it.
Don 't forget, to see the pictures full screen, click on it to see, back button to resume reading.
Of course a picture of the Steen's is necessary for the beginning. Then we have the wild horse that has been hanging around the Hwy. on the way to Burns Jct. I am not sure where he gets his water. There is none anywhere visible. Sam, next door, keeps various tanks full of water, scattered around the area here.
The Great Horned Owls are setting on eggs that should be hatching soon, The females on the nest are easily sighted, but the males require some effort to find.
Redtails are the most numerous Raptors on the route, but some of them do not exhibit the normal color phases.
I am sorry that I did not take any pictures of the "normal" color phases, so you will have to look it up if you want to know what they normally look like.
There are quite a few Pheasants in Arock. (a small community, on our route ) The plentiful game that can be found here is one of the main reasons that we decided to retire here.
There was another Great Horned Owl nest by this pond. The Cinnamon Teal and the Mallards don't seem to be bothered by them. The Ground Squirrels (Beldings Ground Squirrel ) are around but not in the numbers that they are sometimes found.
We even saw a Rock Chuck, but there was no chance to even get a fuzzy photo of it. I believe that sighting is the second that I have seen here in the four years that I have been running around this part of the country.
The Chukar is another of the upland game birds that can be found here. This one was in a gal's yard on our route.
The Swans are on their way back to their breeding grounds in the Artic.
Antelope abound in the area. There are Deer in certain secluded areas, but the Antelope can bee any where.
Sandhill Cranes are starting to come in to rest and feed in the fields before continuing on their way back.
We also saw the first Turkey Vulture of the year just outside of Jordan Valley.
Finally here is a picture of the "Pillars of Rome" and the final area that we survey on our trip.
We counted 36 Redtails, 4 American Kestrals, 1 Northern Harrier, 3 Bald Eagles, 9 Golden Eagles, 8 American Rough Legs, 1 Prairie Falcon, 1 Sharpshin Hawk and 5 Great Horned Owls.
The Raptors are moving back into their breeding areas, and cleaning out nests, establishing breeding territories.
Posts
