Living on the Edge of the Sagebrush Ocean
I had resigned myself to being satisfied with the photos I got of the drinking hummingbird when this happened!
This little guy spent a full 5 minutes buzzing around the fountain and it took several quick dips actually bathing. I’m going to post several photos in celebration. 🙂
I bought this fountain 3 years ago as people said hummingbirds found it attractive and would use it to bathe. Finches love it and use it often to drink and bathe in. I have only seen hummingbirds show rare interest in it and never when I had my camera. Finally I was sitting with my camera nearby when one drank from the bubbling top part of the fountain.
I decided to place more trail cameras yesterday and specifically I wanted to place them on the other side of the river. Because of access issues this means a long hike to a foot bridge. By the time it was all said and done it was a 10 mile hike out and back. I wish my pack had been lighter. I probably won’t be checking the cameras on the far bank as often.
I saw a small herd of mule deer and noticed a buck that has been showing up often on the trail cameras. He is already displaying that natural shyness and hang back quality that bucks show more readily than the does. All the deer looked healthy and are starting to sport their summer reddish coats. In the fall and winter their coats are grey. No fawns yet as it is too early. Maybe in another month the little ones will be tagging along.
I was amazed to see two pair of Wood Ducks quite high up in a tree together. I hope they are nesting in the area. I would love to see them with ducklings on one of the several ponds.
This little bunny accommodated me by sitting still long enough for a photo. The rabbit is displaying it’s cotton ball tail nicely demonstrating its apt name – Cottontail.
I walked the dog early this morning so I could get out to the river. I sat for a while along the path the Bobcat takes in hopes of seeing it in person and getting some photographs. No luck. It’s going to take a lot of patience to ever get an in-person sighting. No walk is ever a waste of time. It was lovely out there today.
This House Wren and a Northern Flicker seemed to be competing for a hole in a large cottonwood tree. No doubt the Flicker made the hole and the wren was bug hunting inside.
It is difficult to get close to Flickers so I was pleased to get these photos.
On the way out I caught sight of this wild horse across the river. I have seen him a couple of times before in the distance. He is a mature stallion and looks quite healthy. It is unusual to see feral horses alone. Since he is older, I can only assume he has lost his mares to another stallion. Younger males without mares hang out in bachelor bands. Horses are so social that this kind of behavior is out of the ordinary.
This is a typical landscape of the area I am walking in. The cottonwood trees are getting serious about leafing out now. Small ponds like the one in the foreground are starting to fill up. The river is running fast and full of snow melt from the Sierra Nevada west of here.
I checked my cameras yesterday after leaving them out three weeks longer than in years past. No Mountain Lion photos for approximately 6 weeks now. The Bobcat or Bobcats remain quite active. I think I am seeing two different Bobcats. One appears to be smaller and lighter colored.
The Bobcat in the first two photos appears to be a lighter color than the one posted below. Maybe its just the light. I don’t know how to tell them apart.
The Mule Deer bucks are already sprouting horn growth. The rate of growth will be another interesting observable visual over the next few months. I am looking forward to seeing fawns show up soon as well.
I always carry my camera with me when hiking into this area and I did get some geese photos. I saw a beaver as well but didn’t get any photos of it. One pair of geese already have a healthy brood following them while others are just setting up housekeeping.
What a difference a couple of weeks makes. The last few months it has been so quiet out there. Winter silence has passed. The bird song, quacking and honking was ever present yesterday as I made my way along the trails. Tending the cameras year-round will motivate me to make more trips and hikes along the river. It will be interesting to see what wildlife I spot in person over the summer.
I’ve been spending time at the ponds trying to get quality photos of the Ospreys fishing. No luck as of yet. They have shown up, but to capture a great photo it takes lots of clicks. When their babies hatch they will be fishing more often and many more opportunities will arise. While waiting somewhat patiently, there are lots of subjects to focus on. The Mergansers and Cormorants are catching lots of fish. When going through the photos of them gulping their fish this quote from the film, “The Two Towers,” keeps going through my head. Smeagol turns down Sam’s offer of rabbit stew stating that he likes his food raw and wriggling. Apparently that food choice applies to these birds as well.
I did get one photo of the Osprey with a fish but it’s not as sharp as I would like. The action happens incredibly fast and that’s why it takes a lot of exposures to get great shots. I’ll keep trying.
I saw this small female Merganser with this rather large fish. I have no idea how she can possibly eat this!
For years I have ventured out to the ponds at Verdi to take photos of birds, mostly Osprey fishing. These ponds are perfect for capturing the action as they are small, stocked with fish often and the Osprey are acclimated to people. I haven’t had any luck with fishing Osprey this year yet but have had fun photographing the other visitors to the ponds.
I’ve never had much luck with Great Blue Herons as they are pretty spooky, and I can’t get close. I had one yesterday be amazingly cooperative.
I was fortunate enough to see two bald eagles visiting the ponds as well. This is most likely a mated pair. They couldn’t decide who should have the best spot in the pine tree.
An Osprey did come by but not to fish. The Osprey was not happy the Eagle was roosting in the tree and harassed it for some time. The Osprey’s have a nest near here and I’m sure it is disconcerting to have these large predatory birds in the neighborhood.
My trail camera sets picked up quite a few photos of Bobcats over the winter. The nice thing about the smaller cats is that they often show up during the daylight hours affording better pictures.
Checking the time stamp shows that these animals are not averse to wandering around in the middle of the day. I have sat out on some of their more traveled trails in camouflage as I would so like to capture them with my real camera. They are so beautiful! No luck so far. I’ll keep trying.
It’s always an extra bonus to get a photo of a predator with prey. The photo below shows a Bobcat with a cottontail rabbit in its mouth. This area has abundance of rabbits, both cottontails and jackrabbits. Bobcats also prey on birds, mice, voles and human’s small pets.
Lots of folks have told me that Bobcats will move out if Mountain Lions are in the area. I think the photos show that isn’t always true. The fact that the Lions seem to be primarily or possibly exclusively nocturnal may be why the smaller Bobcats are choosing to hunt during the day.
I’m most likely capturing the same Bobcat. I have no way of knowing or telling them apart. The one I’m seeing looks very healthy and well fed. Just like with the Mountain Lions I am looking forward to seeing and chronicling their summertime activities this year. Hopefully kittens will show up following mama Bobcat soon.
Desert Bighorn’s are a conservation success story in Nevada. From a low population estimate in 1960 of 1500 to 2000 animals they are estimated to be at 12,000 as of the summer of 2023. This is the direct result of careful management by the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the hard work of sportsman and sportswoman in organizations such as the Wild Sheep Foundation and Nevada Bighorns Unlimited. In the last 4 years populations have suffered from severe drought and disease but are still at healthy levels.
I took these photos in Central Nevada last November. Desert Bighorns have become a photographic obsession for me. They are majestic animals, marvelously adapted to their harsh environment. They can go for long periods of time without water, and they thrive in the steep, rocky mountains of the high desert. They blend into their surroundings quite well with their light gray coats. Even their white rumps, which most often give them away, are easily mistaken for rocks until they move.
Lack of water sources and diseases, most often passed on to them from domestic sheep, are limiting factors in the growth of Bighorn Sheep populations. The installation of guzzlers across the Sheep’s current and former ranges have been life saving for current bands and allowed for the expansion and maintenance of Sheep. Guzzlers are water collecting and storage devices of various designs that allow large and small animals and birds to have access to water across Nevada and other arid states. These guzzlers store rainwater and snow melt in cisterns so that during the dryer part of the year there is water available for animals and birds. Some of the larger guzzlers can be filled by helicopter drops of water in dire circumstances. Most of these are installed by volunteers from several sportsman, sportswomen groups in cooperation with the Nevada Department of Wildlife. All desert life benefits.
Hunting has little impact on the population as only around 180 tags are issued each year. These are highly coveted tags as it is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most hunters. I did receive a tag for the 2023 season and harvested a beautiful mature ram. I will tell that story another time.
I am finally able to get back out and start taking photos again. I was hoping to get Ospreys fishing pictures today, but I settled for this rather handsome Cormorant with a fish. After squatting in fresh snow by the pond for a couple of hours I took my wet feet home.
It’s amazing how the Cormorant’s beak has evolved to have the perfect hook for gripping and manipulating fish.
Northern Desert Photography 