Birding in My Airstream 2007

Pictures from Nome

2007-11-26T11:06:00.001-08:00

Velvet in her favorite place.

Wood frames of the boats they stretch female walrus skins over.

Nome at 11:00 amSnow Bunting
McKay's Bunting

McKay's and Snow Buntings
Musk Ox

Chrystie and her lead dog.

Nome, Alaska and the end of the sparrow hunt.

2007-11-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

On Thanksgiving Day I flew to Seattle, Anchorage, Kotsebue and then Nome. I left at 5:00 pm Thursday and got to Nome at 9:30 am the next morning. Since I was flying standby this was great. I did not get bumped. It had to be a very quick trip because I knew I could not fly on Sunday. I would have been bumped for sure. I carried all my camera equiptment on board which was a trick. Needless to say I did not take any extra clothes. I just took a coat and hat etc. Since I was not planning to get a hotel anywhere I did not take a change of clothes. I figured I could buy clothes if I got bumped and had to stay somewhere. I could not buy a camera or lense. I did not need to worry. I made all my flights and had a wonderful time. Kotsebue is above the Artic Circle. I was excited about being there and had a stewardess take my picture on the stairs of the airplane. I could not put one foot on the ground or I would have had to go through security again. Since I did not want to do that I stayed on the stairs. It was about 8:00 am and very dark. The pilot gave me a card that said he certified I crossed the Artic Circle on this date and then he signed it. It is a great memento. :)
Richard Beneville, my guide, met me at the airport and we were on the road. The first wildlife we saw out the Teller road was a herd of about 20 Musk Ox. I was so excited that I rushed to get my camera and tripod out of my carry on luggage and forgot to reset my camera. I now have many blury pictures of the Musk Ox crossing right in front of me. I can not believe it. It was a chance in a life time but it was all my fault. A few pictures did look ok.
Nome is a town of about 3,500 people on the edge of the Bering Straight. It is on the tundra. There are no trees just low willows and other low shrubs and grasses. There are NO roads to Nome from outside. To get there you have to fly or take a ship (in the summer). You could take a dog sled from Anchorage 1,000 miles away like the Idirod racers do (smile). Nome is where the race ends. Nome is about a 2 hour air flight from Anchorage. The ocean was not frozen over yet, however there were "rocks" on the beach made out of solid ice.
A man in town found a young, hurt reindeer a few years ago and took it home and adopted it. Velvet, the reindeer, is now an adult who has a very cozy pen however she gets very upset if she is left at home when the man goes to town. She jumps in the back of the pickup and rides along where ever he goes. She is wonderful. Her horns were just cut off but she usually has a full rack. What a kick!
The sun was up about 5 hours total. It comes up in the south and sets in the south. It was a bit disconcerting for someone who is very concious of directions at all times. :)
After many other side trips we finally headed out to Icy View, the housing track where the McKay's Buntings were reported to be. I was chomping at the bit by now worrying about light for pictures etc. I saw them on the phone lines right away and almost jumped out of the truck before it stopped. I saw a mixed flock of about 40 McKay's and Snow Buntings. There were just a few Snow Buntings and the rest were all ages of McKays. Wow!!!! I photographed them on the ground about 15 feet from me. They would swirl around me (about 6 feet above my head) making their churping sounds and then land again. They were very flighty and I thought that was just their nature. Then... I looked up and saw a Gyrfalcon fly by. Wow!! again. Peter Bente, the Fish and Game person whose house I was at, said the falcons come by often to check out the flock of buntings. What a treat. I got great pictures of the buntings and I am in love with McKay's Buntings. What a beautiful bird. I stood there about 45 minutes but finally got too cold to continue. I want to go back and really spend some time observing them. Mr. Bente says that by March there can be up to 150 birds in the flock before they head off to the St. Matthew and Hall Islands to breed. Something to look forward to.
A note about McKay's Buntings. There are estimated to be about 30,000 of the birds in the world. They breed on the two tundra covered islands in the Bering Sea and come to the west coast of Alaska in the winter. They stay in Nome all winter. Even when it is dark they are still there. They feed in the twilight that stands in for daylight in the north.
I also met a young 16 year old girl who races in the Jr. Iditarod. I went out to her dog lot and met her and her dogs. I wanted to get a sled ride however it has been too warm and there was not enough snow to run the sled. Global warming in action. I want to have my class sponser her this year. The race is in March. It will be fun to check out her progress.
I was awake about 50 hours total and very tired when I got back to Long Beach. (I just took cat naps where ever I could) I slept the rest of Saturday and was as good as new.
I am sad that the sparrow hunt is over. I will turn in my paperwork on Tuesday. It has been a fun year and I will never look at a little brown bird the same way again. I am looking forward to looking at other birds but sparrows will get my attention. They are still my favorite family of birds.

Take care. Happy birding!
Donelda

Oklahoma - 2007

2007-11-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

What sparrow is this. :)
Hint - Look at the tertials.

Getting ready to drag for Yellow Rails.

Fall Colors

A surprised deer.

Home of Smith's and Lapland Longspurs.

California - Great Horned Owl

2007-11-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

Oklahoma Sparrows

2007-11-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

November in Oklahoma is a wonderful place to look for sparrows. The Tall Grass Prairie, in north eastern Oklahoma, is awash with many colors of gold, orange and brown. The wind is blowing and the birds are everywhere. I can remember the many miles I traveled to see the same birds in far apart places during breeding season this summer. In the summer they were easy to find once I got to the correct habitat because they were singing. Now they are not singing but they are in mixed flocks calling and flitting around in the bushes and grasses. There are juvinals, first year birds as well as adults in various stages of plumages. Wow. What fun!

This summer I had contacted Bonnie Gall who lives in Bartlesville . She agreed to be our contact when we came and she was wonderful.(Jan Wilson from Long Beach came also) Bonnie had local biologists go out with us two of the three days. It helped to have local people with us to add their knowledge and experience. We were taken to the right habitat and shown where to look. I now know what grass to look for to find Smith's Longspurs. Thank you Bonnie!!

I worked hard to find my only Le Conte's Sparrow this summer in North Dakota. They are everywhere in OK in the winter. I got great pictures of a juvi and an adult. They had nice bright colors and were about 6 feet from me. :)I actually stopped taking pictures after finding them the fourth time in some tangle beside the road. Now, taking pictures of the Lapland Longspur and Smith's Longspur was not even a possibility. We got looks of them flying UP and AWAY (giving their calls) never to be seen again. We did get multiple views of the Lapland flying away. We only got one chance with the Smith's after a phesant flushed them. I will have to go to Alaska to get pictures of both of them on their breeding grounds. The weather was very warm so finding the longspurs and American Tree Sparrows was a challenge. They are still up north where it is warm. They were not there in their typical numbers because of the heat. We did see two ATSP's but not where we could study them in detail. Again I did not take pictures. The ATSP's had not formed their typical flocks yet but were hanging out with junco's etc in the undergrowth.

We found lots of plumages and ages of other sparrows. We found 15-16 sparrows total! Harris Sparrows were in high profile as were Field Sparrows, Slate-colored Juncos, White-crowned Sparrows, White-throated Sparrow, Swamp, Vespers, Chipping, and Song Sparrows. One day we even went to find a rare Snow Bunting that had been seen for a week in Red Slough in south east Ok. (We did not find it :( But that was ok.) We did find a Yellow Rail and the Le Conte's. We ended up birding in Oklahama, Kansas, Arkansas, and were about 1/2 a mile from Texas. What a great time.

I can not stress enough how great fall is in Oklahoma. There are great places to go, great birders to connect with and wonderful birds. Give it a try!

Back at School

2007-10-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hi, I am back at school and working hard. My next sparow trip is in November to Oklahoma. I will not publish anything until then. Take care, Donelda

Arizona Birding

2007-08-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have spent the last 4 days birding HARD. I met Roy Poucher's group on Friday at 4:00 am (that is 4 in the morning) We headed for the Five-stripe Sparrow. The news was that Calif Gulch was not passable so we went down Warsaw Canyon which is the other end of the loop road to Calif Gulch. I am using the term road but trail would fit better. The road is graded about every 10 years. It has rained here and the "road" had water crossings, a surface of rocks of all sizes, deep ruts and was very narrow and steep in places. I have been there 3 times in the past so had an idea of what to expect. We were following someone's directons to the sparrow. We found the spot but even with 10 plus people looking I could not photo or find a bird that looked like a Five-stripe to me. I have seen the bird before so have a picture in my head of their looks. After a few hours of this we decided to go back out and come in to Calif Gulch. The idea was to drive as far as possible and hike in the rest of the way. (You can tell I really wanted that bird.) The hike would have been about four miles in the Arizona heat. The road was not any worse than Warsaw so we drove the whole distance and got to the saddle parking. The spot looks very different because of all the green growth from the rains. It is easy to miss landmarks. We walked down the old Calif Gulch road that is blocked to cars and found two singing males. Yeah! It took us most of the day but we did it. I now have running boards on my car with waves in them. One puddle was too deep to drive through so we had to go around it between a tree and a large rock. I ran up on the side of a bank and against the rock on the left on the way in and on the right on the way out. Now I match. :)
Hannah has become an official bird dog. She made it to the bottom of Calif Gulch and thanks to Linda Gray she made it up. I was carring my big camera and recording gear and Linda had Hannah on the lead. I stumbled up the trail ahead and when I turned around at the top I was amazed. Linda had Hannah over her shoulders and was carring her. Hannah, a 60 pound dog, just lay on her shoulders panting. I owe Linda!!!
They say the romance of the Five-stripe is getting there. I agree. It is very close to the Mexican border. Signs warn of smuggling and illegals. There are no trespassing signs everywhere and Border Patrol is on all the dirt roads. There was even a helicopter over head at one time. Now that I think of it we never saw Border Patrol on Calif Gulch. One officer I talked to said he had never been down there. That might be telling. What an adventure!
The rest was fun. We got every bird we wanted. I picked up lots of sub-species I needed and now I am headed for Calif. I was going to stop at Salton Sea for two more however it was 112 there yesterday so I will leave here at 4:00 am and drive in the cool. Even the airconditioner in the trailer can not keep up and Hannah is having a hard time. I will be in California tomorrow night. I will not be at my home for another week though. I can't believe it. It has been a long time. I have been gone 9 weeks, traveled about 12,000 miles and have been in 21 states.
The sparrow hunt is not over though. I am going with a friend to Salton Sea on Sat and will leave the trailer and Hannah at my brother's.
I have been thinking about the few other sparrows I have left to get and I think I will be booking some airline flights. More to come.
Donelda

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More Pictures from Texas

2007-08-13T16:18:00.001-07:00

More Pictures from Texas

2007-08-13T16:14:00.001-07:00

More Pictures from a Blind in Arizona

2007-08-13T15:21:00.001-07:00

Pictures from a Blind in Arizona

2007-08-13T15:17:00.001-07:00

Pictures from Big Bend

2007-08-13T14:31:00.001-07:00

Arizona

2007-08-11T05:58:00.000-07:00

I now have my truck fixed and enjoying a very green Arizona. I went to a wonderful place today that is set up just for photographers. It is near Elephant Head below Green Valley on about five acres. The owner, Bill Forbes, has a pond, portable blinds, all kinds of perches that can be moved around and lots of birds. I had the place to myself and had a ball. I hope to go back next week if he has an opening. He keeps it to one photographer or one group so you can set it up the way you want it. I highly recomend it if you want to shoot the birds of this area. We had a nice thunder storm just now. Lots of thunder and rain. It will keep everything green. I am meeting a group of birders at 4:00 am to go to California Gulch near the Mexican border for the Five-stripe Sparrow. It is way out a dirt road so I hope the water soaks in fast.
I took my recording gear to the local Radio Shack and found a wonderful young man who fixed my mic so I am back in business. I missed a lot of sounds in Texas but hope to pick up some here. He also taught me to fix it myself next time. What a deal.
Take care. Donelda
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Greetings from Big Bend

2007-08-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

Big Bend is a great big beautiful place. Last night we watched a herd of javelina or peccary cross the road. There were all ages and sizes including babies. A book I was reading said they smell like skunk and uses the scent for territorial marking. All the signs say do not leave out food and the park provides "bear" boxes to protect food if you are in a tent. It also says flatten your tent before going off for the day or they will tear it up because they are curious. It was so much fun to see them come out of the bushes and work their way across the road.
We continued on down the road stopping constantly to look at Common Poorwills sitting on the road. Our headlights attracted bugs (I think) they took advantage of. They were always in pairs and just missed the truck as they flew around.
Today we went out and listened for Black-throated Sparrows and found them singing their tinkly song everywhere - after we turned off the air and rolled down the windows. :) It was early so the heat was not so bad.
Just as we got into the campground the truck started to make a sound. It turned out one of my power stearing hoses has a leak. So instead of leaving tomorrow we hooked up and drove to El Paso, Texas with me putting fluid in every 60 miles or so. I will drop Jan off at the airport early and be at the dealer when they open. Hopefully they will fix it quickly and I can head for Green Valley in Arizona. I am looking for a few more sparrows before I head for home.
I will miss Jan. She is great company and does a great job of navigating and finding out what birds are where. She also had us doing crossword puzzles on the road which makes the time go faster on those long days.
Jan and I stopped to take some scenic shots. The Silverleaf bush with its beautiful purple flowers and delicate scent are everywhere. There has been an unusual amount of rain. It started in March and is still coming. All the ocotillo has had leaves since spring. Usually they drop their leaves when the rains stop.
We also found Painted Buntings at a spring today. I got some photos that I hope turn out. It is too late to look at them tonight. (They did not look that great)
Take care. Donelda
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2007-08-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

South Texas

2007-08-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

This blog is for the last four days. I have been so busy birding I have not found time to post.
I am now as far south as I can go and still be in United States. I am in Brownsville on the Rio Grande River. It is hot and muggy as always but are there great birds. We visited the historic King Ranch and went out with a bird guide today. The ranch is as large as Rhode Island and still in the family of the founder. We saw three new sparrows. Botteri's, Olive and Cassin's. I got pictures of two. I need a good one of the Cassin's Sparrow still. All three were singing which helps us find them. We just drove the ranch road with our heads out the open window listening until we heard the birds singing. We are going with a different guide tomorrow to see some other Texas specialities. I think I can survive not looking at sparrows for one day.
We saw Ferruginous Pygmy Owls tonight. They had just fledged and were in a back yard. Our guide for tomorrow showed them to us as we sat in lawn chairs. They flew around and bathed in a bird bath in the yard. What fun!!
I have posted some other pictures of wildlife we are seeing. The spider was about 3x4 inches. I have seen them in different places along the Texas coast. . Now, the frog was about two inches long. I would like to know what kind so I will look for books on Texas spiders and frogs. There are deer everywhere. This one stood still for me to shoot. Most run away before I get the car stopped.
I have not been labeling the sparrow pictures. It will give readers that are birders something to do. (Smile)
At Benston State Park we found the Greater Kiskadee flying around near its nest with a rodent. It flew up with it to it's nest then next to another adult. They made a lot of noise calling and fluttering. I do not know if it was for its young or for its mate. We did not hear young and it is a big mouthfull for babies. It may have been an offering for its mate. It flew around with it for a good 3 to 4 minutes. Great fun watching the behavior.
We went out on a pontoon boat and saw the Mangrove Warbler which is a subspecies of the Yellow Warbler. It has a bright "rusty-reddish" head. Wow, what a bird.
We then went to an Old Port Isabela Road near Brownsville Texas and I got some great pictures of the Cassin' Sparrow. Yeah, just what I wanted. The Cassin's was sitting on a cactus just like it was talked about in the books. It was also sky-larking and singing all over the place. Nice.
We then hooked up and headed for San Ygnacio for the White-collared Seedeater. I was awake most of the night worrying about getting it. The Seedeater is a hard bird to get because the range is right on the Mexican border and there are very few of them. I think there was only one breeding pair reported this year. Again, our luck held and we got both male and female. I snapped pictures of the male as he was singing. :)
I am enjoying Texas so much. I have read about these places in the bird literature and Sylvia's diaries for years and now I know what they look and feel like. When I read something now I will be able to picture it. Everywhere has been so green and birdy with lots of breeding evidence. It is a great time to be here. If you can stand the heat. :)
Today we birded Big Bend National park. It is the second largest park in the system. We were going for the Colima Warbler which usually includes a 10 plus mile hike. We packed our stuff last night. I had to leave the 500 lense behind. It was a hard decision but I knew I could not carry it up 1,500 feet gain of the trail. I did take the 100-400 lense and got pictures and good views of the Colima Warbler, Black-capped Vireo, Rufous-crowned Sp, Scott's Oriole, Black-chinned Sp, juvenile Spotted Towhee, Blue Grosbeak and Mexican Jay. There were more birds but that is the highlights. All were singing which sure helps with finding and ID'ing them.
We have two more days here and lots to do and see. The area is very beautiful. It has had a lot of rain and is VERY green withgreat purple flowers everywhere. We are told this is the exception. Usually it is much browner and drier. I am happy to experience the Chihuahuan Desert at this time.
There is an afternoon storm brewing so I want to go and watch the show and more birds to see.
Take care. Donelda

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2007-08-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Seaside Sparrow. Adult and Juvenile

2007-08-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

Bachman's Again and Again

2007-07-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

They say the third time is the charm. I guess they are correct. I picked up Jan at the airport on Sunday in the middle of a thunder storm and headed up I-40 from Little Rock to the Bachman's site. I did not have high hopes. We got out and set up the camera and played the song at a few places. Nothing but Field Sparrows. At about the fourth spot we head some quiet chips and saw some movement in an Oak near us. Bingo, it was a quiet Bachman's. He sat there for a long time and preened and ignored us. I blazed away. :) Then a car came by and we thought it was over. Wrong. He came back and gave us different views, flew to some low open bushes sat for a bit and then dove into the shrubs. Wow! Great views and OK pictures. However, I did take about 75 of them.
We came back to the trailer and hooked up and headed to Texas at 6:00 pm. We got a camp site ahead of time and rolled into Texarkana about 10:00 pm. It was a great park WAY out in the bush by a lake and very dark. I had trouble seeing a space and then backing into it in the dark. Again, a very nice family volunteered to help. The man backed the trailer in and we turned on the air. Boy, is it hot and muggy but we have birds!
We birded the park in the morning and got Pileated Woodpecker etc. We then headed for the Texas coast to find the Seaside Sparrow. We are in Galveston Island State Park.
We got up early this morning and drove across the road from our campsite to the salt marsh area and played a few songs. Up popped a male AND it turns out a juvenile. I got some great pictures of both adult and juvenile. There was also a little territory stuff going on when another bird (darker) flew in and was chased off(?). It was a great opportunity. We are sitting on a free! Ferry headed for Bolivar State Beach. It was one of my favorite places when I was here a few years ago. I bought a scope because of this beach :). It did not take a lot of convincing.
We plan to head for Goose Island State Park later this afternoon. It is near Aransas National Wildlife Refuge of Whooping Crane fame. They will not be there at this time of year. Although the woman on the phone said there is one that did not migrate however it is out on Matagorda Island - huge area, no roads, no bridge, no chance. So, no Whooping Crane Other birds will be there though.
Wearing glasses in this climate is interesting. They steam up every time I go from air conditioning to outside. This morning I thought it was very foggy. I did not realize it was my glasses for a few minutes. I had to laugh at myself.
There are gulls here called Laughing Gulls. They are very vocal and I love the sound. They called all the way across the ferry ride. Great music.
Take care, Donelda
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Bachman's Again

2007-07-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

I came back to Conway, Arkansas to meet Jan on Sunday. I contacted a local birder who works for the Nature Conservancy and has seen the sparrow on Camp Robinson off of I-40 near here. He is going to take me out Sat to see if we can find it. I have been studying their song again. They sound like a cross between an Eastern Towhee and a Swamp Sparrow. Hope I hear them and get a recording. We will need luck.
I did not leave Oklahoma until 2:00 pm because of the tire delivery so I just wanted to get here. I found a Cajun radio station and a big yellow 18 wheeler who was going 70 mph. I bounced along to the music, kept the yellow truck in view and made record time.
Since I will be here a few days I set out my flamingos. I know... But I do have an Airstream and it seems to be traditional. I have a light strip one for the window (pink lights :)) and 6 whirly-gig ones that stick in the ground and the wind makes the wings twirl. I put these out and later I noticed about 10 plus Robins and Cardinals out the window. They were hovering and flying around, landing on the trees and peeking around the trunks. It turns out they were very upset about the flamingos. These pink birds were invading their teritiory. It was funny to watch. They have now given up. Maybe they will find the seed I sprinkled out there and ignore the plastic birds. I am backed up to the swollen Arkansas River again with lots of trees and big grassy sites. The name of the park put me off so much I almost did not come here but it is in the town where the Bachman's are near. The name of the state park is Toad Suck. I need to find out where the name came from. It is not your run of the mill name.
I was invited to dinner at the home of some fellow camper's son. Great lasagna and company. People are very friendly and helpful. I had parked next to this couple last time I was here and needed to get on the roof of my trailer. Wayne, the man, said, "I will pull my truck up beside the trailer and you can climb up on it and I will give you a boost on to the roof". He did and I got on the roof. Expensive ladder but effective. I think I will get a ladder attached to the trailer. I can not count on friendly strangers all the time.
Take care,
Donelda
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Ms. Warhurst, Brittany and Gizmo in Oklahoma

2007-07-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

2007-07-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

Hannah's Nightmare

Flycatchers in Oklahoma

2007-07-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

I went out birding with Brittany this morning to see a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Drove the dirt roads and visited a park. She took pictures and used my extra binos. We started a blog for her. If you want to visit it email me. Anyway I did not get good pictures of the flycatcher. I listened to their sound and when I got back to the trailer guess what is nesting in a tree in front of the trailer? A scissor-tail flycatcher. They have a king bird sound and they are flying around, but act very spooky. No pictures. LATER - I got the flycatcher on a pink flowered bush. Very cutesy (spelling?)
After reading my blog at Brittany's I realized I left out some things. As if I have not said enough. :)
Anyway, when we were on the bird trip in ND a friend, Chuck, had an accident with his BIG camera and lens. We were photographing the Baird's sparrow and it was windy. Chuck's hat blew off and he bent down to get it. His camera went down and broke apart. Ouch!! He has since sent it in and is getting it repaired but it shut his trip down. I have always wore the lense strap around my neck and now I am very careful about it. That is what I was thinking about on the boat when my hat flew off. It can happen so quick.
The other thing I wanted to say was at Lake Itaska and the headwaters of the Mississippi it stormed BIG time. The bird trails were closed, branches and trees were on the road and the lake had whitecaps. No birding and no canoing so I moved on. I thought it would be fun to putts around in the forest that far north but I will have to do it another time.
I am still in Oklahoma in the RV park,and I am glad. I went out last evening and had a flat tire. Auto club came and changed it and Jim Sherman, Brittany's grandpa, is going to take me to the tire repair place this morning. I am very lucky. I could be on the side of the road with tractor trailers whizzing by. It is nice to know someone at these times.
LATER- I got the tire fixed and ordered a extra one in case... I have just enough room for an extra tire. I had one but used it when I had a blow out before the trip. Anyway I will head back to Little Rock tomorrow after I get my oil changed and pick up the tire. I will scout for the Bachman's Sparrow near there getting readyfor Jan on Sunday.
Take care, Donelda
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Fireflies

2007-07-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

Fireflies, fire ants, cicadas, armadillos, and of course ticks.

2007-07-24T05:54:00.000-07:00

I am at Brittany's house in north eastern Oklahoma. Brittany was my student last year and they just moved here. We were looking at the fireflies flitting around their yard last night. Truely magical. It is easy to see why some people would think of fairies. The real story of the insect is also very interesting. There are different species and they have different light signals. They use the light to attract a mate, however they use the light to attract other species to eat. There are mimic insects that do the same thing. I may not have remembered it exactly because the book is at home where I read about it, but it is a story of intrigue and danger. Anyway, Brittany's dad went and caught some and I got pictures. :) One has its back end lit. I will post them.

Now the fire ants are not so magical. While looking for the Bachman's Sparrow I must have got a few of these little critters under my clothes. I counted not less than 14 bites. They have turned big and red, have a pus head, are infected and very uncomfortable. Even with lots af antibiotic cream, pain relieving cream and anti-itch cream I am writting this at 2:30 am because of them.I have since learned how to recognize them and their mounds. The person I talked to said he gets them often. Ouch!

The cicadas continue to "sing" every night but Hannah no longer shakes every night. I have seen dead ones but none alive. A blue jay was fighting a mocking bird for one yesterday so they must be a source of bird protein.

Now, the armadillos. I have not seen any alive but boy have I seen a lot at the side of the road dead. They have poor eyesight and this might be a factor. There must be a lot of them to keep up with the rate of road kill. I hope I get to photograph a live one, but I read in Sylvia's diary they have very good hearing. No sneaking up on them. I will have to figure out a plan of attack.

I keep pulling ticks off me. It must be a fact of life in these areas. Hannah has had only one because she is on the dog medicine for fleas and ticks. Too bad they do not have it for us. :)

Take care. Donelda

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Kentucky Pictures

2007-07-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

Bachman's Sparrow

2007-07-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

During the storm I learned that my trailer had a leak on the roof. I put a container under the leak, just like in the movies, and went to bed. In the morning I borrowed Bill's ladder and some caulking and crawled up and caulked every crack in sight. I hoped I fixed it but I will not know until the next storm so I will keep the container handy. I am as far east as I am going this trip. I am 20 miles from the Georgia border in the Tallagada National Forest. It is 60 miles east of Burmingham off of highway 20. It is beautiful but thick forest and for a western girl just a bit to close. No long views. There is an invasive plant here called Kudzu that grows over everything it can reach. It is very aggressive and looks like a heavy green blanket covering fences, trees, fields and even buildings if not kept in check.
I have decided I have become spoiled. I have got such great close up views and pictures of most, if not all, of the sparrows so far that I have forgotten what birding can be like. I got great sounds of the Bachman's and just fleeting views of it. Put all together it makes a Bachman's but not very satisfying. I also made some errors in my plan of attack. I played tape before I got recordings of it and the tape shut them up. Not smart. I will get another chance with the bird after I pick up Jan Wilson on Sun. Hope I am smarter. :)
The storm and I played leap frog all the way from Kentucky to Alabama. It beat me to the campground near the Bachman's sp and knocked out the power so I decided to leave Alabama. It was going to be hot and I needed power for the air. I am in a great campground at the edge of the Arkansa river. I overlook the flooded river. (All those rains you have been hearing about) It is at least three feet higher then normal which is a lot of water considering how wide the river is. I plan to stop and rest tomorrow, Sun. My speedometer says 7,300 miles. I am going to have to change my header. :)
The Crows here say Ha Ha ( to me) not Caw Caw like in Calif. They are Fish Crows and look very much like ours. Their call gives them away. I like hearing them in the trees above my campsite. It sounds like they are laughing.
Yesterday, when I headed west from Talladega I got a little home sick. It was the first time in a long time I have looked for signs that said anything but east or north. It is south or WEST from now on. It will be a long way south though. I am planning to go to Brownsville in Texas. It is the farthest south you can go and still be in the USA.
Take Care, Donelda
Doneldaw@gmail.com
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2007-07-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

Kentucky

2007-07-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

I have spent the last 5 days at my friend Joy's house. They live on an arm of Lake Barkley which is part of the area in western Kentucky called Land-Between-the-Lakes. The house is a big brick house that looks out over the water and green hills. At the bottom of their yard they have a covered boat dock where their two boats are docked. It is beautiful. Joy's husband Bill is a fisherman who goes out in his bass boat every morning about 5 am and sometimes 2 more times in the day. They also have a pontoon boat that I love. You will see why when I post a picture of me in the boat. Bill had a high swivel seat installed up front for his wife, who is also a photographer, to sit on and take pictures while on the water. Wow! It is fun but requires lots of practice to get good shots. We have gone on peaceful sunset cruises around the VERY large arm of the VERY large lake and found wonderful birds and other wildlife. One lsland interested me. It is a large lsland with trees etc that in the 1960's when the "lake" was filled some goats were released or left on and their decendents are still there. They do not swim off and the ice in the winter does not suport them so they are isolated on the island. I saw a billy both times we went by. I got his picture and will post it. Coming back from a ride today my hat blew off and went in the water. Flashes of my friend's mishap with his camera flashed through my head and I held on to my camera with both hands. The hat sunk before we could get to it but I can get a new hat a lot easier than a camera. I had a chance to take my canoe out for a short paddle. Nice! Maybe I will get more chances later. I am hooked up and ready to go but there is a major thunderstorm here and it is becoming really muddy where I am parked. I will have to see what it is like in the morning. I am headed to Alabama. There is a sparrow there. Surprise! :) The storm gave me a chance to use my new weather radio. It sounds an alert if there is dangerous weather in the area. Hannah does not like the thunder and the trailer is shaking from her panting. Poor dog. Hopefully it is over soon. Take care. Donelda
Doneldaw@gmail.com
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Eurasian Tree Sparrow

2007-07-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

I went to the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri and looked for the sparrow like all the books and a birder told me to do. No sparrow. I did find a bird that was singing and singing and I could not place the sound. Birds in the east sound different than our western birds. After about an hour of looking I got a quick look at a bird and it was a lifer. A dickcissel. Boy, is their sound like other things but not really. I have been hearing them everywhere now that I know the sound. Anyway, it was hot so I got Hannah out for a walk and a van pulled up. The lady in the van said,"You have to see what we have." It was a greyhound. We got to talking and birds came up. I said that I was looking for the Tree Sparrow and she said, "We have them at our feeders on our deck." Well, she and her husband invited me back to their house to see the sparrow. Sure enough it was there. I got some ID shots and was on my way after our two dogs hung out together for a while. Hannah made herself at home. Thanks to two VERY nice Missouri people I have my sparrow. I moved on Sunday morning to Kentucky. I will try to rest and not obsess about sparrows for a few days. I will see if I can do that. :) Take care. Donelda
Doneldaw@gmail.com
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2007-07-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

Learning. :)

2007-07-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

I spent yesterday taking care of nonbirding things. I got to Baraboo about 10am. I got 6 loads of laundry done and headed for the crane institute. I got out the camera and discovered that the back door on the truck would not lock. Oops! Problem. I fooled around with it and could not get it to lock. So, I headed for the dealer. They did not have the part but gave me the part number. They then disconnected the auto-lock and locked it. I called Kentucky where I am headed and they ordered it. I will take it in Monday and they will install it. I will not be shut down that way. I will be visiting my friend Joy so we can do things while I am waiting. Joy was a teacher at the same school I am at for many years. I am looking forward to birding Kentucky. I then rushed back to the crane site but discovered my friends were right. I did not enjoy it. It is very much like a zoo. Chain link and all. I love what they are doing for cranes around the world but ... I did not even go see the Whooping Cranes. I will schedule a trip to south Texas to see them in the wild in the winter. So, I got up early this morning and drove 12 hours to St Louis where I am in a wonderful park. I was going to move on tomorrow but think I will stay two days. I feel lucky to find this place. There are not many around, even private ones. Not like out west. This is a state park so cheap and much more natural. Lots of trees and big spaces and electric all for $15 a night. Tomorrow I hunt for the Eurasian Tree Sparrow. I talked to a man who gave me very detailed directions. I will see. It will be another lifer for me. (That means I have never seen the bird before) I traveled through Iowa and Illinois today. It is corn and soybean country. Fields and fields of it. And as the song goes "the corn is as high as an elephant's eye". In some places it is like driving down a road with tall green walls on the sides. Northern Cardnials are competing with the Robins in the song department and the woodsmoke from the other campers is filling my nose. It has been a long day.
Take care, Donelda
Doneldaw@gmail.com
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2007-07-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

The Mississippi and Henslow's Sparrow

2007-07-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

I have gone as far north east as I am going to go. Two days ago I walked across the 10 feet wide Mississippi and today I am camped beside the river 250 miles down stream (as the crow flies) and it is about a quarter of a mile wide. I am in Winona on highway 61 next to the Mississippi. The river is about 20 feet from my window. I ate breakfast watching the Mississippi flow by and listening to the birds sing in the reeds. (Mostly Red-wing Blackbirds) The hills here are much higher and are covered with trees. Not much farm land. Ever hill has a cliff sticking out of it. Yesterday a local birder from the Twin Cities took me out and I photographed a Henslow's Sparrow up close and personal. Very nice! He just sat on his small shrub and called, preaned and looked at me. I took his picture and backed off and he was still there. The way to find them is to listen for their call which is distinctive. The weather is cool and wonderful. I am headed to Baraboo, Wisconsin to visit the International Crane Foundation. I fell in love with cranes after reading the book Birds of Heaven about the 15 kinds of cranes in the world and their struggles. I will be interested in learning more. I do not have far to go and laundry needs doing. Guess I need to stop looking at the river flowing past and get busy. Later. My back door on the truck does not lock correctly so I am sitting at a dealership. Hope they can fix it soon. Take care. Donelda
Doneldaw@gmail.com
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How to find a Le Conte's Sparrow

2007-07-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

I have written this for nonbirders to get an idea of what I am doing.
The following is my understanding if how to find a sparrow. It is based on my trip with Bob Anderson. Any mistakes are mine. :). 1. Look at your range maps and any other lists or computer sites to see the distribution of the bird. Study the bird's sounds and looks. (A lot).
2. Using your PLOTS guide (a detailed map of North Dakota mile by mile with all roads on it marked off in one mile squares) find a marsh or wet fen with rushes about 1 to 2 feet high. They need to be the brown redish ones with their roots in a wet mat of dead veg. There needs to be some slightly taller shrub or weed for perches. Not too tall or too many.
3. Now checking your PLOTS decide if it is public land, or if it is not posted "No Trespssing " you can walk out in the marsh. North Dakota allows people to go onto private land as long as it is not posted.
4. Get on your rubber boots and put on lots of bug juice. You are ready.
5. Walk out a short distance and listen for the birds tick call notes. Its song is VERY quiet and not given often. But the tick notes are given often and in long stings. I recorded it and will try to add a sound clip of them. The tapes/CD'S I have do not have the sound.
6. Once you have found the ticks walk slowly toward the sound. With luck the bird will show its self. I took my time and got to within 5 yards of the bird. He did not seem upset with me and I walked away, after taking his picture of course.
(Just a hint if you are taking pictues be on the sunny side of the bird. )

Bob said that they are other places the bird hangs out but they prefer the red/brown wet sedges.

7. Now go back to the trailer and process the 100 or so shots. Photoshop one or two and post it to the blog.
8. Get lots of sleep so I can do it again the next day. Fun.
Donelda.
Doneldaw@gmail.com
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Leaving North Dakota

2007-07-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning on the prairie taking pictures of the last North Dakota prairie sparrow I needed. A guide found a VERY cooperative Le Conte's sparrow. I was about 5 yards from him. He sat up on a dry weed and called and called at me. I recorded him and went a little crazy and shot about 100 shots. Thank goodness for digital. I can delete most of them. I also stood on the top of a rise and watched a Spraig's Pipit fly around us and sing its musical song. It landed close and then took off again. No pictures but great memories. The solar on the trailer works great. I just spent two hours on the computer working with my pictures and all on solar. It does not get dark until 10 pm so lots of sun to keep the batteries up. I took interstate 94 east to Fargo and then 10 to Park Rapids. It was 20 miles north from there to the park. Fargo is the first "big" city I have been in since home. I like the black lines on the map better. They are country roads and a lot more interesting. I have covered 4,400 miles to date. I left the prairies soon after I got into Minnesota. The hills are a bit more rolling here and instead of long grass prairie they are covered with mixed forests. (Pines and deciduous woods). The lakes are larger than the pot holes of the prairies. What is not covered by trees and lakes is bog or cattail marsh. I have a good supply of bug spray etc. I think I will need it and West Nile is something to think about here. There were a few cases talked about on the radio today. The sky is very blue here with big white puffy clouds. The combination of green trees, blue lakes and sky with white clouds make for some beautiful sights. I plan to walk across the Mississippi tomorrow. :) I am at the headwaters of the 2,552 mile river. The headwaters are at Lake Itasca. I also plan to walk some bird trails and see what I can find. It is 9 at night and still light. I can hear the loons calling on the lake and smell the campfires of the other campers. I have a view of the forest with the lake peeking through the leaves. All is right with the world. Take care. Donelda
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Things are getting quiet

2007-07-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

I have been in Grandville, North Dakota for this week. It is just east of Minot. We have been birding morning and most evenings. I have some great recordings of prairie birds. The Upland Sandpiper makes a sound that can be described as a wolf whistle. It is great. It is very special to stand out on the prairie in the evening and listen to all the birds calling and singing. It gets dark after 10 pm and some nights we have stayed out there till dark. I will see if I can post some sounds. I do not know if it is do-able. The sandpipers are the birds that I photographed on the fence post. I also got sora, Chestnut-colored Longspur and many other sparrows. Fun! We found a longspur nest about 10 feet on the other side of a fence. Jim and I have stood there and photographed him for hours. They do not pay us any attention. The nest is on the ground by a short plant about 6 inches high. There is a thistle near it that the male sits on and declares his territory. What a sight. I saw a curious thing happen at the nest. Two males were flying together very low to the ground starting near the nest and going in a zig zag pattern away from the nest pecking at the ground. They were very aggitated and frantic acting. I wondered if it was a snake. The fact that it was two males was curious. They are territorial. I could not see any thing from where I was. The land is private so I could not hop over the fence. The male and female both bring in worms etc so there are babies. I would love to see them fledge but I move on tomorrow, Sunday. I am heading east. The birds are starting to feed young and as a result are becoming quiet. I will have to work hard to get them from now on. I have been taking so many pictures that I have not even processed them. That will slow down now. Anyway, new adventures ahead. Take care. Donelda

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North Dakota Birds

2007-07-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

The sparrow hunt continues.

2007-07-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

I am still in North Dakota looking for the ultimate picture of any and all sparrows. I have been remembering to record their songs too. I am really a sight when I get all geared up with the camera, recording gear with the shotgun mic, binos, water etc, etc. I will get a picture of my get up to post. A fashion statement I am not. But it sure is fun. We are in a small city park campground where it is $10 per night; pay on the honor system. I stick the money in a can with no sight slip or anything. We have great electric and water, with large grassy sights all for the $10. What a deal, but the last two nights were even better. The sights were about the same but in a smaller town and it was free. Wow! We had electric which we used all day because it is hot here. I wonder how and why they do it for free. I did not talk to anyone in town to get the scoop even though I walked the dogs around town. And I mean really around the outside of town. :) It was small but you could tell people took pride in their homes. I have traveled 3,600 miles so far. Plan to get my oil changed tomorrow after birding. Happy 4th everyone. Hannah has spent the last few days hiding in the bedroom scared of the fireworks. I will be glad when it quiets down and she can relax. Well I still have lots of pictures to process and some sounds to listen to. It is almost 10 pm hear and it is still light outside. It is hard to settle down when it is light but I get up at 5:30 to catch the birds so... Take care. Donelda
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Minot, North Dakota

2007-06-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

I have spent the last three days doing some intensitive birding. We had a great leader who made sure we all got to see the sparrows. The other people were great and the birds were wonderful! I got some great pictures. I can not even begin to pick my favorite ones. I plan to post some as soon as I solve a tech problem. I went to the International Peace Garden today which is a joint venture with Canada. It is on the border on highway 3 or 281 north east of Minot. So, I guess I birded Canada. :) I got the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow. I got 4 pictures with two birds in the frame. I can not believe I got them. They are very small, fast and hide in the rushes. I also photographed a baby racoon up a tree right at eye level. It had a cute factor of 10+. I am going to head off tomorrow to bird with Sylvia and Jim for a while. They have their trailer and we will do some of the wildlife refuges in this area. North Dakota is covered with them. They are land that the government bought after the small farms failed in the early part of the last century. It was sad for the farmers because their farms of 160 acres were too small to support a family. But, it is great for the American public because we have these wonderful places to visit. The weather has been great. Not too hot so Hannah has been ok in the car but she is getting tired of going all the time. Since I have been out from 5 am to about 7pm each day I could not leave her in the trailer. I will be birding close to the trailer from now on so she will not have to bounce around on dirt roads anymore. Yesterday I got a photo of the Baird's Sparrow. One person came on the trip just to see this bird. It sat up on a wire and sang for us. Of course I took his picture. I am so happy to have the camera because some of the birds do not stick around and their ID can be verified from a picture. I am waiting for some people to come over and do just that with a bird we are not sure of. The photo may tell us the answer. Anyway it is all fun. More adventures tomorrow. Donelda
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North Dakota - Sparrow Hunt

2007-06-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

I spent 3 days at Theo Roosevelt National Park. What a great place. As you travel toward it you are in rolling, green prairie when you drop over into the badlands. It is an eroded valley created by the Little Missouri River over time. It is very beautiful with multi colored cliffs, green trees and a sea of grass. This year has a lot of rain so I am lucky to see it green. The campground is next to the river. Read lots of bugs! But where there are bugs there are birds. Wow! There was a Oven bird in my camp ground, and a Red-headed woodpecker in the trees. The Oven Bied knows me. It says "teacher, Teacher, TEACHER!" Over and over. :)I walked about 2 miles out on the prairie to a prairie dog town and saw a heard of Bison with babies. I got longhorn cattle pictures also. I did not know they were on the verge of extinction. I got field sparrow, grasshopper, clay-colored, and bobolink as well as many other birds. Great pictures and recordings. The weather was windy and mild with a rain storm each night. I took highway 23 east from the park then 83 north to where I am in Minot, North Dakota. I am here for a week to bird with the class members. I met Sylvia and Jim this afternoon. We will have dinner together tonight. I bought a weather radio today. People suggest I get one. It is tuned to the National Weather Service only and I can turn it to the area I am in. This is tornado country so I guess it is a good idea. The campground I am in tells us to go to their basement in the event the town sirens go off. That is more fun than I want. Thank you! So here is hoping I do not need it. I am backed up to a pond with lots of cattails and birds so will go out and look. Take care. Donelda

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More Trip Pictures

2007-06-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

Rhame Prairie - North Dakota

2007-06-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

I just had a great day of birding. I met a friend and we headed off 26 miles out dirt roads to a wind blown, rolling hills, long and short grass prairie. There was a prairie dog town with both Chestnut and McCowns Longspurs. I got some flight shots. They have this wonderful tinkiling song as they fly up and sky lark back to earth. They were all around us. I recorded them singing with the prairie dogs barking and the wind blowing. I could get a real feel for what early settlers experienced. What a day. Oh yes, it was very hot! I also got an Upland Sandpiper on a fence post and one of me at the "Rest stop". On to Theodore Roosevelt Park and a bird called an Oven Bird. Take care. Donelda
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South Dakota Birds

2007-06-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

Pictures from 1st Week

2007-06-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

Juvenile Golden Eagle on Old Windmill
Campsite at Great Basin National Park
Pawnee National Grassland
McCown's Longspur. This is the bird i went to Pawnee for.
A Jackrabbit who thinks he is hid.
A burrowing owl who was hanging around a prairie dog town.

Pawnee National Grasslands, Nebraska, and South Dakota

2007-06-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

At Pawnee I found a badger's den and saw the badger but before I got the camera up he backed in the tunnel never to be seen. I waited about one hour holding my camera out the window. The den was on the side of the dirt track. Oh well another time. I did get a picture of a young golden eagle on an old windmll. The jackrabbits are everywhere and I got some fun shots. The heat is too much for Hannah and there are no hookups (that means no airconditioner) so I left Pawnee and drove highway 71 north to Fort Robinson State Park in Nebraska. I was looking for the White Winged Junco. Did not find it. While there I got my first storm of the trip. It was a "rip snorter". There was hail as big as my thumb nail. Not exagerating. I picked up a piece. :) I was worried that it would break the plastic vent cover I aleady lost once. But then I remembered I bought an extra one. Any way I did find a nice bunch of birds at the end of the road at Fort Robinson including a Lark Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Chats everywhere and a Red-headed Woodpecker (new one for me). It is a very well developed park. Great for families because of all the activities but not for a birder like me so I left for South Dakota this morning. I continued on 71 etc and am now in Custer State Park area. I FOUND my Junco. I got great pictures of it singing. I also got White-breasted Nuthatches feeding young. I am a happy camper. I head for North Dakota tomorrow. I will be there for about 3 weeks. I think. :) I meet up with a friend to scout a prairie dog town near Rhame, North Dakota for longspurs (sparrows). The rancher said that we need to watch for rattle snakes in the holes. They like the heat and the prairie dogs. I hope to get pictures of it all. Take care. Donelda
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Pawnee National Grasslands, Colorado

2007-06-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

I took interstate 80 to interstate 25 south. I then went east on highway 14 to Pawnee Grasslands I got here this morning and have seen so many birds. Wow! I got the McCown's and Chestnut Longspur. That was my big wish. :) I saw burrowing owls, Lark Bunting etc. I got a small sparrow and will try to I'd it from the pictures. I can't tell I took 17 weeks of a sparrow class. It is like I never learned them. It is a great place though and very HOT. My phone does work though. I plan to go out this evening to see what I can find in the cool. Tomorrow morning should be good also. Donelda
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Leaving Nevada

2007-06-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

I left Great Basin National Park early this morning. I headed east on highway 6 also called highway 50. A book I have been reading calls it the Lonsomeness Highway in the United States. I liked it early in the morning. That is when the animals are out. The lack of moisture (Nevada is the driest state in the union) makes grass in short supply. When it does rain the water runs off the road and grasses grow best at the edge of the road. The cows and Pronghorn Antelope like it there. I got pictures of some doe today. A buck ran across in front of the car. I was glad I was going fairly slow. I have been in the basin range part of the west. Nevada has 314 mt ranges (from the book) and they run north to south. Since I was going east that means up one mt range and down into the basin or valley in between and then up the next range. The roads are very straight. I could see about 20 miles ahead. I clocked it :). Anyway I finally got on interstate 15 at Nephi Utah. I then got on 80 that took me into Wyoming to where I am now. That is Laramie, Wyoming. I stopped to see Gera Spencer/Clinton a teacher that was at Bryant Ranch some years ago. I saw some birds but not anything unexpected. The land in Nevada was sand color with gray sage brush. Here it is big sky country. The green rolling hills are a strip of your view with a VERY blue sky taking up the rest of the view. There were a few white puffy clouds to add drama. Lots of interesting places to come back and see on another trip. Colorado tomorrow.
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Great Basin National Park

2007-06-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

I left Bishop early and had highway #6 almost to myself. I went east through Tonopah and on to Ely befor getting here about noon. I was lucky enough to see two Pronghorn Antelope in the sage brush as well as an adult and a young badger. The badgers were crossing the road but I could not slow down to stop for a picture fast enough. A road sign all along said "Free Range" with a picture of a cow. Sure enough I came up on cows on and next to the road. It would not be a good idea to drive the road at night. You could not see the cows until it was too late. I looked for the fox sparrows this afternoon. Just fly bys but no pictures. I did get some recordings. I saw a young chipping sparrow chasing some adults in my campground. I am parked in a very private space next to a stream. Birds are singing everywhere. Great weather. Not hot like yesterday. I will look for the fox sparrow again tomorrow.
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First Day Adventure

2007-06-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

It was very windy when I stopped at Red Rock State Park on highway 14. My canoe was blown off its mounts which I was able to get tied down before any damage was done. I did not notice until later the vent, sun roof cover blew off also. I was lucky to find a VERY nice feed store in Bishop which not only carried them but installed them for $10. Wow! What a deal. I bought an extra one. I would have had lots of dust and maybe a wet bed if it was not fixed. I did not find the Sage sparrow I was looking for. I did hear some small chattering in the bushes like they make but did not see them. Another time - maybe in the fall. I am sitting under a great shade tree in Bishop relaxing. I will head for Ely, Nevada at 5am. I am looking for a fox sparrow that Sylvia found in a meadow. There are lots of campground birds feeding young in the trees above me. Take Care
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Savannah Sparrow

2007-06-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

This is one of the many sparows I hope to find this summer.

Me photographing birds in Arizona.

2007-06-13T09:45:00.001-07:00

Here I am sitting on a very hard rock doing what I like to do - look at and photograph birds.

On the road.

2007-06-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

I plan to leave Lake Matthews Saturday morning June 16th. (about 5:00 am) and headed up 395 to Bishop, Calif. I want to stop at Red Rock Campground to look for the Sage Sparrow.
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