Saturday, February 18, 2017

Middle of Febuary already

Been busy putting down speed bumps and rumble strips to try and slow down the ever fast moving folks that are visiting the Refuge . The area is a fifteen mph zone and most of the traffic stops have been in excess of 45 mph .

The Male Shovelers are just so beautifully colored .

Lots of Coots with a few Teal and Shovelers mixed in .We call them {Cootillas} . As in a flotilla's

This piece of wood has become a favorite of mine to find sleeping ducks .Each time we pass the area there is always different birds on it .

Trying to catch an Otter running down the pond road is not very easy. We were trying to catch it while it was rolling on the warm road but it had it's own agenda

A quick run and jump and it was 50 yards into the pond and then gone .

The warm days bring out the Turtles .

The Raptors are every where now .

The Bald eagles are now all over the Refuge as they have followed the Snow Geese into the many ponds and moist soil units  on the Refuge ,
The weather has been a little wild here the last few days , but the clouds have been awesome,

We get the beautiful clouds and then a couple of inches of rain then the awesome sky once more

And of course the hawks are always present .



We love looking at the clouds and look to see what shapes we can see in them .

The ever present God rays .

So many little ones in the pastures that they almost out number the moms .Some times as we travel the refuges private areas the little ones will run along side of the truck and they will run with us for a mile or more with their tales in the air . Just so cute . Any excuse to run like all small kids .

We stirred up a flock of Pelicans while doing the salinity checks in the back areas of the Refuge where the public is not allowed . 

Always one our favorite shots . They have no oil glands so They need to air dry their feathers .

Mr and Mrs Shoveler are out looking for some eats .

Same board , different birds .

The Burrowing Owl has become the most visited area in the Refuge .

A tree full of Red faced Vultures .

An Osprey checking out the Owl box . Yes an owl lives in it .
And as February is quickly passing we are getting closer to our next move to Savanah Georgia NWR. A new adventure .