With a big trip looming in the very near future, but too antsy to stay home all weekend, I ventured out for a couple of brief visits to some local spots. Both of them were short and sweet.
This first trip was back out to the Baseline & Meridian wildlife area. I wanted to see if I could relocate a Lesser Nighthawk nest that was shown to me by Walker Noe about a week before. At that time, all we got to see was the two eggs on the ground and no adult nearby.
These birds are nocturnal and feed at dusk and dawn and throughout the night. They rest during daylight hours and rely on camouflage for protection and go unnoticed. Even the eggs as seen above on the bare ground would not be easy to see. The next set of photos will show the area where the nest is located in the first photo. The second photo will narrow the field of vision down and yes, the nest is visible in the second photo, but definitely hard to find. The third photo will show the female on the nest and incubating the eggs which will normally hatch in 18-19 days. So this will be a great thing to try and relocate in a couple of weeks to see if chicks have hatched.
Mission accomplished! Time to depart and not disturb the nest and the incubation. On the way back to the parking lot, I noticed a pair of Common Ground Doves. Not a rare bird by any means, but one that is often overlooked by many birders, especially novice birders. I was pleased that at least one of these birds stopped long enough to allow s couple of photos.
The heat was rising and it was time to leave and as I headed north on the road leading away from this area, I always keep my eyes peeled along the road for Burrowing Owls and once again, I was not disappointed. It was sitting along the road and I did not even have to get out of my vehicle. Just drive up along side of and fire off a couple of shots.on the camera. I think it would almost be a crime to not photograph one of these cuties.
A very big adventure awaits with the beginning staring on Wednesday of this week. This adventure has the possibilities of many blog posts with many different birds!
Stay Tuned!
Gordon, how wonderful to find a nighthawk nest! I hope there is a successful hatch! Have fun on your trip!
ReplyDeleteAwesome stuff, well done. I don't see enough pics of Common Ground-Doves.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, when Caleb and I left you to head up to Ord, we ended up birding continuously until midnight! Ridiculous. Best of luck on your exciting trip.