Jon went up to the Mtn Ranch the last two weekends in April. The first one was for fun, the second was for hunting with more than his camera. He took pictures of quite a few birds, a couple are ones not usually found in this area, so that was super exciting. We'll start off this mountain visit with a game.
Duck, Duck, GOOSE!
These ladies reminded him a bit of the two geese from Disney's Aristocats. They were high stepping and walking with a stately bustle.
This Tom was hanging around near them. Oddly, even though he has all the lovely feathers and struts around like he owns the place, it is the hens who appear to defend their Tom.
Up above, Jon found this hawk. The video he took was really good, but haven't yet figured out how to upload videos from him into blogger.
There were some younglings out snacking, too. So many four footed creatures look terrible in spring. Their fur is shedding and they look as if they could eat an entire field of wheat!
Sandhill cranes migrate north each spring and return in the fall. They are often so high overhead you can't find them. Sometimes, however, you sight their dark 'V' against the bright blue of the sky and are amazed. Amazed at how far away they are, how loud they are, and how crazy it is they exist. They are definitely an oddly shaped avian.
The next weekend Jon was up there, it was raining. From his camp he was able to look out on the pond over the fence and he found these absolutely bizarre birds. On All About Birds, a website I have used often, it shows these shore birds are not in this area. In a larger map, it shows they might be. I'm having some trouble understanding the map feature!! Anyway, these are black necked stilts. They have an interesting call and were very busy wading on their long pink legs and foraging for whatever might be edible in this small bit of water. Jon also noticed some other birds in with the stilts. The bird below is probably a snipe, it did have long legs when it was not swimming.
A bowling pin..or is it a penguin?
Look at those legs!!!!! This link will take you to All About Birds. :o)
They have the second-longest legs in proportion to their bodies of any bird, exceeded only by flamingos. Jon also found a very brown duck on the pond. It was cinnamon teal and his mate. Like the rest of the teals, you can't see the green bit on the wings unless they are in flight. They will nest in EO, so perhaps the pair will stick around!
Jon had gone up on Friday night to hunt for turkey. He heard them calling and anticipated an easy day on Saturday. It didn't work out that way, though! After a day of rain and not rain and using his hen call, he was about to pack up and return to the house, when he decided to call once more. This time, he had an answer. The story is a lot more interesting in his own words, but I'll sum up. A hen came out of hiding to see about the 'calling hen' and Jon waited and waited. Eventually, the prominent tom strutted forth and Jon was able to take a shot. Looking at the variety of birds Jon found on the ranch these last weeks, the turkey is by fair the oddest. They have scaly long legs, incredible soft and stiff feathers full of stunning colors, a rather creepy lizard like head and neck in several mismatched colors, formidable beaks and talons, and something called a beard that is made up of actual hair jutting out of their chest! No one could come up with all those elements if they were given a skeleton and had no knowledge of this sort of fowl.
I'd add a photo of the feathers and another of Jonathan, however, it appears the new Chromebook isn't compatible with my cell phone. Compatibility is a typical problem! We had a half of the bird for dinner on Wednesday and it had a great flavor. It had been brined with a lot of water, about a TB of brown sugar, and a good deal of garlic salt with parsley. When it was cooked, I added most of a sliced apple and an eighth of a cucumber. I didn't know exactly how long to cook it, so parts were overcooked a bit, but overall, it was a good first time from the hunt to the oven.
