Ok I am going to get the last day of Malheur on here and then introduce a new game for the grandkids.
But first beautiful Eastern Oregon
The view from out the front of the French Glen Hotel is of this old dilapadated barn with the Steen Mountains in the background. It honest seems as if there is nothing looking almost forever, but if you get out into the desert, it is teeming with life.
Pair of Northern Pintail
Say's Phoebe
A Pair of American Avocet
Not just birds either. A number of small mammals like this ground squirrel and the next one were watching carefully to avoid becoming lunch for the next two birds!
Either of the next couple of birds would be glad to find these two juicy morsels out in the open.
Prarie Falcon
Northern Harrier
Everything was nesting and breeding. One of the biggest nests was this Black Billed Magpie nest.
Even the wild horses were in the mood for celebrating the spring.
The blue bill on many birds is a sure sign of breeding season. This Ruddy Duck was doing the "impression dive" for his chosen babe!
Ok, all your life you have heard of going Snipe hunting. Well, did you know that there actually is such a bird. Here is a Wilson's Snipe.
And a Loggerhead Shrike. About 4 inches but a big name!
Another little cutie is the Pied Bill Grebe. Can you tell where it got it's name?
Ok, here is the new game. This is a game for the all the Grandchildren. I am going to put a critter on the blog, and the first grandkid to comment on the blog with the correct answer as to the critter's name will get a $10 bill in the mail! Game is open to any of our grandchildren 15 and under. The critter today for example is :
that's right, a snake. But the winner has to tell me what kind of snake. I will always tell where I took the picture so that you can narrow down the possibilities. This one was taken at the visitor center for the Malheur National Wildlife Center in Harney County Oregon.
Here are a couple more pictures. Hint, it was about 2 feet long.
A couple of last photo's. Another from the steps of the French Glen Hotel in the evening,
And an early morning picture from the location of the Sage Grouse Lek.
Who is going to win the first $10.
3 comments:
Dear Grandpa,
It is a Western Terrestrial Garter Snake. If I win I am going to save my money to buy Lego Humungasaur and Spider Monkey.
Love,
Anders
Anders Wins!!!!!!!!! I assume that someone helped him go here:
http://www.enature.com/flashcard/show_flash_card.asp?recordNumber=AR0118
to get the right answer. His $10 will be in the mail this week! Watch for the next episode of "what is this critter"
I love this game, what a good idea.
He did have some help we found a site that had Eastern Oregon snakes and showed him pictures until he saw the one he thought looked the most like your picture.
His off the cuff answer was a Boa Constrictor, good thing we did a little research.
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