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#CarsonLakeAndPastureWMA

While on a bird tour this weekend, a lone killdeer kept pacing back and forth in front of a couple of the vehicles. Eventually, it realized it could get closer.

Back to its nest.

#CarsonLakeAndPastureWMA #ChurchillCounty #Nevada #Birds #Birding #BirdWatching #Wildlife #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfMastodon #Killdeer

A small killdeer stands protectively over three small eggs. The large plover, with its white belly and brown back and distinctive white and black neck rings, watches the audience with its red ringed eye. The three small eggs blend into the gravel covered ground, the darkly speckled grey shell nearly invisible.

I have to wait until eBird confirms the sighting, but I think I saw a lifer that's rare for this time of year. iNaturalist suggested a Sage Thrasher and when I looked at other regional pictures, they look remarkably similar to this bird.

#CarsonLakeAndPastureWMA #ChurchillCounty #Nevada #Birds #Birding #BirdWatching #Wildlife #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfMastodon #SageThrasher #Lifer

A small light brown bird with two white bars on its wings and a heavily spotted chest perches on a thin bare red branch. White stripes stretch back over its face from the short straight bill.

Don't move.
Don't breathe.
Don't blink.

#CarsonLakeAndPastureWMA #ChurchillCounty #Nevada #Birds #Birding #BirdWatching #Wildlife #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfMastodon #BarnOwl

Perched on a small wooden canal structure, surrounded by winter brown reeds and grasses, a barn owl looks down into the empty ditch. It's brown and tan dusty back has dark spots throughout the feathers, tail slightly spread. The distinctive white heart shape face with small dark eyes is turned to the left.

I'm always on the lookout for owls. I don't always see them, but when I can, it always makes me feel good for the day.

#CarsonLakeAndPastureWMA #ChurchillCounty #Nevada #Birds #Birding #BirdWatching #Wildlife #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfMastodon #GreatHornedOwl

Nestled amid the thin bare branches of a tree, a Great Horned Owl perches on a thick branch and stares down at the weird human taking pictures with round yellow eyes. It's namesake long feathered "horns" stand upright from the wide face, the thick body striped by brown tipped chest feathers.

I was surprised to see a couple White-Faced Ibis. I didn't think they were still around (though I don't know where they go or when).

#CarsonLakeAndPastureWMA #ChurchillCounty #Nevada #Birds #Birding #BirdWatching #Wildlife #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfMastodon #WhiteFacedIbis

A single white-faced ibis stands amid the tall tan reeds, sunlight shining down and causing the dull brown feathers to gleam a faint green across the back. The brown chest feathers and molted brown and white head are brightly lit. A bold red eye looks out over the long downward curved grey bill.

A pair of white-faced ibis stand beside each other in the tall tan reeds. They are in their winter plumage, seemingly dull brown and grey with the bright sunlight shining down on the side away from the camera, with bold red eyes looking out from a brown and white molted head. A long downward curved grey bill arches down in front of their chest.

I did see some herons that were generous enough to stay around while I took their pictures.

#CarsonLakeAndPastureWMA #ChurchillCounty #Nevada #Birds #Birding #BirdWatching #Wildlife #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfMastodon #GreatBlueHeron

A large grey and white Great Blue Heron walks along the tan grass covered bank of a frozen canal. It's thick long yellow and grey bill held horizontal, with a bold yellow eye looking out over it. The long thin neck is curled down and held tight against its grey body. A long thin leg is held forward, thin toes spread out wide as it slowly takes a step.

A large grey and white Great Blue Heron stands on the tan grass covered bank of a frozen canal. It's thick long yellow and grey bill held horizontal, with a bold yellow eye looking out over it. The long thin neck is curled down and held tight against its grey body.

Decided to avoid social media today and so went to look for birds. Here are a few that I saw this morning.

#CarsonLakeAndPastureWMA #ChurchillCounty #Nevada #Birds #Birding #BirdWatching #Wildlife #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfMastodon #AmericanCoot #WesternMeadowlark #LoggerheadShrike #NorthernHarrier

A pair of puffed up black American Coots standing under the bright sunlight on a cold morning. One is on the frozen mud, its black head and white bill clear under the sun with a gleaming red eye. The other is standing on the frozen water, its yellow-green lobed feet spread wide over the ice. A clear red eye looks over the white bill.

Perched at the top of a long thick broken branch, weathered grey from the intense desert sun, a bright yellow Western Meadowlark looks off to the left. Its yellow chest and black throat mark are surrounded by the speckled shoulders and topped with the round head tucked low into its neck. The small thin beak is pointed to the left, with a small round eye looking out over it.

A Loggerhead Shrike, a small white and grey bird with a black eye mask extending back from a sharp beak, perches on the winter brown branches of a bush. It's tiny black feet gripping the thin twigs. The black eyes gleam in the sunlight, a small white dot seemingly the only thing to separate the eye from the surrounding black mask feathers. It is looking straight forward over the sharp beak, seemingly glaring into the camera lens.

Almost hidden amid the tall light tan grass, a dark brown Northern Harrier stands on the ground, its long body hunkered down low to the ground. The round owl like face is scanning the field, dark eye gleaming in the bright sunlight.

I think this is a juvenile red-tailed hawk. Never turned enough for me to see it's chest, but I did get a picture of it's open wing with the dark shoulder.

But I just loved where it perched so had to get as many pictures as possible.

#CarsonLakeAndPastureWMA #ChurchillCounty #Nevada #Birds #Birding #BirdWatching #Wildlife #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfMastodon #RedTailedHawk #Possibly

A medium sized dark brown bird with a white and brown speckled back, wing tips that end just above the tail tip, and a dark and light brown striped tail, perches at the top of a weathered wooden post. A bright yellow eye looks out over a sharp hooked beak. Below it is an angled wooden beam that supports the gate below. In the background, a winter brown pasture stretches off into the distance, before hills rise up to fill the image.

Wide view of a medium sized dark brown bird perched on the top post of a weathered gate along a barb wired fence. It's head is turned to the right, bright yellow eye looking out over the hooked beak. Another fence line stretches across the winter brown pasture in the background. Across the valley, low brown hills rise up, and a distant snow capped peak looms over them in the far distance.

Driving down one of the canal roads, I just happened to spot some movement along the muddy bank. Snapped so many pictures of this Wilson's Snipe because they were moving quickly through the mud, endlessly searching for food. Really glad managed to get some in focus.

#CarsonLakeAndPastureWMA #ChurchillCounty #Nevada #Birds #Birding #BirdWatching #Wildlife #NaturePhotography #WildlifePhotography #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfMastodon #WilsonsSnipe