Wednesday, May 10, 2017--Union Creek Campground near Baker City, OR to HOME--161 Miles

     At 5:30 it was 37 degrees outside. We were snug in our little motor home at about 69 degrees. It was too early to get up. Finally at about 6:30 we couldn't stay in bed longer. 

     We made a fine breakfast of a cinnamon roll and muffin donated to us by our friends--a lovely change from our ever-handy-and-easy instant oatmeal and recent motel breakfasts.

     We took a bird-finding walk with Ginger to the lake, where we scoped out many Western Grebes, very many Ruddy Ducks, Ring-necked Duck, and Coots on the lake. An Osprey flew over and we heard a Sandhill Crane in the distance. 

Home was calling to us when we left at 10 am. The temp was 59; the elevation about 4200 ft. We drove down the valley along the Powder River, where somebody had an immodest ranch house.

     Again we enjoyed the stunning mountains around of Baker City

but did not appreciate the recently installed wind turbines

     Birders to the end, and not wanting a bird to escape our list, we stopped at Ladd Marsh, south of La Grande. We enjoyed watching the Canada Geese take their new family for a swim in a spectacular setting

This Great Blue Heron was well camouflaged across the pond as were the 2 Canada Geese

     A Marsh Wren sang at the top of his lungs and a colorful Northern Shoveler swam by

     Barn Swallows paused in their fluttering flights and Yellow-headed Blackbirds added their deeper "squarky" call to the mix

     With the bluest blue sky above Rodger and Ginger soon joined us for a look with their new camper

     A Ruddy Duck put on a show for his lady

     The lady Ruddy Duck took it all in

     Still enjoying the show

     Ginger and Rodger told us we had missed the Great-horned Owls, so we went back to the entrance to see them--CUTE! They were watching us closely, with mom in the next tree.

     Our next stop was home. The first thing Sofie did was run into the bedroom and try out her own bed!!!!! HAPPY DOG AT LAST! and HAPPY TREMANS!

     When we realized our 50th wedding anniversary was coming up in December this year, we thought about how we wanted to celebrate it. We decided instead of a party we would celebrate it all year long. 

   Our Texas birding trip was the kick-off on our year-long celebration of our 50 years together. And we thought it would be fun to keep a record of our adventure and share it with our friends and family. We hope you have enjoyed being part of our celebration!

Today Our Eyes Were On 

A safe ending to our perfectly wonderful birdy travel adventure 

The welcoming comfort of Home, Sweet Home

A bit of misty eyes that this big Texas birding trip is over

And our eyes on future adventures to celebrate and enjoy our 50th year together.

Statistical Summary

Life birds--73

Total species--247

Texas birds--201

Miles travelled--5972

41 days and 40 nights

Four nights in motels, all others in our motor home

Whew!!

Tuesday, May 9, 2017--Tremonton, Utah to Union Creek Campground near Baker City, Oregon--416 miles!

     Morning came early in Tremonton, Utah for the eager-to-see-home Tremans. 

     We left the motel at 6:45 with 555 miles between us and home, thinking we would stay the night in the halfway point at Boise .      

      The skies were sunny and the temperature was 51 degrees.  A pair of Say's Phoebes bid us "Cheerio" in the morning sun.

     We got on the road before the sun did. It was a beautiful drive on a smooth, wide, empty freeway.

     Lots of grasslands and snow-covered mountains

     The surprise of wind turbines cluttering up the landscape where they hadn't been before, not to mention the aroma of gigantic feedlots along the way, and the shocking yellow of a canola field.

     Crossing the very full Snake River and nearing Farewell Bend of the Snake River 

    At 11 am we arrived at Boise, our destination for the day halfway to home. We actually will gain an hour after we cross into Oregon. 

     We could not stop! So, onward and westward. We hatched out a plan to surprise Rodger and Ginger and George and Deanna at their campground outside Baker City, OR.

The snow-capped peaks near Baker City

What a surprise and what a reunion we had! Friends together after six weeks! Catching up and enjoying camping together.

Such a beautiful, quiet campground--Union Creek Campground at Phillips Lake, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest outside of Baker City along the Powder River

     To cap off a perfect day, we added another trip bird, a White-headed Woodpecker

Today Our Eyes Were On

FRIENDS and the joy of reunion after a long journey!

Monday, May 8, 2017--Orem, Utah to Tremonton, Utah--158 miles

     We awoke at 5:30 and peeked outside at the freeway below the hill from our motel. It was getting busy. We decided to hurry ourselves for an early start. 

     We joined the madding crowd on I-15 at 6:20 with our destination 93 miles away--Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge at Brigham City. 

     This is a photo of our trip through Salt Lake City--it was all a blur! It is a very, very long 93 miles.We arrived at the Visitor's Center (closed today) at 8 am. When we were here a month ago on our way south the Visitor's Center was open, but the Auto Tour Road was closed due to high water. We were apprehensive that it would be closed still as there were still high water alerts on the website. We forged ahead and were rewarded with open gates to the Auto Tour Road AND BIRDS!

     A Bank and Tree Swallow greeted us as well as Barn Swallows and Cliff Swallows

     What a joy to be back in this wonderful bird refuge

     Cinnamon Teal were extremely abundant

     One of many Western Grebes and two Clark's Grebes 

     Western and Clark's Grebe together for comparison

     Red-breasted Merganser with Cinnamon Teal and another Merganser photo to verify the ID

      Such a beautiful place to bird and a lone Sandhill Crane

     A Gadwall and a pair of Cinnamon Teal

     An American White Pelican and a female Red-winged Blackbird in distinctive breeding plumage swaying in the wind

     The surrounding mountains form a backdrop; we love the Yellow-headed Blackbirds 

     White-faced Ibis were the most abundant of all the birds we saw today, except for the swallows.

     Besides Western Grebes and Clark's Grebes, we saw an Eared Grebe and a Pied-billed Grebe

A Franklin's Gull and a gazillion more gulls

     An American Avocet and a Black-necked Stilt

     A flying Forster's Tern and Great Blue Heron

     A family of Canada Geese and a Snowy Egret to end the parade of species. 

     We finished driving the Auto Tour at noon, 4 hours after beginning it and after driving the long 93 miles to get there. We decided that 156 miles and 6 hours driving and looking was enough for one day. 

     We are hunkered for the night in a motel at Tremonton, Utah. We are 550 miles from home, and hope to accomplish it in 2 days.

Today Our Eyes Were On

Many wonderful birds and habitat

Mike Denny is right when he says "LIFE IS GOOD!"