Hello, everyone! It's me, Cammie! Today is for the birds -- or rather the birdies we saw on our most recent trip down to Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge! Finally.
![IMG_9580CamMagsHRV](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347212251_9a1791b8a2_c.jpg) |
"Buckle up, there are a bazillion birdies out there!" "Ready for take-off!" |
We hit Cheyenne Bottoms first. Here are our highlights from there!
![IMG_9676GreatBlueHeronsRedWingedBlackbirdAmericanWhitePelicans](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347193811_3b02a33871_c.jpg) |
Great Blue Herons, a Red-Winged Blackbird, and American White Pelicans |
The Blackbird seemed to be some sort of bouncer for the Pelicans, driving the Herons out of their fishing spot. Here's the new fishing hole one of the Herons found:
![IMG_9747GreatBlueHeron](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347322247_ac27a9098d_c.jpg) |
Great Blue Heron |
There were so many different members of the Heron family out there! The smallest of the white herons were these Cattle Egrets:
![IMG_9794CattleEgrets](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347318437_eee823889c_c.jpg) |
Cattle Egrets on a fly-by |
The next smallest were the Snowies:
![IMG_9816SnowyEgrets](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347315357_d23cfc5cf6_c.jpg) |
Snowy Egrets |
If Maggie and I had to pick a favorite, it would be the Snowies. You know. Because SNOW.
Mom shot a whole series of this guy on take-off:
![IMG_9831DoubleCrestedCormorant](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347313597_19b74c1ff7_c.jpg) |
Double-Crested Cormorant |
Here's a Snowy posing on a post, showing off his bright yellow feety-feet:
![IMG_9896SnowyEgret](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347309472_2cfd60a328_c.jpg) |
Snowy Egret |
How about another Great Blue?!?
![IMG_9903GreatBlueHeronBarnSwallow](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347309172_b5c1169e58_c.jpg) |
Great Blue Heron and Barn Swallow |
The Barn Swallow kept dive-bombing him.
After a sweep through The Bottoms, we headed down to Quivira NWR. That place was teeming with Sandpipers - like these:
![IMG_9917GreaterAndLesserYellowlegs](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347169971_bc866dcd60_c.jpg) |
Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs |
This little guy was quite the poser:
![IMG_9950SnowyPlover](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347302607_77a676c368_c.jpg) |
❤❤❤ Snowy Plover!!!! ❤❤❤ |
Guess who put the hearts in there?
There were also quite a few Ibises at Quivira:
![IMG_9976WhiteFacedIbises](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347299692_235c5c9828_c.jpg) |
White-Faced Ibises |
AND Stilts:
![IMG_0034BlackNeckedStilt](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347152141_47fae54801_c.jpg) |
Black-Necked Stilt |
The Stilts were squawking at every other birdie out there, were flying all over the place, and were just agitated as can be! Quite possibly because ...
![IMG_0083BlackNeckedStiltYoung](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347145456_8c3bebc057_c.jpg) |
Black-Necked Stilt baby |
That's right - there were Stilt
puppies in the area! They were just protecting their young, and I can totally relate to that! The White-Faced Ibises challenged the Stilts quite a bit. This guy mixed it up with two Stilts:
![IMG_0158WhiteFacedIbisBlackNeckedStilt](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347269902_6c20a49a80_c.jpg) |
"Hey, Camera Lady. Watch this!" "Stay away from my babies!" |
The
Stilts double-teamed the much larger Ibis and eventually won the day.
![IMG_0164BlackNeckedStilt](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347128536_16ff022c0a_c.jpg) |
"And don't come back!" |
Don't mess with anyone's puppies!
We also saw large groups of the largest of the white herons:
![IMG_0088GreatEgrets](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347280887_4b17278308_c.jpg) |
Great Egrets |
It was such a birdie-packed paradise!
On the way home, we saw more Cattle Egrets -- hanging out with Cattle! Dad turned around on the highway so Mom could get out and take a few shots:
![IMG_0183CattleAndCattleEgretsCrop](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347121616_aec3c3b7af_c.jpg) |
Cattle Egrets and Cattle |
They were quite a distance away. Mom was careful not to encroach onto private property - and she certainly didn't want to disturb the cattle! It was really cool to see them together!
That's a wrap for this trip!
![IMG_9602CamMagsHRV](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48347255872_7280824427_c.jpg) |
"Time to head back home!" "That was a LOT of birdies!!!" |
We hope you enjoyed seeing some of Mom's photos. Please visit our
album on FlickR for the full set, if you're interested!
Thanks for coming birding with us!
Cammie!