Birds, herps, etc

[Oak]

A few photos from the last couple of weeks. Not much exciting.

 

[Nut]

Fantastic

 

[elk_hunter]

Very cool, Oak!

 

[smalls]

I love the nested long-eared. IMO, nothing is more difficult to spot than owls.

Oak, do you reckon that was a sharp-shinned or a coopers in pic 5?

 

[Oak]

Oak, do you reckon that was a sharp-shinned or a coopers in pic 5?

Pics 5 and 6 are both Cooper's. Here are a couple of sharpies. The second is a sub-adult.

 

[Delw]

Those lizzard pics are pretty cool

 

[Moosie]

Which of them had Herpies ?

 

[IdahoBugler]

Awesome pics...

 

[noharleyyet]

Good camera work as usual Oak. Cool colors on the lizards.

 

[schmalts]

what kind of lizards are them?

 

[Dinkshooter]

Don't those lizards run like hell up on their hind legs?

 

[Oak]

They are collared lizards. I've never seen them run on their hind legs. I think you might be thinking of frilled lizards.

Here's another sharp-shinned hawk from yesterday, along with it's nest. A small bull I bumped into as well. Also a shot from the air of some local gas development.

 

[mtmiller]

Last photo speaks volumes. Curious about the surface and mineral owners.

How is the reseed effort on the pads and pipelines. Looks like there might be some hydo-seeding going on in the background on the pipeline?

 

[Oak]

Last photo speaks volumes. Curious about the surface and mineral owners.

How is the reseed effort on the pads and pipelines. Looks like there might be some hydo-seeding going on in the background on the pipeline?

Surface is all private, and minerals are almost all fee. There may be a pad or two in the distance on federal minerals.

Reseeding results run the gamut. With a dry climate and relatively little topsoil in most places to begin with, reclamation results are typically slow in coming and poor. The hydro-seeding you see in the photo is actually on the cut of a cut-and-fill pad location. This is where you typically see hydro-seeding around here....in areas that are not ready for full reclamation. The results are as poor as you would expect.

Most seeding is broadcast, or with a multiple seed bin range drill on flatter areas. Places where is a little more soil, the reclaim will take fairly well. Areas with little topsoil to begin with will typically be primarily invasive species: tumble mustard, kochia, redstem filaree, yellow sweet clover, mullein, Russian thistle, etc. I'd say that about 10% of reclaims are good, about 50% are really bad, and the other 40% are somewhere in between.

The pipeline along the right side of the main road in the bottom center of the photo was constructed in 2006. Still very little vegetation, although since this photo was taken in April a lot of yellow sweet clover has come in. The pipeline on the far left side of the photo was constructed in 2007.

 

[Tom]

Herps is for real, I learned that today. Are those poikilothermic there Oak?

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Herpetology is concerned with poikilothermic, or ectothermic, tetrapods. "Herps" include reptiles and amphibians, but exclude fish. However, it is not uncommon for herpetological and ichthyological scientific societies to "team up", publishing joint journals and holding joint conferences in order to foster the exchange of ideas between the fields. One of the most prestigious organizations, the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, is an example of this.
************
from wikipedia

Its good those Ichthyologists go together with the herp guys for some reason. Why?

 

[Oak]

Yep, they're poikilotherms.

How about another sharpie from Thursday. Maybe there are some closet bird nerds out there.