Foto Friday

Happy Friday all!

I've spotted a few ospreys around the Boise area lately and thought I would post a photo of one.

This particular osprey was seen in north Idaho near the small town of Sagle. The photo was snapped just as it was about to land on a nest. We parked the car close to the nest and watched them flying to and from the water hunting for fish.

Any great weekend plans? We might visit a local waterfall. Not sure how impressive it is, but I will post photos if they turn out well.

Foto Friday Returns!

Hello all!

Since this weekend is the really the kick-off of the summer camping season, I am going to post two photos from one of my favorite camping experiences. We went on a three day backpacking trip in the Seven Devils Mountains in Central Idaho.

The lake little lake in the photo below is Lower Cannon Falls, where we camped the first night. One side of the lake is against a talis pile (hillside of loose rock). All day and night long we listened to the pikas scurrying around in the rock. Those little guys are so fast that we never were able to get a clear photo of them, but here is a link to the wikipedia Pika page where you can find a photo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pika

The second night we hiked 1,000 feet higher and camped at Upper Cannon Falls. We only had to hike a couple miles, but due to the change in elevation and the fact that we didn't follow a trail for most of the day, our hike took most of the day. Once we got to the lake the views were definitely worth it! As we rounded the last bend and the lake came into view, I saw butterflies fluttering above and skimming the top of the lake. Fish were actually jumping out of the water attempting to catch the butterflies! I'd never seen anything like it before!

The photo below is the view from our tent at Upper Cannon Lake.

San Francisco Vacation

Greetings all!

Foto Friday will return next week. :) We've been busy vacationing and playing catch up. Now that things are quieting down again, I have time for a new blog post.

The first few days we were in San Francisco it was foggy, and this was the best shot we could get of the Golden Gate Bridge. We just had to take a photo of it - a trip to San Francisco just isn't complete without one! :)

And of course on our walk, we just had to stop by Fisherman's Wharf to see the barking sea lions. One of the plaques said that there are between 100 and up to 1,000 sea lions at the wharf at all times! Most of them were sleeping, like the ones below, however there were a few that barked non-stop.

This Madagascar Giant Day Gecko was at the California Academy of Sciences in the Golden Gate State Park. I love how vibrant the colors are!

The below photo is of the Palace of Fine Arts. It looks spectacular lit up at night! We're not the only ones that think so either. When we arrived to take this photo, there were about ten other people here taking photos also!

Do any of you have favorite or fun places you like to spend vacations? We would love to hear about your stories. We're always looking for new places to travel to.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Foto Friday

Happy May Day!

This post is going to be very short because we are currently getting ready to leave on vacation! :)

A simple, pink rose - I couldn't think of a more appropriate photo for May Day. Have a wonderful weekend all!

Sunrise Sage Grouse Fun

Last weekend we were up early (3 am to be exact!) to join a group outing to a sage grouse lek (mating grounds). I've only seen the sage grouse mating ritual once, and was excited to witness it again. After a hour and a half drive, we made it to the lek just before sunrise. We were able to park within 50 feet of the birds and watch the males strut and perform their mating display. I didn't record their call, however, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has an example posted on their site here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_Sage-Grouse/sounds

If you would like to watch the display, this links to a video on youtube.com - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0M8pZnNlnI

Sage grouse can use the same mating grounds for hundreds of years! This male wasn't intimidated by the cars at all and came very close to us.

Since it is the end of the mating season, some of the younger males were on the lek. Occasionally they would either be chased off by the older males or fight.

This male is performing the mating display by puffing out air sacs in its chest.

The outing was organized because the Owyhee Initiative just passed protecting a large area of land in southwestern Idaho. If you are interested, more information about the initiative can be found here: http://www.owyheeinitiative.org/history.htm

Foto Friday

Happy Friday all!

Yesterday we spotted the first baby geese of the year and will be out with the camera this weekend attempting to get some good photos. Look for those in a future post. I can't wait to see the baby wood ducks, and if the geese are hatching it won't be too much longer until the baby ducks will be hatching too!

Since I have wood ducks on the mind, I'll just go ahead and post a photo of a male wood duck for today's photo. They are one of my favorite ducks. Just look at how colorful they are!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Earth Day!

In celebration of Earth Day I am posting some landscape shots to motivate everyone to go outside and enjoy the outdoors. :) Luckily the weather here in Idaho is perfect for spending time outside today, and I plan on going outside to take advantage of it!

Photo taken during a three day backpacking trip in the Seven Devils Mountain Range in central Idaho. The scenery was breathtaking and well worth all the hiking.

The Sand Dunes National Monument near Alamosa, Colorado. The climb to the top of the dunes is brutal, but completely worth it, as you can see from the view.

Cherry Creek State Park in Denver. I love the sun rays in this one!

This photo was taken in the Grand Canyon during a 3 mile morning hike.

If you did anything fun for Earth Day, I'd love to hear about it!