03_19 to 21_2014 Dave's Big Trip Begins - Part I - Birding in Overton NV with Steve Wolfe!

March 19 marks day one of Dave's big trip! He is heading west to climb, ride and photograph.  Part I has us driving out of Boulder toward Joshua Tree.

Our first night we got to Overton Nevada where we met up with our good friend Steve Wolfe. Steve is also on a long road trip photographing and just enjoying life.  We had dinner with Steve at a nice restaurant in Overton, then settled in for our night.  The full moon was bright and the sleeping was excellent!

After a quick breakfast, we went to the local wildlife refuge where we saw a ton of birds!

Here is Steve looking at some avian....Dave is off in the background looking for others.

Steve is checking out some pretty bird no doubt.

Dave is seeing something here.

Steve and Dave with their respective bazookas!

Birding buddies!

Most of the bird photos are on Dave's big camera and I don't have access to those photos. So check back and he'll get them up soon.

Our trip to date offers the following species:
Ring-Billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Common Grackle
Coopers Hawk
Crissal Thrasher
House Sparrow
American Crow
Red-Winged Black Bird
Phainopepla
Northern Mockingbird
House Finch
Canada Goose
American Goldfinch
Road Runner
Snow Goose
Black Tailed Gnatcatcher
Great Blue Heron
Red-Tailed Hawk
Abert's Towhee
Lucys Warbler
Verdin
Turkey (duh)
Western Meadowlark
Peafowl
Ladderback Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Mallard
Gambel's Quail
White-Crowned Sparrow
Rough-Winged Swallow
Eurasian Collared Dove
American Avocet
Least Sandpiper
Song Sparrow
Killdeer
Ruddy Duck
Green-Winged Teal
Bufflehead
Norther Shoveler
Redhead
Coot
Wigeon
Barn Swallow
Turkey Vulture
Double-Crested Cormorant
Pied-Billed Grebe
Cinnamon Teal
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Yellow Legs
Black Phoebe
Ring-Necked Duck
Northern Pintail
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Black-Throated Grey  Warbler
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Lincoln's Sparrow

To say Overton has great birds is an understatement!

After birding, the three of us grabbed lunch, then Dave and I headed on our way.  At one stop en route to Joshua Tree, we came upon this bizarre road side display.  Simply weird.

This big trip will take Dave to several states and many destinations.  I'll be flying in and out and meeting him in various places. It's a really exciting time for him and I'm psyched he is getting this opportunity!