I wasn’t fast enough to see the burrowing owls, but I did see a variety of birds at Market Lake

While working on my sprinkling system on Wednesday, the wind picked up and snow started falling. I hustled inside to change my plans for the day.

“I am going to go out and get pictures of the burrowing owls in the snow,” I informed my wife.

She gave me the “okay” and I headed out on ID Highway 33. By the time I was halfway to Sage Junction, the snow had quit, the wind had died down and the sun came out. No pictures of the owls in the snow.

I took the cut-off from Highway 33 to the northeast corner of Market Lake Wildlife Management Area. As I entered the ag fields, I was greeted by a male ring-necked pheasant with his enlarged bright red waddles, displaying for a hen hidden in the dead grass. Not 200 yards farther down the gravel road was a great-blue heron standing stately in the field. A great beginning for a canceled workday.

As I started driving down the “paved” road along the canal and the west windbreak, I saw a pair of Canada geese with their four newly hatched goslings. They were the first new baby waterfowl that I have seen this spring. The parents were very careful to keep the young ones between them as they worked their way feeding along the edge of the canal.

I had seen them on Tuesday, as I recorded 53 species on Market Lake for my largest daily number of the season. Many of the large numbers of waterfowl have migrated on, but with the shorebirds and songbirds just arriving, the numbers of species should continue to grow at Market Lake.

On both Tuesday and Wednesday, I recorded some rare birds and a lot of flirting going on. Raptors showed up to take advantage of any birds that became easy prey that can provide a meal for them.

On the old Western Wings Pond, I got some pictures of a great egret on Tuesday. It was joined by a second one on Wednesday. They were the first ones that I had seen near Market Lake in the last four summers, but they used to be abundant up until then.

While driving past Pond No. 2, all the ducks took flight as a speeding peregrine falcon flashed by, chased by a northern harrier. I quickly called another birder that was watching some shorebirds and he said he wondered why all of them took off but did not see the falcon.

Two male red-breasted mergansers were showing their “dip-and-doodle” dance vying for the attention and affection of six females. A male willet did his outstretched wings dance for an unimpressed female and a pair of northern shovellers did their “ring-around-the-rosy” circle until they finally did a “beak-kiss.” The high winds and cold weather did not deter them at all. If they waited for calm, sunny warm weather in eastern Idaho, there would not be many baby birds.

By spending three hours on Tuesday watching the different birds doing their spring rituals, the ones looking for a meal came by. An osprey harvested a fish and not being able to balance it on a post, ate it on the road in front of me. The peregrine was not the only raptor chased by the harriers as a bald eagle, Merlin and Kestrel, were chased away. Harriers believe they are the Kings of the Marsh. Even a Forester tern showed up to gather a few small fish for dinner.

So, if you are tired of watching television or trials on social media, make a trip out to Market Lake to watch some interesting activities in real time. Slow down, park your “blind” and enjoy the action. Market Lake is not the only place to enjoy because at Camas National Wildlife Refuge, most of the ponds are full and the run-off has created water-covered marshes everywhere. Birds and white-tailed deer can be seen, along with some elk.

Keep your bird feeders full and put out the oranges for the songbirds to enjoy. They will soon be putting on a show in your backyard if you do.

Thank the workers at Market Lake for patching the potholes in the road. It makes for a nice drive past the ponds.