Copyright ©2021 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
At the end of May He-Man and I went for a hike on a new to us trail called Deadman’s Creek Trail. It’s a nice short trail just a wee bit over a mile up and 280 foot elevation gain with a wonderful payoff at the end. There’s a lovely gazebo at the top of the hill, and the view is gorgeous.
To top this off being a nice hike it was an even better hike because I saw three new to me birds on this trail!!
Number 3 new bird for the year was the Rock Wren. It posed for me nicely. Later it sang for us too.
On the way down I saw the next two. First was the Female Lazuli Bunting. It’s not a great image as she was out of range of my lens, but it was a good enough look to get her identified. I’ve seen the male before but, not the female so I was excited to have now seen both the male and female of the species.
The last new to me bird was the Black-throated Sparrow. I’ve been back to try to get a better image of it twice, but I haven’t seen it again.
All I know of how the trail got its name is back in the 1860’s a man bought a ranch near here and grew produce to sell to the miners in the valley. In 1864 he sold half his ranch to another man who became his business partner, but in 1865 the two ranchers were found shot dead. It was first thought they were murdered, but later they changed the thinking to a murder suicide situation. It’s a story true to the Wild West tales that’s for sure.
On a happier note there were wildflowers in bloom along the trail too. I put together a Contact Sheet with several thumbnail images of the highlights of the hike to share.
We’ve had #1 Grandson with us for 11 days and Big Baby Boy flew up for a short visit too. We’ve been going to the lake to beat the heat and paddle on my SUP board. If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen some of my images and videos of that so I won’t repeat that here.
Big Baby Boy left Tuesday, and Baby Girl, The Handsome Surveyor, and Littlest are arriving this evening for a short overnight stay and take #1 Grandson home tomorrow. The visits went by too fast!! That catches you up on my doings. What’s new with you?
I hope you’re all having a lovely week, and you have a great week-end!
Fuji X-T3| Fuji 100-400mm| iPhone 7Plus| Photoshop CC 22.4.2
more to come…
Circadianreflections Blog 
What lovely scenery and magnificent skies! What a delight to see these three very special birds, all of which are new to me!
Wow, Yes, a wonderful pay off at the end. I learned the term, “Lifer” from you, Deborah. I was curious about the name of the trail. I am always in awe of where wildflowers bloom. Happy to hear you are seeing family!
Thank you so much, Erica! The trail and little canyon has an interesting history doesn’t it.
I like you am amazed by wildflowers. Love them! I saw a lot of them on yesterday’s hike. Spring has finally sprung in the high country! 😀
What a wonderful hike, and how exciting to see the Rock Wren. Super photos, Deborah!
Thank you so much, Jennie! It was a great hike, and the Rock Wren was pretty exciting to see.
Best to you, Deborah!
And to you as well, Jennie!
Your camera’s file nomenclature makes me think of the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) in Korea.
Those are my initials. I changed the file naming convention in my settings. You’re not the only one who has thought that about my initials. 😀
Some of us are old enough to have that Korean association with the DMZ firmly planted in our brains. I doubt many younger people would make the connection.
That’s true! 😀
Three more lifers, WOOHOO!! I don’t have two of these BUT I just took a wren photo and am thinking mine is a Rock Wren too (it’ll be a lifer for me too if so!). I’m going to compare your shot to mine, hopefully I’ve got a match. 🙂 So glad to hear you had family visits, including your grandson. I’m positive you had an awesome time!! 😍 I’m back to video chatting with my three grandsons….just not the same.
I know right! Three new birds on the same trail was amazing! I hope the little Wren you saw was the Rock Wren!!
It was a pretty great two weeks in which I saw both my kids, and grandsons! Life has been pretty great over here.
You’re travels will lead you back to an in person visit with your grandsons I have no doubt. Even though those video chats (I’m back to those now too) aren’t the same they’re still pretty neat, and better than just a phone call. I love seeing their faces. 😀
Happy Birding this week!
🤩 You too!
Great photos! Always great to get out and hike.
It is! Thank you so much, Kendall!
Welcome! Have a great fourth!
Thank you, you as well!! 😀
Welcome! Thanks!
What a treat to see this lovely array of Nevada flora and fauna, Deborah. I enjoyed every photo and shared your joy in your lifers. Of all the birding I have done over three decades, I have never seen a black-throated sparrow, and boy is he ever a beauty. Also fun to see the female Lazuli. I have had the thrill of seeing and hearing the melodious crooning of the rock wren in Nevada, and although it was 7 years ago I still have not forgotten it, because it was such an exquisite song. Wonderful to see the black-billed magpie too, and the western fence lizard in breeding. Wonderful post, thanks for taking us along. PS – Keep your eye out for the magnificent pinyon jays, they’ll be squawky and fly in flocks.
Thank you so much, Jet! I wish I had spotted the BTSparrow again. Hopefully, I’ll see it again one year.
I saw the Pinyon Jays…a small flock last year, but I didn’t get an image I really like so I need to get back to that trail and see if I can see them again too.
How neat that you’ve seen the Rock Wren and here! I love that!! Thank you for the proper name of that lizard too. I just thought it was a blue belly! 😂
I hope and Athena have a lovely holiday week-end!
Some terrific photos, Deborah — thanks for sharing them! We’ve been drawing some nice specimens to our feeders lately. Love watching them stop by. Hope you have a nice holiday weekend. 🙂
Thank you so much, Paul! I hope you have a lovely week-end and holiday as well! 😀
What a beautiful walk Deborah ! and some lovely birds including lifers and flowers along the way. Love your Rock Wren .Lovely you got to have your grandies over, we missed out due to another lock-down for the 4th time, its been 2 years now. Enjoy your week 🙂
Thank you so much, Ashley! I’m so looking forward to the day when we’ve all got a handle on this virus and we beat it!! I hope this lockdown isn’t nearly as long for you!!
Enjoy your week-end as well!
Five new birds in 2021 – that’s wonderful. I like the pictures you were able to get of these three. Your other photos are beautiful as well. That looks like a lovely little hike. the gazebo at the top is an interesting find. I like the story, it’s sad (for the two guys) but it does seem like a good old west story.
Thank you, Dan! It’s a great start to the year seeing 5 new birds.
The gazebo on the top of the hill is great isn’t it.
It is a good old west story. 😀 Next time I’ll take pics of the two grave markers at the trail head.
Terrific photos, Deborah. Thank you for taking us on your hike. I have to say that the summit was a surprise.
Thank you so much, John! Isn’t that gazebo neat! It’s going to be my stretch my legs hiking spot on days I’m in a hurry or just lazy. 😂
Sounds like a plan. A lunch up there would be great too. 😁
I thought so too! 😀
Sounds and looks like a terrific time and trail you discovered. Wonderful photos, Deborah and nice to add some new birds too 😊
Thank you so much, Belinda! It’s a nice hike and I love that it’s birdy!
Congratulations on the lifer trio! What a great view at the end of that trail (and along it as well is seems.) You can add that to the ever-growing list of places for us to go when I visit. 🙂 Love your nicknames for your family members, BTW.
What am I doing? Just got back from the grocery run and cleaning at Mom and Dad’s. I have to be back this afternoon to take Mom to the dentist and during the break I think we’ll be watching part of today’s stage of the Tour de France, something my husband and I both love to watch. I just have to be careful not to find out the results before we get through the replay, which can take some time depending on what we have to do during the day. 🙂 No long weekend plans as my husband is on call the entire time. Sigh. But in a month we’ll be in Wyoming, so I can bear all things! 🙂
Thank you, Janet! Oh, yes we should plan a visit!! Code name for the fam is a must for me since 3 of three of the adults and 2 kids do not have an online presence.
I wonder if He-Man is watching the Tour de France? He used to watch it every year.
No week-end plans for us either. BBQ tomorrow for the kids before they leave, and we’ll just hang around the neighborhood. The lake is going to be crazy busy so we’ll avoid it.
This month is going to fly by and you’ll be making your trip to WY. Will you stop at a different market and rest stops now that you’re going up a different route?
I’ve made this new trip once and while there are a few things to see along the way, I haven’t made any stops other than for gas/bathroom breaks. What I’ll really miss is stopping at Carr Valley Cheese, where I’d stock up on both the trip out and the trip back. 😦
I look forward to your posts with the stops along the way. I would miss the cheese shop too!
The blue skies! Oh my are they pretty. Happy 4th of July!
We had a lovely blue sky that day! It’s cloudy and smokey today. Two fires are burning south of us and the wind is pushing the smoke our way. 😭
Happy Independence Day to you and Zen-Den! 😀
The birds are lovely, the news about being able to spend time with your people is great (I’m still waiting for that), just the flowers are too tiny for me to view on my big screen. (And I’m not on IG.) Have a great holiday weekend!
Seeing my kids and grandsons this whole time has been such a blessing! I hope you get to see your family soon!!
The thumbnails just give you an idea of what I saw. I may work on a couple to share bigger.
I’m on IG, but not Facebook. 😀
I hope you and your Amore, and Beastia (sp)? have a lovely weekend as well! 🥰
Congrats with your lifers Deborah! Lovely pictures. Good to read about the family visits. I keep forgetting it is already july, the year is half gone. Over here we are more or less out of covid meassures, but everyone is still aware of threats. Your pictures are sunny. We want sun, space, openness, we got time on our hands. 🙂
Thank you so much, Peter! It was exciting seeing 3 new birds along the same trail.
Can you believe it’s already July!!! The year is flying by!
We’re pretty much back to normal here, but we too are still aware and cautious around strangers and in the stores. Yes, to sun, space, and fun things to do with the time we have on our hands. 😀
Have a lovely week-end!
How wonderful that you were able to spy – and photograph – three new-to-you birds! Have a great time with your family and a fun 4th!
Thank you so much, Janis! It was exciting seeing 3 new birds. I wish you a Happy 4th too! 😀
Wow that was some walk, 3 new birds and all those flowers plus the views!
I know right! I took a friend up there because she’d never been on that trail either and she was oohing, and ahing too. We saw lots of Bushtits that day and the Rock Wren was still there so she picked up a new to her bird too. It’s a great trail. Thank you so much, Brian!
Looks like a wonderful hike! It was so nice of that Rock Wren to pose for you on a rock illustrating its preferred habitat. I have been wildflower hunting too. The lupine are very nice this year.
It was great of that Wren to pose and sing for us. Thank you so much, Denise! 😀