A Quick Trip to Carson City, Nevada

I just got back from visiting my Mom up in Carson City.  Thankfully, she’s doing BEAUTIFULLY!  Healing up amazingly quickly and in generally good spirits! We did a few shopping excursions and ate out for some lovely meals. I was a kind and loving daughter and did not take any photos of her in recovery!  🙂

We even got a little birding in.  Just a little, tiny bit.  We didn’t want to tire Mom out but some car birding isn’t too tiring!

Here’s what we saw . . .

2      Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
10     California Quail Callipepla californica
2     Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
1     Wilson’s Snipe Gallinago delicata LIFER!
2     Western Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica
8     Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia LIFER!
2     American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
10     Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
2     American Robin Turdus migratorius
2     House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus

The best was the Snipe.  We were driving along this beautiful stretch of road at pastures near the Carson River.  The pastures are flooded . . . perfect Snipe country.

Isn’t it lovely?  Posed for us for hours, chatting loudly the whole time!  I’ll give you more pics and even some vid tomorrow!  🙂

While I’ve seen lots of Yellow-billed Magpies, I hadn’t ever seen (or at least listed) a Black-billed Magpie. I didn’t get a good picture of them but this isn’t a baaaad picture, right?

The biggest problem is the magpie’s lovely long tail was tipped away from the camera and looks a bit like it was clipped off.  🙂   But, I love the look on it’s face . . . sort of a knowing smile!