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Great Basin Bird Observatory


Danielle and I returned to Nevada for the summer of 2007, this time working for Great Basin Bird Observatory on a state-wide bird survey.  
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Our first view of the mountains, coming into Rocky Mountain National Park on our way to Nevada

The very common scene of the Olds Achieva cooling off after a strenuous climb


Danielle hikes across the edge of a frozen lake in RMNP


Sitting on a ridge in a small valley, with a ring of mountains all around us


The main road into and through the Park was still closed, but we still got high enough to get alot of snow

Following the highway south along the eastern side of the Rockies


Danielle cooking on the campfire in western Colorado after we'd crossed the Rockies

We took a detour to Colorado National Monument and were very happy we did

Another view of the massive valley at Colorado NM


Last view of the eroded pinnacles as we left to hit the road again

Surprisingly, I caught this guy with my bare hands, then kept him for a photo as he tried squirming out of the bander's grip

Evening as we entered Arches National Park


The castle rocks in Arches, before we left on our "backcountry trip"

The world's most famous arch, in a rare view without a group of tourists all around

The omnipresent La Sal mountains southeast of Arches

Danielle and I found some shade under a juniper to spend the afternoon

The contrast of red rock, blue sky and white flowers...

This was one of the most photogenic places I've ever seen!

Danielle walking amongst the hoodoo

Balanced Rock, under which Edward Abbey had his ranger's cabin in the 50's

One of my favourites pics: Paintbrush flowers against the red rock

Finally at work just north of Las Vegas as Desert National Wildlife Range.

A view from Desert NWR across to the Spring Mountains

Sunset over our camp at Desert


The Sheep Range, seen from the Corn Creek Field Station which was our very ritzy bunkhouse on two occasions

Danielle spotted these Desert Bighorn Sheep as we were driving up to do a Pinyon-Juniper transect

Camping out near our transect in the southern end of Nevada


I was just getting into "bed" when I looked up and saw this silhouetted Cholla cactus right above my head

Our campsite near Laughlin in southern Nevada

The extreme southern region was an interesting desert, with lots of exposed rocks and various cactuses

Cholla and Yucca; you really have to watch where you step here, especially if you are wearing sandals!


The rugged landscape and diversity of plant life made this area really exciting to camp and work in

Danielle preparing some supper in our portable "kitchen"

One of the few times I took my guitar out all summer.  It had to be detuned every time and buried under half our possessions so it was always a hassle.

The "Trail Canyon" trail in the Spring Mountains outside of Las Vegas

After a couple weeks in the lowland desert, we were very happy to get up in the cool elevation

A particularly large Joshua Tree in Desert NWR.  At one point there was nothing but Joshua Tree as far as we could see

A Pinyon-Juniper transect in Desert NWR

We had several transects in Mormon Mesa, one of our study sites from last year's job.

Although it was nice to be in familiar area (and see Virgin Peak at sunset for once) we were not enthusiastic about being back in the Tamarisk jungle!

Danielle towering over the top of the Mesa during "the orange phase"

Driving around the edge of Lake Mead

Prickly Poppies were all over this transect, a "Pinyon-Juniper" transect that had been burnt

Danielle and I were doing veg work on this transect, trying to finish up before it got too hot out

Getting ready to veg a Sagebrush transect... boring bird surveys, but easy veg!




Our first Coniferous transect, above the eastern side of Lake Tahoe.  This transect was along the Tahoe Rim Trail and was one of our most memorable

We stopped at a small beach along the Lake to make lunch, but were approached by an attendant asking for a $5 entrance fee.  We promptly left!

Driving from Lake Tahoe, south to our next back of transects along the Eastern Sierra



Our first Aspen transect was a real treat.  We hadn't realized how much we missed broadleaf trees



The transect started at about 8200 feet and took us up nearly 1000 feet along a mountain creek and through pockets of Aspen and meadow

Danielle starts some paperwork for the veg




A cold front came in as we worked.  By the end we were shivering and the wind was now carrying snow!


The view into the heart of the Sierras


Looking across to these peaks I felt like I was looking down on the top of the world

Sagebrush and Aspen, with the Matterhorn Peak in the background

An open spot on the way back down to the truck


After getting to our site we had the pleasant task of scoping out the area to make sure out transect was where it was supposed to be


This montane riparian transect was beautiful from start to finish!

We set up the tent for a change to take refuge from the cold winds that evening.

That evening and through the night it snowed on us, and we woke up to about a -5 degree morning!

The snow on the hills was spectacular the next day


A small marshy area (beaver pond) along the transect

Pockets of Aspen like this one could be found along the length of the creek

Danielle gets ready to do veg under the shadow of the eastern Sierra peaks near Bridgeport, CA

On our way to go camping along highway 395 in California

This clear stream near our camping spot was begging for us to grab inner tubes and jump in

Our bedroom, in a different spot every night!



A montane lake on the climb up to the Tioga Pass into Yosemite Park

The famous domes of Yosemite as we enter from the north east side

Danielle stands in the hollowed-out (and now dead) Sequoia that once had a road going through it

Yosemite Valley.  Beautiful but packed with more people than I have ever seen in one place in my entire life.

Along one of the trails in Calveras Big Trees state park in California

I am standing inside the partly decomposed trunk of a fallen Sequoia, taking this picture of Danielle sitting on the other half

An underexposure made this rose flower glow

Mosquito Lake on the way back over the Sierras near Ebbet's Pass

Looking East from Ebbet's Pass

A montane meadow near the town of Markleeville, CA

The beginning of our Wilson Canyon transect in western Nevada

The sunset at Wilson Canyon

Despite being right next to a road, the Wilson Canyon transect had really nice scenery

Another shot of Wilson Canyon

Walker Lake, a dying saline lake fed by the eastern Sierras

Mono Lake, another saline lake along the border of California and Nevada

Taking a rest along an empty highway near the Anchorite Pass

A deserted building in the ghost town of Grantsville, where we had two transects

An alkali flat in Railroad Valley

A view across the flat and toward the mountains on the Eastern horizon

Despite being in a dry flat, flooding and game management was allowing the wetland sites we were supposed to survey

Just after sunrise on my transect

This lake bed had mostly dried up on top, leaving a muddy trap just below the surface

An aspen transect near the Success Summit outside of Ely

Sunset in the Schell Creek range near Ely

This "salt desert" transect was definitely my most boring; nothing but Horned Larks!

The Kalamazoo Pass in the Schell Creek Range

Looking south from the Kalamazoo Pass before heading back into Spring Valley and north to our next transects

After hearing so much about it, we finally got into the Ruby Mountains near the end of the season for a couple transects and a few days off

Beginning along the Ruby Crest Trail, which runs over 40 miles along the backbone of the Rubies...

Looking back at Lamoile Canyon as we climb

The relative lack of trees along this trail led to a profusion of wildflowers

These were growing at exactly 10,000 feet and was the first time all summer we'd hiked that high

My only footwear all summer long were my Chacos, seen here once again boldly going where sandals fear to tread

Danielle crossing a snow patch, getting closer to the Liberty Pass

Stopping to eat lunch at Liberty Pass at 10,450 feet elevation

Having passed the Pass, we descended slightly to overlook Liberty Lake

The view of this lake was incredible and I couldn't stop taking pictures!

Liberty Lake, at just over 10,000 feet is the highest point I've ever been swimming (the water looked way too clear and inviting!)

Another view of the lake as we head back up and over the Liberty Pass again

Hiking back down...

A marshy lake at the foot of the mountains 

The next morning we hiked the Island Lake trail, which switchbacked up the west side of the mountain

The bright sun on the slope was perfect for wildflowers, more than I have ever seen in my life!  This picture doesn't even remotely do it justice!

Heading back from doing veg in the evening and this guy was crossing the road.  It was the only rattler I saw all season, and it happily posed for my telephoto lens

Having worked alone all summer, Danielle and I were happy to get back with the rest of the crew during the last week

Tom, Danielle and I passed through Bridgeport, CA one afternoon and get caught in the first rainstorm we'd seen all summer.  This guy wasn't too impressed!

The whole crew relaxing as the sun sets on Wilson Canyon.  From left to right: Tom, Danielle, Mike and Gustavo

Mesa Fall, Idaho on our way back to Ontario

We stopped at Yellowstone for a week to visit our friend and former boss, Karen, and were fortune to help out on the wolf and bear projects, too

Danielle and Karen working on supper at a park cabin on our backcountry trip for Bear Management

We hiked up along a ridge to survey for Army Cutworm Moths (a bear food source).  It was a long day and we didn't find anything, but the hike and view were awesome!

Right before turned around and started hiking back.  We were getting quite tired at this point and the wind was almost blowing us off our feet