NE Day 39, Saturday July 15, 2022, At Grand Island NE

 Day 39, Saturday July 16, 2022, At Grand Island NE

Today we wanted to see the Buffalo that has been running "free"on the 2,000 acres of the Crane Trust  west of Grand Island. They have a large area to roam (Buffalo Roam!) so we may not see them. At any rate we will cover some more rural roads seeking what ever is there.

Saw two deer today and Ruth snapped this one

 We were under way at 9:00AM and as the area is only 8 miles from here,we were there quckly. Beyond the Crane Trust Center, is a road the runs around a lake that is adjacent to thePlatte river where the Cranes feed during Migration months, but not at this time.

 The Crane Trust owns title to Mormon Island which a 2,000 acre pasture to the east of the Trust . It is the largest remaining mid and tallgrass prairie in the state of Nebraska. These buffalo that are coming are gonna think they died and gone to heaven,” Tom Dougherty, board member for the Crane Trust, said. There were 42 Buffalo tyat we.re delivered here

Plains bison aren’t endangered, but there are far fewer of them today than in the 19th century. One of the biggest efforts to restore bison has been through a partnership between the Inter-Tribal Bison Cooperative and the National Wildlife Federation. They’ve worked together since the 1980s to move overflow wild plains bison from Yellowstone to tribal reservations.

A rear end shot of a Bob O Link

Finally the Dickcissel

The most numerous bird in the USA-Red Winged Blackbird

 

The gate to the road was closed and locked and it is evidently private property now. So we continued until we reached Shoemaker Island Road, and stayed on that until noon. Along this route we did see a number of birds including one we had not seen on this trip previously. that was the Dickcissel. A seed eating bird that is yellow with some black at the neck. It can be seen along the side of the road on fence posts or in the fields.

We saw 23 birds that morning. At one point there were hundreds of Rough Winged Swallows sitting a fence.  We saw no Hawks for the second day.

A few days ago ,when we were driving to a spot  and Ruth spotted a  barn she wanted to  get a photo . It was problematic as she "Thought" it was a few roads over from where we were, so we made the trip around a few roads to get there, and finally did see it. She got her photo and we traveled a few new roads to get there.. There is much hay cutting and baling of straw from the winter wheat hat has been cut recently. The huge bales are still in the fields fro the most part.

Ruth's elusve barn (not her best)!

Two white horses came with the barn!

 

 

 

We 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Count the Turkey Vultures. If you got eight,,,Count again.

 

We decided to make it a short morning and  took on the triple tasks of 1. Doing the laundry (last time on the trip!), 2. Washing the truck (First time on the trip...Whew!) and 3. Getting some needed groceries. We did all that in that order.

In town  (53,000 folks) ("town"is 11miles from the campground.) we found a very good and clean laundromat which took large loads at $6.00 apiece. The dryers were .25 Cents for 9 minutes, but the washers, Ruth said, wring the clothes quite well so the dryers do not need to work so long.  It was one of the least expensive  washings on the trip with the dryer only needing $1.00.

 While Ruth was finishing the laundry, I took the truck to a car wash and got that done.It was a very new one and did a reasonable job on the truck. It would take hand work to get all the bugs off the front of the truck,and will have to wait for that "perfect job" until we get home.

That left the groceries  which was just a mile and a half from the laundromat.  It was a short list ,so we were out of there in 30 minutes.(I did notice that there were still many items that had few choices ,at least fewer than usual.

For the first time we tried the packaged dinner that we bought at a delicatessen a few weeks back in Douglas  WY.  Ruth had a turkey dinner and I had a "hot" chicken and rice with noodles. Excellent for store bought.

Cleaning the ditches to allow good water movement in irrigation.

The pump that moves the water to the pipes in the fields.

The very long sprinkling system

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  The waters of the Platte River serve the people of Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska in many ways. Federal and non-federal water projects in the Platte River Basin, including 15 major dams, provide municipal and industrial water supplies for about 5 million people, irrigate 3.5 million acres of farmland, and generate tens of millions of dollars of renewable hydroelectric power. These projects also provide flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife habitat.

 The Platte River is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about 310 mi (500 km) long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over 1,050 miles (1,690 km).

 There is a rain threatened for tonight and I will believe it when I see it! The air is so dry that the rain comes down but does not reach the ground. We both noticed that the further east we have gone that the more Gulf moisture we have felt. Right now there is definitely a higher humidity. Whereas the humidity n Ogallala, NE was always around 15-20% while it is at 45% here.

Not too many photos today but you will get to see some of the birds we do not see in Michigan our home state.

NE-  Day 38, Friday July 15, 2022 At Grand Island NE (Home of the Sandhill Cranes)

The title today does include the "Home"of the Sandhill Crane, BUT only when they feed by the hundred of thousands  before journeying north to their breeding ground during Migration. We stopped at the "Crane Trust Center" today (about 8 miles away) and found that during the last week of March and early April they have counted (2022) over 500,000 Sandhill Cranes were here at one time. That's a bunch. We were here once in spring, and watched them, especially in the evening, coming to roost on the sandbars on the Platte River  with their graceful landings and energy calls. The Eskimos call them "Luk Luk" because of that call.

There were no Cranes there today, but their Art gallery was filled with wonderful an inspiring paintings and photos of them .

A 1941 Chevvy truck.

One of the old, still working windmills

Of course Ruth spotted this barn, (See more!)

 

As it was fairly early we did continue to drive the rural roads looking for birds. There are a number of rivers that flow into the Platte and we picked up two of them to explore. One was the Wood River, which  along with the Platte River, at one time, separated Grand Island from the  mainland. Hence its name. But after a few years the town was moved to the mainland where it is today. We did get a few birds near the Wood River and Ruth found a barn she liked so photographed  that as well. Ruth found three barns today as  they are  getting more numerous as we move east again. The steel  sheds of Wyoming and western NE are far behind us now..  En route, we did see a Ferruginous Hawk fight off the Red Winged Blackbirds in its struggle to remove itself from their nesting areas.

Another barn past its  prime.

Corn is well tasseled here...but...

Don't ask what kind of bean (1 of 400 possible)

 

It was amazing to see the thousands and thousands of acres of corn and beans, mostly,  that stretched on for mile after mile with no wasted land in between. That is quite a contrast from a few hundred miles  to the west,where it was so dry. There are also more trees, but not often. Speaking of dry, one of the trees that is common here is the Linden tree. It tolerates medium dryness and is good shade cover for birds and animals. It is common on many roadsides where there are trees and here in the Park.

 

A fence with boot caps on every pole.

One of the roads today. ...Oh! It IS gravel.

Using a scraper to berm the ditch. For what purpose?

 

On the "back toads"we gave way to many of the farmers getting their work done including some who were "ditching" along side the corn rows, in  order to keep the water in the rows when it is irrigated.and to keep weeds from growing in the ditches. We mainly drove  paved roads today and I don't think we traveled on a gravel roads today except to turn around, and we did that many times.  (Different angle or better view.)

 Along the route through Marquette and Alda, we ran across a memorial park that had day camping and full hookups for some spots.It was a very neat park and dedicated to a couple that donated the land there. We asked Oliva if we could eat lunch there in the shade and she said that would be fine. We did eat lunch there.

Site nearAlda, NE

Yes, this is the North Platte River near Gd. Island

A public use camping park. Had fullhook ups.

 

That route on the east side of Grand Island took us through Aurora and back to the main road to the trailer.

Only 22 birds today but it did include a Scrub Jay right here in the Campground.

'53 Chevvy

And it's twin?

Another of Ruth's barns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We cooled off for a few hours and ordered pizza right here in the campground, AND, they deliver it to your site. (The campground has a franchise to sell "Hunt Brother" pizza.) Not related to the old Hunt Catsup/ketchup family that we know. It was very good Pizza and we enjoyed the change of pace.

Tomorrow we will try to find that Buffalo herd that is managed by the Crane Trust just west of town. They're in a  2,000 acre impoundment, and are the most "pure" Buffalo in the USA, having been bred from the "original" stock in North Dakota.

Its cooled off to 87 F at 8:00 Pm.

NE Day 37, Thursday July 14,2022 to Grand Island NE

 NE Day 37, Thursday July 14, 2022 to Grand Island NE.

The trip from Ogallala NE to Grand Island NE  on a very hot (100F) morning was quite uneventful for us. The previous evening there had been a large tieup that stretched for miles On I-80, but today only one short piece was there  and that was due to construction. \

Typically the dry , rolling land to the west of the NE border is lost completely as we approach Grand Island. The ranches and farms have many crops growing and for a number of reasons. 1. There is more moisture in the air (Gulf Coast air is more likely to reach these parts than further west)., 2. The Platte River slows and continues to provide water for irrigation as the irrigation canals that we saw, were filled with water  (see rest of paragraph) and providing much water to the surrounding farms. Interestingly., irrigation is needed in much of the Nebraska Panhandle to produce good crop yields.  Growers along the North Platte River valley rely on surface irrigation water from reservoirs in Wyoming to supply this water. Some of those crops are; Winter wheat, proso millet, yellow field pea, sunflower, corn, and annual forages  grown  in dryland crop rotations. Other crops that can be produced in dryland conditions include grain sorghum, safflower, winter canola, and amaranth. Forty percent of the District's cropland uses irrigation.

A conglomerate rock used as a driveway marker in WY

Our campsite in Ogallala NE

Our campsite in Grand Island NE

 

 The bird list today was the least that we have had on the trip. Just six birds including the ones here in the campground at the KOA south of town. They were just not flying and the few we could notice we could not identify, as we were driving into the sun. Tomorrow we will try to remedy that by seeking some small streams that feed the Platte River where there might be more cover.

Yesterday Ruth called her MD to get some meds that were needed, and we called the Pharmacy in Grand Island to  accept them. This afternoon we went to town (11 miles) and picked up the meds as they were ready. Amazing what technology can do  for you. One day delivery 1500 miles away from home by phone and  fax.

Just so you would know ,(stock photo) This is sorghum. It is shipped to China as stock feed.

 

Grand Island was a long wooded island near Grand Island, Nebraska. The island was known by French-Canadian traders as La Grande Isle. Grand Island was formed by the Wood River and a channel of the Platte River. It was the original location of Grand Island, Nebraska, but the town was later moved north of the Wood River.

 Our evening meal was a simple one of macaroni and cheese, as we did not stop for lunch although we could have along the way. I think the heat helped us make that decision.  Q. Thank God for A/C and whoever invented it.   Answer.....Willis Carrier in 1902 ran a fan over pipes with water in them, and moved the air around  a printing press to keep it cool. That was the beginning of Air Conditioning.

The contest to count the nearest number of birds we will see on the trip is drawing to a close, but getting more responses. You can get yours in still, by e mailing me at 2crazy4birds@mail.com, or leaving a note on my site on Face Book. (Jim Strohmer).

That's it for today and a few photos as we did not take any outside of those of the trailer in the park this evening. Hope to catch up with you tomorrow. Thanks for your faithful reading or even occasionally.

 

Day 36, Wednesday July 13, 2022 At Ogallala NE

 Day 36, Wednesday July 13, 2022 At Ogallala NE

It was going to be another hot one and we started resonably early to get to the other side of Lake McConaughy before the heat got unbearable. It was schedued to hit 100 F today  (and it did). The trip over the dam was unevetful (the only way to the other side) (see later in post). They were still out there sweating, taking big pieces of the road on the bridge out and replacing it with concrete which seemed to be done very well and very smoothly. 

We arrived at the first of many canpground entrances that surround the lake. Camping was both on the rises overlooking the lake or  at this time, as the lake level  was so low, many were camped down  at the  lakeshore, "elbow to elbow". (see.)  Ruth and I did not find many birds today. Not only were there  NONE on the lake, but along the shores where there would normally be dozens, there were none. Again, three things created that, 1. The low lake levels eliminate the food source in the marshes., 2. It was a very hot day and birds get to cool, shady spots as much as possible, that is why bird watching between noon and 5 PM usually is less productive. and 3.  It was past the breeding season when the young are mostly on their own, the males have left, and the females may still be around, but scattered.

Another look at Lake Ogallala from the dam road.

The camping along the lowered shoreline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Some of the campgrounds were just numbered by a "Beach area # 4, Beach area #5, etc". Others were more specific as... Thunder Bay Camping , Arthur Bay, Sandy Beach, Otter Creek, and the one we liked the best, as it has water and elctricity and sat high above the Lake was "Cedar View Park". Plenty of l trees, good pads, and amazingy a "Handcapped pad identified as such that was concrete and with Water and Electricity hook ups.

Easily seen are the lowered lake levels and new Beach.

Used to pull stuck trailers up from the sand. (Two of them)

Our lunch spot at Cedar View Park area.

 

We did identify a Northern Flicker, Swainson's Hawk, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow Headed Blackbird, and some Purple Finches, but the total for the day was just 19 birds.

 Lake McConaughy has 37,000 acres or surface, is 22 mileslong and 4 miles wide. It was built in 1936 and 1941  and is the 2nd largest hydraulically filled lake in the world. It is reinforced by 180,000 "jackstone" (rebar reenforce concrete pillars) that weigh 800 pounds apiece.

 On the return trip we went completely around the lake which meant a 30 mile return from the north end of the lake. We did take a rural road where a farmer was cutting (combining) winter wheat,  and now he is in the blog.  Much of straw in the air from that one.

Ruts of the Oregon Trail at Ash Hollow Park

Harvesting the winter wheat just off the highway.

When you go into the rural area, the RR always is there first.

 

On the return we spotted Ash Hollow Historical Park. A place where three of the Pioneer trails cross near  on their journeys west. The Oregon Trail, The Californoa Trailand the Mormon Trail all cross here. Although these trails varied some they generally followed the Platte and North lLatte Rivers until the mountains of Wyoming. The ruts still are visible in many places near here. 

Ogallala itself was first Ogala Natives, then trapprs and finally athe people of the Oregon Trail.  In the 1860's there was  nothing but a section house and water tank for the railroad.  Then, in the spring of 1868 appeared three men to set the destiny of Ogallala.  These men were the Longergan brothers and Louis Aufdengarten.  The Lonergan brothers came to do construction work for the Union Pacific Railroad, but they found the plains to their liking, subsequently then became interested in Ogallala. From there it grew as a more permanent settlement and today has a popuatiojn of 4,500 people.

We were early coming back as we did want to get out of the heat so stopped across the street from the Cpg., at the Dairy Queen (DQ)  where Ruth got her usual (Heath Bar Blizzard) and I got my favorite  mocha Frappe.  We filled up the truck with gasoline for tomorrow's run to Grand Island, Nebraska, at $4.89/ gallon, as the price went up 15cents

The campground is quite devoid of campers. We settled on one of our favories for supper...Taco Salad, and that seemed enough on our hottest day.

Yes tomorrow we head for Grand Island, NE, some 175 miles continuing along the Platte River in a SE direction.

NE Day 35 Tuesday July 12, 2022 at Ogallala NE

 NE Day 35 Tuesday July 12, 2022 at Ogallala NE

We had some work to do before leaving for Lake Ogallala just 8 miles from here. That work was to connect with a pharmacy that would accept an order of some of Ruth's meds. It is a Walgreen's Pharmacy in Grand Island NE, just  four days down the road where we will stay 5 days. We also 'scoped out' the grocery store (Safeway) and a barber shop for Jim. ("Buds".) Great work by the Walgreen Pharmacy.

Today was another hot one at 95F, but remember it is "dry" heat. That means you don't swelter in the heat, and if you fortunate enough to find shade, then the 17 mph wind will keep you from sweltering. So we did get on the road a bit later at 9:45, and headed north through town, on N 61. The road has been recently paved (macadam) and was not lined yet, so a smooth drive.

The Spillway at the dam is putting out 20,000 gps

We suspected we would see Pelicans and we did.

Looking at Lake Ogallala from the dam.

 

This lake is one of two lakes made by the huge dam called Kingsley Dam after the man who was the big financier for the project. (a Banker) and the Big Lake McConagaughy, (pron; mick-con-a-hee) named after a grain merchant and Mayor of a town near here. 

The dam is 165 feet high and 3.1 miles long, and is the second largest hydraulically filled dam in the world. Lake Ogallala was formed by the soil that was used to build the dam, and is 35 feet deep and 1.2 miles long. (see photos) Both of these are filled from the North Platte River which continues downstream and flows into the Platte River.

When we got there, there was work on the dam, mainly patching the cement roadway, which meant 'one way' traffic. So there was a "traffic light"set up and we had to wait for the light to change, BUT... when we got about halfway across, the traffic stopped, for a long time...25 minutes,??? and suddenly the traffic from behind us started coming in the other lane. ??? It seems the guy ahead of me stopped, somehow, behind a parked, stopped, work truck. and missed the flow we were in. UGH! We got on the end of the line and made it but we had to stop for cement loaders as we were not expected to be coming so late.

Vervain is a nuisance weed to livestock

A new one for us was Bush Morning Glory

You might recognize the Prickly Poppy

 

The Bio Station road. We met "Bri", a worker there on the road

A seed pod of the Bush Morning Glory.

A photo of the young Western Kingbird.

We didn't spent as much time in the camping area at Lake Ogallala but did pick up a few birds and for Ruth seeing an American Redstart, it was a thrill. We sat on a picnic table and ate  lunch in the shade and watched a young Western Kingbird with its adult female.

 

Groceries at Safeway! Ogallala NE

 

It was time head back and get that haircut, and the groceries. The barber shop was a shop that had been in business for many years and "Bud"was very meticulous,  and sat on a special stool some of the hair cutting time. The man ahead of me needed a "brush cut, and it wasn't very long. But "Bud" used only clippers and he had at least 5 of them with adjustments that he used, and took 25 minutes with the young man. (I may still be here after sunset). But he did give me a great haircut that I liked as he left some on the top for me to part. There was discussion about military time. All three of us were in the Army. Two Army tankers in the room and me, the medic. But the conversation finally got to, politics and I got it right away that this was a Republican shop and they had no use for President Biden, and especially VP Harris. They even were worried if Biden died and Harris, or worse yet, "Nancy"would be President if Harris was killed as well. UGH! I did not say a word, until we were all finished and I knew my haircut was finished. I said I liked the haircut so much, I might just vote republican! That got a few chuckles.

That left the groceries to do, and Safeway was almost entirely empty. It was just a lull at 3:00 PM. Ruth did find some more Tillamook ice cream, but no "Mudslide"that we love so we settled for Carmel Cream. W@e also bought some prepered salads,Macaroni and Potato, which we seldon do, as a "change of pace" in eating.

That was the day... and at 6:30 PM it is still 95 F. The next six days will hit the 100 F mark each day, but remember it is "dry heat".

Tomorrow we will do the back side of McConaghaughy Lake along the shoreline.

NE Day 34 Monday July 11, 2022 Travel to Oglalla NE

 NE Day 34 Monday July 11, 2022 Travel to Oglalla NE

The day started about the same with the sky sunny and the temps in the high 60’s but that would not stay too long as by the afternoon it would get into the high 80’s. The road down I-80 continued as it has in the central part of  WY, with those long hills and long uphills and downhills. The foothills of the Laramie Mountains faded from view as we turned the corner onto US 26 head south east for Oglalla NE.

The "Badlands"south of Douglas WY

Resistant rock layers in WY

The distant Laramie Mountains to the west.

 

At the beginning of this run there was very dry land, mostly grazing land and lots of stock with a few HUGE stockyards thrown in. Some had as many as 10,000 head in them. As we began to run along side the North Platte River the irrigation picked up and the land flattened greatly. There was the usual corn and alfalfa, but we began to see what I thought was sorghum, and checking that out later, we did see that it was. It had been introduced not too many years ago and is sold to China and Far East as stock feed. (Probably comes back in pork!)
 

The common bean includes many varieties and may be referred to as bush bean, dry bean, dwarf bean, field bean, French bean, snap bean, garden bean, haricot bean, kidney bean, pole bean or string bean. The plant originates from the Americas.
 
From Jackson County CO, , the North Platte flows north about 200 miles (320 km) out of the Routt National Forest and North Park near what is now Walden to Casper, Wyoming. Shortly after passing Casper, the North Platte turns to the east-southeast and flows about 350 miles (560 km) to the city of North Platte, Nebraska. In Colorado and Wyoming, the North Platte is narrower and much swifter flowing than it is in Nebraska, where it becomes a slow flowing, shallow braided stream.

 The irrigation increased as we went east  with the land gradually getting more level and further from the River (Platte).  The land started to look green again. This allowed the irrigation to be extended further from the River.

The smokestack is making clouds. ???

Ruth's photo of Chimney Rock Nebraska.

The effects of irrigation start to show

 

Ruth kept looking for the “Chimney Rock” marker that the pioneers used on their way west. We were coming at it from the west so it was more difficult to see, but she found it and we took the time to stop for photos. It is truly a grand site ,and must have been for those travelers some 200 years ago.

There were many horses also being kept along this route. And we did see a couple dozen Pronghorns but not in the greener land of Nebraska.

History of the land development.

Some crops begin to show near theNorth PLatte River.

 

 But the “fun “began when we tried to find the KOA. HA! There are two of them just one mile apart. The GPS told us to get off on  “east I-80 “. What would that sound like to you? We saw the exit for I-80 and took it although we saw a campground just across the street. That took us 12 miles out of our way and we returned to where we saw the KOA sign. “Doc”, the owner said you are not on our roster for tonight ,might you have been supposed to be at the “other KOA”? (Wha?) Yep there was another one down the road apiece. (one mile).”Just take that road left and you will see it. Well we took “that” road, and ended up a mile from town in the country with no KOA,,,again. I turned around and stopped at a golf course and asked a golfer who just finished golfing, if he knew of another KOA. Yes, and he pointed it out to us. We returned to the road we came from, and as I was passing  a restaurant a man came out flagging us down..I pulled over and went back to see what was up.(Trailer problem?…no.) He said he saw us go by once and then come back again so he came out to see if we needed help. Now THAT is one alert man.I thanked him profusely for his keeping track of citizens an we made it to the KOA finally near 4:30 about an hour later than anticipated.  THE REASON WE WENT ON I-80, WAS SOON PROVEN AS THE SIDE ROAD THE KOA IS ON IS CALLED…”EAST I-80”!   BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

Oglalla was the center of cattle  drives north, and when the Union Pacific  was built through here, that confirmed its importance. It is named after the Oglala Sioux tribe.

The full moon is tomorrow and tonight as I write this it is rising in the east (of course)  not quite full. The air is quiet, and the sun is setting at 8:10 about 30 minutes earlier than in Douglas WY. (The sunrise will be sooner ,too). I forgot to take a photo of the trailer but will do so tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will examine McGonaughy Lake and see what it has to offer. There is also a dam and spillway that quite often has Pelicans. We will see.