The crew and I motor over to Lava Flow Campground.
I promised you I’d report on it. We find it is open and free for camping, and no one is here!
A lava flow formed a dam which created Davis Lake.
Campsites are shady with a floor of pine needles and a view of the lake. It’s very open; no separation between campsites.
It’s reedy at the sandy shore which probably deters people who like to fish. Gee, I hope there aren’t any sand fleas. (There aren’t.)
Something about the place . . . .
Maybe it’s the big, rock fire rings with firewood scattered around, the sandy beach, the openness, everything free — has me thinking this quiet, pleasant, and unsupervised place could quickly turn into the campground from hell. All it would take would be the arrival of a few carloads of teenagers psyched to party-hearty.
Nice to visit but we won’t be camping here.
Birds, birds, birds!
I’ve never seen such a variety of birds from a camp as I’ve seen along Odell Creek and around Davis Lake. Can you identify these? I know most of them, but I’ll let you try to name them. (Note: Identification added later after reader input.)
This bird performs aerial acrobatics as it plucks insects from the swarms above the creek.
It’s not a black-headed yellowbird. It’s a yellow-headed blackbird!
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I have several shots of Spotted Sandpipers. A fun bird to photograph, rarely still!
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I never carry a field guide.
Instead I use my camera. I zoom in, take the shot as best I can, and when I return to camp, I open up the photo on my laptop. Then I can study the bird and look it up in my Audubon or Peterson field guides. It’s fun to see what I’ve “bagged.” The photo below is a good example of that. He was much too far away to identify by eye. The photo is poor quality, but we can see who he is!
The Common Merganser — A fast-moving redhead dressed in white.
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A male Cinnamon Teal quickly disappears into the tall grass.
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A female Cinnamon Teal or maybe a Ring-necked Duck? — All fluffed up and content, facing the morning sun
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In addition to the birds shown here, there are red-winged blackbirds, tree swallows, bluebirds, robins, cowbirds, grackles, Canada geese, mallard ducks, at least one heron, and others.
I tilt back in the lounge chair.
An eagle circles above! Several attempts at capturing it in flight are unsuccessful. I give up.
Bridget lies in the grass nearby, enjoying the sun’s warmth. Reggie happily wanders around on his tether or lies on his belly chewing a stick.
“Chirp-chirp.”
What’s that? I look up.
“Oh, it’s you! Hello!”
Reggie sprints over to the tree and does his doggie best. His efforts bring on playful taunts from above.
After a few minutes, Reggie realizes he doesn’t have the skill set to match this creature and he joins Bridget for some relaxation in the sun.
Later the crew and I ride the PTV out of the campground.
“Oh my gosh! There’s an eagle! Two of them!”
They’re perched on what remains of burned trees. I open the passenger door and steady the camera on the frame of the open window. I zoom in on the closest one, as much as my camera can go. I wait for the eagle to turn his head. He is so far off that later I have to crop and enlarge in editing.
The best of many attempts!
East Davis Lake Campground is filling up.
I’m typing this Friday morning. By the end of the day I expect the campground to be full. I’m beginning to feel hemmed in. Anticipating this, yesterday Bridget, Reggie, and I explore forest roads looking for a boondock for the weekend. It’s a fun search!
In the next post I’ll show you what we found.
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