Rabe Meadows

Rabe Meadows is a beautiful park and wetland just north of the South Lake Tahoe community, just on the Nevada side of the Stateline. This park area is oblong in shape and stretches about a mile from Highway 50 down to Lake Tahoe.  There is a pond and wetland area, open drier fields, as well as a conifer forested area.  We took a loop, starting near the pond where we saw red-winged and Brewer’s blackbirds, as well as barn swallows getting mud for their nest building, and a mockingbird searching (apparently) for worms in the mud puddle. In the field area, we observed a pair of mountain bluebirds that seemed to be gathering grasses for their nests.  We also saw a red-tailed hawk soaring above who seemed to be monitoring the meadow.  We sat on a fallen log near the path to eat our sandwiches.  While eating I suddenly noticed a large dark silhouette across the path perching on a Ponderosa pine tree branch.  It was a great horned owl – so impressive!  On closer review of my photos, I realize he must be an old guy and has lost his right eye at some point. We continued down to the Lake.  I saw one lone California gull at lake’s edge, but I was disappointed not to see more shore birds.  On the way back up the loop, we watched a very industrious pygmy nuthatch.  It appeared to be chipping out and fixing up its hole in an old dead tree, perhaps for its future nest.

Today I added 14 more species to my list.