A Cold Fog

On January 9, 2021December 31, 2020 By Mike and Christy6 Comments

Sometimes it’s warm and foggy and other times it’s cold and foggy. This was a morning the earth could see it’s breath and I was looking for an extra layer to wear under my old down jacket.

Harassment

On January 8, 2021December 31, 2020 By Mike and Christy13 Comments

Harassment seemed to be the word of the day as a Mule Deer carcass nearby was drawing plenty of attention from the avian clean-up crew and this day the Black-billed Magpies seemed to be controlling the party. While this Bald eagle was perched in a tree nearby an endless stream of Black-billed Magpies seemed to take turns Harassing the Eagle.

Working singly and then in pairs some would just keep watch while others flew in and pecked the Bald Eagle from Behind.

We watched this happen for a good half an hour before the Eagle flew off to a nearby spruce tree for some solitude a group of Ravens flew in to shoo the eagle away.

It’s always amazing to watch the tenacity in which smaller birds defend a meal or territory against birds much bigger.

Mr. Chubby Cheeks

On January 7, 2021January 7, 2021 By Mike and Christy2 Comments

Filling those cheek pouches to capacity was the task at hand and a task well accomplished.

This little Chipmunk definitely needs a full tank of fuel as well as a full larder to make it house to those far away spring days.

Yet Another Egregious Action

On January 6, 2021January 6, 2021 By Mike and Christy22 Comments

How did the Trump administration celebrate National Bird Day yesterday?

With yet another egregious action to destroy what remains of the natural world as we know it thats how.

“With two weeks left in office, on National Bird Day, the Trump administration—defying opposition from the general public, scientists, tribal governments, international treaty partners, and a federal judge who last summer all but laughed its legal arguments out of court—today announced it has finalized a rule allowing companies and individuals to kill migratory birds as long as they didn’t mean to.”

Although this action is expected to be reversed by the incoming Biden administration the assaults on our natural world will continue.

Gadwall

On January 6, 2021December 26, 2020 By Mike and Christy2 Comments

Understated elegance.

That is how the overview page on All About Birds puts it and we wold have to agree. Gadwalls mix with other dabbling duck on the bodies of water we frequent and might be easy to overlook. We sometimes see them stealing food from diving duck and American Coots much like the American Wigeon will so there is more to Gadwall than that understated elegance suggests.

Light as air

On January 5, 2021December 26, 2020 By Mike and Christy15 Comments

Light as air.

It’s the only explanation.

Pronghorn Personality

On January 4, 2021December 26, 2020 By Mike and Christy10 Comments

On a recent drive through grasslands close to home we encountered a nice sized herd of Pronghorn enjoying the morning sun. Looking at them looking back at us you could just feel their different expressions whispering a bit of that Pronghorn personality.