Yellow cliffs, blue waters and an ominous sky filled the landscape this day as we looked down the Yellowstone river. Each time we look from this spot our focus might shift from river to rock to all of the above. A place with a story to tell.
In a Cottonwood Tree
A juvenille Black Crowned Night Heron is taking a break from his fishing but still keeping an eye on the water below while perched in an old cottonwood tree along clear creek in Denver, CO. He sure looks good wrapped in those fall colors.
Green Tailed Towhee
The Green Tailed Towhee spends most of its time in dense low thickets, where it forages on the ground. Like other towhees, it scratches in the leaf-litter with both feet as it searches for food. It is somewhat secretive and difficult to see so we were thrilled to get a quick glimpse at this bird when it quickly flew from a berry thicket and landed on this tree for a few seconds.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green-tailed_Towhee/id
http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/green-tailed-towhee
The first graders
These kids made it through kindergarten and are now on to first grade. Elk and mule deer that were only Fawns and calves just a short time ago are heading into winter as the first snows have hit the ground.
A young mule deer wondering what this white stuff is all about.
An elk calf ponders their next move just a short time ago when the plants still were rich with green.
Perhaps a few leaves from this wild rose will do.
Good luck kids and we hope you make it to second grade next spring.
Happy weekend to all.
Living Color
Hot pools sparkle with color on a mostly cloudless autumn day. Blue pools ringed with living color in the form of thermophilic bacteria mix with a bluebird sky at Biscuit Basin.
At Norris the color palette is extensive and the views expansive.
Many species of Bacteria form the colorful mats found in many geyser basins. Thriving in temperatures that range from a comfortable 30C all the way up to 80C and providing a visual confirmation that life is indeed varied and diverse.
Afternoon clouds rolled though and dotted the sky adding another layer of color to the wonderful landscape below.
One last look
This year Chippy was a constant companion around the yard. Darting back and forth and to and fro collecting morsels to munch on and them finding the perfect perch to munch them on. We don’t see much of this guy as the temperatures cool and the flakes begin to fly so one last look was in order.
Boil…boil
Sitting, waiting and watching the earth doing it’s thing on a cloudy October day.
The mud volcano bubbles and the colors tell a story. Getting a first hand glimpse of the processes that make this planet help bring geology alive.
Looking into dragon mouth springs for the dragon to appear.
As the skies clear the clouds whizz by and earth and sky seemingly become one.
Dusky Grouse
A Dusky Grouse keeping quiet while waiting for us to move along as we walked through the cottonwood trees in the creek bed. Seeing these birds move through the dry leaves and into the cottonwood trees with colors so similar to their own just makes a fall day feel…just like fall.
Layers
Layers of color in a layered land. Northern Colorado near the Wyoming Border.
on a swivel
Quietly perched and giving us the 180 degree head turn like only an owl can give a Great Horned Owl waits in the early evening light for their day to begin.
Happy hunting to the owl and have a great weekend to all.
nature has no boss 
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