Noisy yes, but oh so beautiful, especially in flight, a Black-billed Magpie sits quietly on a snowy afternoon. The magpies in our area are very skittish and difficult to sneak up on for a photograph. We see them all the time but even a quick look in their direction has them flying away.
Intelligent and pretty good looking and a fine way to brighten a cold snowy day.
I really don’t know how you could dress better than this?
Feeling right at home in a lichen filled forest.
Both us and the Canada Jay.
With the tips of a sage bush just poking above the snow a Raven endures the winter winds and cold while searching for the next meal.
From afar a black and white scene yet bursting with color the closer we got.
Happy Friday and a great weekend to all.
It was an overcast morning and difficult to make out the details but it sure looked like there were a handful birds hanging out in a juniper bush as we speed along a quiet road. We decided to turn around and take a quick look and spotted a beautiful trio of Bohemian Waxwings. These three quickly flew off while we were watching but landed just across a small creek in a juniper loaded with berries and a large flock of Waxwings buzzing about in constant motion picking the berries for their morning meal.
It was a whirlwind of activity with birds coming and going, picking berries, and perhaps, just for a small moment, sitting still.
The beautiful colors of these birds were flashing brightly in the dull overcast light and made for quite a show.
The berries and the birds made for a fine start to the day.
Cedar Waxwings picking over the same patch of dried berries that the Robins found appealing in yesterdays post. We only see the Waxwings for a week each year and only in the fall. This year they were right on schedule and arrived sometime during the last week of November and had departed by last weekends walk through the woods.
When the fresh fruit runs out it’s a good thing the pantry is stocked with dried.
An American Robin picking over a patch of dried berries on a December afternoon.
A Curved Bill Thrasher catching some winter sunlight casts a glance our way to let us know he is aware of our antics.
While this past year has felt like one negative story after another with respect to environmental and conservation news there are successes to be recognized and accomplishments lauded.
The national Audubon Society recently published a list of their success stories for this year that will bring a little cheer to a birders holiday season.
Successes occurred on numerous fronts including clean energy projects, local conservation measures, increasing awareness for endangered bird species, protection of habitats and several others all of which are detailed here.
For me the Audubon report entitled “Survival by Degrees” will stand out as a crowning accomplishment. It is bringing widespread awareness to how climate change will endanger up to 389 bird species in North America and was widely reported on in the media.
Yes, there is good news to be found and reading it felt like a much needed gift from Santa himself.
Wishing you all a very Happy Holidays.
Just look at those beautiful feathers…bluer than blue and many shades to say the least.
A stellar’s jay sitting quietly on a snowy afternoon.
nature has no boss 
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