The Bully

On July 22, 2019July 22, 2019 By Mike and Christy7 Comments

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Meet the local bully a Male Rufus Hummingbird. We typically only have Calliope Hummingbirds list our backyard feeder so it was a surprise, and a welcome one, to have this beautiful guy visit. It was a pleasure until we observed his bullying behavior. He would fly to the tree the feeder was hung from and perch on a hidden branch waiting for unsuspecting Calliopes to visit. He would then swoop down and chase them off. The funny part is that he seldom visited the feeder for a sip of nectar himself. Beautiful but quite the bully this Rufus guy.

Free

On July 21, 2019June 28, 2019 By Mike and Christy3 Comments

A Raven soars below as we walk above.

Freedom to roam is freedom indeed.

Warbling Vireo

On July 18, 2019July 16, 2019 By Mike and Christy5 Comments

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A quick visit from a Warbling Vireo was a treat one recent morning. I hear them singing in the large conifers around our neighborhood all day long but seeing them down low is another story.

Warm Welcome

On July 16, 2019July 15, 2019 By Mike and Christy3 Comments

CHickadee_23948 A Black Capped Chickadee bringing a warm welcome to this mid-summer day.

Clay Colored Sparrow

On July 10, 2019July 10, 2019 By Mike and Christy3 Comments

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It was a cloudy mid-morning when we ran across this Clay-Coloerd Sparrow singing away. Their song is an interesting one and one that sounds quite like an insect to me. Clay Colored Sparrows are birds of shrubby terrain and that is exactly where we found this one. They are numerous within their range in the northern prairies of North America yet their numbers seem to be declining due to habitat loss.

Jumping for Joy

On July 6, 2019 By Mike and Christy13 Comments

While floating down a stretch of the Snake River in WY we startled this Sandhill Crane who was hidden in the grass on the river bank. They squawked a Sandhill Crane squawk and did a big jump of alarm but given the river was moving us right along they soon had the bank to themselves again.

Inch by inch

On July 3, 2019July 1, 2019 By Mike and Christy9 Comments

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Perhaps not technically inch worms yet a tasty meal to a female Yellow Rumped Warbler nonetheless. We watched as she picked them off of the aspen leaves inch by inch for an early morning meal.

Warbling Vireo: Vireo gilvus

On July 1, 2019June 30, 2019 By Mike and Christy4 Comments

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The Warbling Vireo is a beautiful singer more easily identified by song than by sight however every now and then one will make a brief appearance from up high in the tree-tops where they spend most of their time foraging for insects like small caterpillars.

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Warbling Vireos frequently make themselves at home in Aspen tree where they are much easier to observe than in the tops of trees of the coniferous forests near us. This day we got a good look at a Vireo just hanging out in the aspens.

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A beautiful singer and a song that rings out loud with the sound of summer through the forests in both east and west.
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Morning Meal

On June 26, 2019June 25, 2019 By Mike and Christy10 Comments

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A male Yellow Rumped Warbler gleans a small meal from the aspen leaves as the sun just begins to shine in the forest.

Wake up call

On June 24, 2019June 23, 2019 By Mike and Christy8 Comments

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Well before me, well before the sun the Robins wake and start the day with a song. Lying in bed I hear them sing then nod back off again until the sun peaks out.

A Robins song is not a bad wake up call at all.

nature has no boss

Tag: bird watching