A Lesser Yellowlegs foraging in a temporary pond alongside a county road in Eastern Colorado last spring. I sure wish we would get some snow soon as without it winter feels like a strange spring that lacks the birds and has short days.
Tag: bird
Goldfinch and Thistle
An American Goldfinch was working over these thistle plant pretty good for an afternoon meal at the Bosque Del Apache national Wildlife refuge. From the looks of it this chubby guy is well versed at extracting thistle seeds.
Sunset Splash
Goldeneyes and Buffleheads enjoying a dip in the late afternoon light.
Hybrid Mallards?
There are four photos in the full post.
A few weeks ago we noticed these three ducks all hanging out together that looked a bit like mallards but they were darker in spots and the coloration was just not typical of a mallard. In addition,one guy had some strange poofy feathers on his head. They were also much larger, almost goose size, compared to the typical mallard.
At first I thought they might be melanistic mallards, expressing excess feather pigmentation. However after reading more on melanistic animals I think they are probably some type of mallard hybrids. When we first saw these guys they seemed out of their element in the local pond. All three hung out very close together the whole time we observed them even dabbling in unison for food. Perhaps another case of pet ducks released into the wild just like our encounters with the Pekin and Mandarin ducks in the past.
If anyone can shed some light as to the exact origins of these hybrids it is welcome. Until then they remain a bit of a mystery to me.
Contemplative
Considering todays to do list or maybe not?
Sunning and scratching.
A young Black Crowned Night Heron enjoying a nice winters day on the south platte river. Denver, CO.
Stained Glass
When photographing this Chickadee it felt like looking into a wonderful stained glass window. This Chickadee was in a dark forest of thorny shrubs with just a hint of light shining in through the golden leaves that still remain on the trees behind. As a bonus we were treated to the choir singing away with a chorus of Dee-Dee-Dees from deeper within these bushes.
November Towhee
A Spotted Towhee enjoying the late afternoon view from an old adobe wall with a crisp blue sky overhead. This guy almost looked ornamental or sculptural in his pose but after a few minutes was gone.
Grouse
A downed tree makes a great place to lookout and survey your territory. We are not sure if this is spruce grouse or a ruffled grouse but it sure is a fine looking grouse and any grouse ID tips you can share would be appreciated. Photographed near, but not quite in, Yellowstone National Park earlier this year.
Lift Off
A Black Crowned Night Heron quickly takes to flight from a murky pond adjacent to Lake John near Walden Colorado, where we surprised him while he was fishing.
nature has no boss 
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