Sitting quietly and giving the impression of a massive hummingbird a Rufous-tailed Jacamar perches along the forest edge in search of an afternoon meal. Feeding mainly in flying insects the Jacamar will sally out from their perch like a fly-catcher and catch insects on the wing.
A quick visit with a Northern Flicker. This fine looking bird flew into a tree filled with a mixed flock of small songbirds foraging away on a cold November morning and we are glad she did.
She made a quick check to see what all the commotion was about checking to see if there was food of her liking on and old fir tree.
But alas, after a quick check of both limbs and trunk she decided to move on. A nice splash of color on a quiet fall day.
While out on a hike we followed the sound of a woodpecker pecking in the forest fully expecting to find a Downy Head or Hairy. When we finally spotted the source of the pecking we were thrilled to find an American Three Toed Wooedepcker: Picoides dorsalis working away looking for a meal. Why this species evolved to have only three toes instead of the typical four seems to be a matter for debate however the Cornell Lab of Ornithology suggest that three toes may help deliver stronger blows with the beak while foraging.
A small but mighty American Kestrel taking off in search of another meal on a cold yet sunny winters day. Just as we got close enough to this bird for a photo she took off. Too bad as we really wanted to admire that color in her wing feathers.
Perched in the willows along a mountain lake a White-crowned Sparrow enjoys the autumn sunrise. Photographed over two months ago yet it feels like just yesterday.
D0 you ever get the feeling that time sure seems to speed along at different rates sometime slow and sometimes fast yet always marching on?
Have another wonderful weekend.
Quietly perched and patiently waiting just above the river as the sun makes its way over the mountains on this fall day.
A small Brown Creeper eyes the way onward and upward with the hopes of finding a small grub along the sloping landscape of a cottonwood tree.
There are days when the distinctions between between plants and rock, rock and animals and earth and sky seemingly disappear and all become just one thing. Lizards take on the colors and textures of the rocks in which they make their homes.
The song of a Canyon Wren fills the air along a canyon rim where bird stone and sky meld into one.
The stone of the landscapes waves as if water and becomes one with sky.
Textures, colors and shapes all just patterns in the landscape becoming a single thing.
Happy Friday and wishing you a wonderful weekend.
An extremely well mannered Canada Goose poses with another gooses shadow on a sunny and warm November afternoon.
Just a few weeks ago the Rabbit Brush was in full bloom and hosting quite a party where everyone was invited. Rabbit Brush is a native plant found over much of the western United States that blooms in late fall providing one final burst of color before winter arrives. According to the USDA, Rabbit Brush:Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, provides both nesting habitat and forage for a wide variety of birds, insects and small mammals. One of the more frequent visitors to the party were White Crowned Sparrows.
In this case an immature White-Crowned Sparrow seemed to be foraging for insects.
Another visitor we noticed on more than one occasion was the Monarch Butterly stopping by for a sip of nectar as they migrate south for the winter.
Last but not least the Ruby-crowned Kinglets found the party too good to ignore and we frequently saw them foraging through the bushes in each of a meal.
A beautiful plant and a welcome splash of color as snow is forecast for the weekend.
And speaking of weekends, have a great one.
nature has no boss 
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