A Snowy Egret for a snowy Monday morning, at least in our little patch of the globe.
While these guys are definitely nowhere close to our area this time of year spring migration is only a month or two away.
The days are getting longer the temperature warming ever so slightly and a snowy Monday will give way to a sunny Tuesday.
We watched as this Townsend’s Solitaire spent the better part of their day defending and consuming berries on a small patch of juniper trees.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology “During the winter, the male and female are both strongly territorial, defending patches of juniper trees against other solitaires and other birds. They feed largely or even exclusively on the juniper’s ripe, fleshy berries for the entire nonbreeding season.”
That sure appeared to be the case this day as this bird sat watch and every once in awhile darted into the tree and grabbed a berry.
One study suggested a single Solitaire would need to eat between 42,000 and 84,000 juniper berries to survive the winter. I don’t think this small patch contained enough for this bird and sharing would be out of the question.
After a quick bite they were back perched and on the lookout. It has been observed that violent fights may break out in defense of the winter territory, because owners of large, berry-rich territories survive the winter at higher rates than solitaires on small territories with few berries. This day all was calm and the owner of this territory had it all to themselves.
To find out more about these inconspicuous but fascinating birds:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Townsends_Solitaire/overview
http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/townsends-solitaire
https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/towsol/overview
A nice morning treat was a visit by a Goldfinch this week. Not a regular in the winter here by any means. This guy flew in and stayed just the morning before moving along on his way. Wherever that might have been. A splash of color on a overcast February morning.
Eating berries in a single gulp is as easy as one, two, three. If of course your a Cedar Waxwing.
Pick, flip, swallow and repeat.
Denver, CO.
For the next couple of weeks we will be posting some of our favorite posts from the past as we take a small respite from the digital world.
We were treated to quite a show by this Male Hooded Merganser the other day and unfortunately for him we seemed more interested in his display than the female Hoodie he was courting. To begin with, he took on the other male in the pond in a typical Hooded Merganser head bobbing competition. He appeared to win that battle easily. Next he danced around his lady bobbing his head up and down and to our surprise would crook his neck sideways and belt out a little tune for her. The female hoodie would occasionally glance over his way, tuck her head back into her feathers and continue with her afternoon nap. He kept head bobbing and singing for quite some time and we got to witness quite a show but were left wondering was the female just playing hard to get, or was his show subpar?
For the next couple of weeks we will be posting some of our favorite posts from the past as we take a small respite from the digital world.
A little Sand Piper gives me a wink and motions me to join in their morning yoga class on the beach. Although balancing on one leg proved not too difficult I fell flat on my face trying to hop away on one leg like these characters did when a rogue wave came up the beach just a little too far.
For the next couple of weeks we will be posting some of our favorite posts from the past as we take a small respite from the digital world.
Swans speaking on a winters day in Grand Teton National Park.
For the next couple of weeks we will be posting some of our favorite posts from the past as we take a small respite from the digital world.
Blue blue sky and a bright blue bird. Western Scrub Jay keeping a watchful eye on us as she enjoyed an afternoon snack.
For the next couple of weeks we will be posting some of our favorite posts from the past as we take a small respite from the digital world.
Seeing a Great Blue Heron take flight on a cold snowy day is a sure way to cure those mid-winter blues. Clear Creek in Denver, CO.
For the next couple of weeks we will be posting some of our favorite posts from the past as we take a small respite from the digital world.
Two male goldeneyes working hard to impress a female in the late afternoon light. These guys will likely only be around here a few more weeks. As spring arrives most of the waterfowl leave my area. Their yearly coming and going gives rhythm to life. Have a great trip north and someday we hope to join you.
For the next couple of weeks we will be posting some of our favorite posts from the past as we take a small respite from the digital world.
nature has no boss 
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