On a recent hike across sage-lands dotted with forest the Sparrows were distant yet constant companions.
Tag: birding
An unmistakable song
Along the trail the House Wrens song was unmistakable. Moving quickly in the underbrush but appearing just long enough for a quick photo. A house wren is always a great companion while on the trail and that song is unmistakable.
Female Yellowthroat
We spotted this Female Common Yellowthroat quickly moving in and out of the bushes while on a morning walk. While we most often see the males perched out in the open singing we very rarely have seen the female out in the open like this. She only stayed for a minute or two then flew off into a marshy area several hundred yards away.
From the water
A day spent paddling besides just being good clean fun allows you to see things from water level. Yes, these are birds we see from land, but while floating by in a kayak, seeing mergansers, red-necked grebes and bald eagles from the water provides us with a different perspective.
A common Merganser pair preens while perched on a log.
A Red-Necked Grebe pair courting and strengthening their bond.
An ever watchful immature Bald Eagle perched along the shore. All sighted we can see from land but when seen from the water make them just a bit more special.
The Bully
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
A Raven soars below as we walk above.
Freedom to roam is freedom indeed.
Warbling Vireo
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
A Black Capped Chickadee bringing a warm welcome to this mid-summer day.
Clay Colored Sparrow
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
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.
nature has no boss 
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