Moving slowly down the trail and looking remarkably like the earth he walked on we found this American Toad. He did look a bit grumpy and reluctant for us to take his photo so we let him be as he moved along into the grass beyond.
Tag: ecology
Rain, rain…
A female Cassin’s Finch finds ample shelter under a large spruce on a rain-soaked afternoon early this spring.
A quick look up and …hey the sky looks lighter to the west.
Although a sunny afternoon is always nice I would sure enjoy o week or so of those rainy days right about now.
Calliope and Columbine
A female Calliope Hummingbird measuring in at a mere 3 inches visiting a Sitka Columbine.
Two of summers treats rolled into a single meal .
Wild Iris
This year the spring rains have been generous and brought an abundance of Wild Iris to the high arid grasslands of Northern Colorado. Will the wet summer continue or will things dry out. Only time will tell.
American White Pelican: Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
An American White Pelican enjoying a wonderful spring sunset high in the Rocky Mountains. The grass is just greening up around the edges of the lake but the Pelicans have arrived on their way to the boreal forests where many breed. A sure sign summer is on it’s way.
When the going is good…
… the good get going. Or in this case eating and that is exactly what they Yellow-headed Blackbird was doing this afternoon. Feasting on the fresh hatch of midges that seemingly coated the tall Phragmites. While Phragmites grasses make for a nice backdrop in photos most are non-native species which are invasive in wetlands all across the United States. Many non-native Phragmites outcompete native marsh vegetation and provides little or no food for most marsh-dependent wildlife.
When one plus one is one.
You know what we mean.
Happy Friday to all and wishing you a wonderful weekend.
Hoary Redpoll
Sitting in the tree-tops with a group of Pine Siskins and other small song birds was a beautiful looking small bird we decided was a female Hoary Redpoll. She was at the southern edge of her winter range and it was a pleasure to get a glimpse of her before she returns to the high arctic tundra for the summer.
Everybody likes water
Along an old county road where the snowmelt and recent rains have made temporary wetlands a variety of birds enjoy a cloudy spring afternoon.
Yellowlegs, dowitchers, stilts and even a great tailed grackle enjoyed some time in the pool.
Having open lands and bit of available water is vital for many migratory birds making the spring journey to their breeding grounds. With development of open farmlands and ranches for housing, business parks and the wonderful strip mall birds lose both land and water in which they need and humans in turn lose another connection to the other creatures we share the planet with.
These farmers fields will dry up in the blink of an eye but for now support life not only for bird habitat in the spring but they also grow food for us humans as well. Less farmland, more development. Virtual reality birds and lab grown food. The future is looking bright.
Time to get out and enjoy what we still have.
Grebes Night Out
A pair of Western Grebes out courting on a lovely spring evening. Arapahoe National Wildlife Refuge in Walden, CO.
nature has no boss 
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