On a cold winters day a ruffed grouse finds the hot spot where thermal activity below the surface has melted the snow above. Yellowstone National Park, WY.
Hope the pickings were good.
Tag: ecosystem
On a foggy morning
The rattle of kingfishers flying off as we approach. The chirping of an eagle high up in the tress. The gentle lapping of the waves rolling into a quiet cove.
Feeling connected to it all even as the fog rolled in.
Townsends Solitarie
The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology describes the Townsend’s Solitaire as “A long-tailed gray bird of the high western mountains, the Townsend’s Solitaire descends in the winter to lower elevations where it feeds almost exclusively on juniper berries. ”
That pretty much sums up our experience with these birds. We see them only in winter and always in, around and defending their patch of Juniper berries.
Although described as grey they are much more than that and deserving of the spotlight on a stage all their own.
All eyes on you
Cloaked in the warmth of wing feathers a Mallard pair sits quietly yet alert while soaking up the suns warming rays on a cold December morning. Clear Creek in Denver, CO.
Junco
It is always a pleasure to see the Juncos come visit us in the winter. They bring some variety to the mix of birds in the neighborhood when most of the usual cast of characters has fled for the winter.
After the snow
A great Blue Heron takes off form along the edge of the pond after a recent snow. Denver, CO.
Spotted Towhee
A Spotted Towhee perched in the now leafless late fall forest.
Looking a bit less like a funky chicken that he did a few weeks back. https://naturehasnoboss.com/2016/11/22/spotted-towhee-2/
In fact he looks downright stately.
More Dried Fuirt
Cedar Waxwings picking over the same patch of dried berries that the Robins found appealing in yesterdays post. We only see the Waxwings for a week each year and only in the fall. This year they were right on schedule and arrived sometime during the last week of November and had departed by last weekends walk through the woods.
Barrows Goldeneye
The local ponds are chock full of common Goldeneye in the winter but a Barrows Goldeneye is a rare visitor. Photographed along Clear Creek in Denver, CO.
Tippy Top
With barely room for both claws to get a good hold an American Kestrel perches on the top a branch.
nature has no boss 
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