A male American Redstart full of color and song on a cool early summer afternoon. Never one to sit still for long this little guy was both a frustration and joy to watch and photograph.
Tag: ecosystem
At dawn
Fog rises from water warmer than air.
Coffee warms the bones as ducks begin their day.
The Assassin
While checking out the Coneflowers the other day we came across this really cool insect called an Assassin bug.
At one point we found them stalking prey in their world of flowers. The other insect noticed the Assassin on their trail and quickly hopped away avoiding becoming a meal.
Assassin Bugs are ambush hunters that use their long rostrum to inject digestive enzymes into their prey. Their bite is said to be quite painful yet without long term consequences.
So from now on I will be keeping my eyes open and hands a safe distance from this guys home in the coneflowers as summer carries on.
Prairie Smoke
One of our favorite wildflower is Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum). Gazing into a field of these flowers is like watching a full on action movie yet motion is only implied.
Reflection
A Black Necked Stilt enjoying some quiet time alone in a temporary pond created by spring rains. Soon the pond will be gone and the Stilt will have moved on.
Broad Tailed Hummingbird
Given my poor skills at identifying Hummingbirds, especially the females, please correct me if I am wrong again this time.
While we were out hiking last weekend this Broad tailed Hummingbird landed on a branch right in front of us on a very windy afternoon. I can’t imagine being a bird that weighs mere ounces buzzing about on a day with the wind as strong as that day but she was sure putting in a great effort. After a short rest she was off with that familiar hummingbird buzz and buzzed away on a breezy day.
The Charmer
Some guys just know that they have the stuff to get the ladies and this is one of those guys…The Charmer. There were numerous Red Winged Blackbirds on the pond this day all strutting there stuff but to my untrained eye, heck i’m a human not a female Red Winged Blackbird, this guy just stood out.
He sang his song like no others birds on the pond and with a style non could match.
When he finished singing he put his brilliant red wings on display which none of the other males were doing. Most just sang and sang.
Yes…this guy knows he is The Charmer.
Loggerhead Shrike
We spotted this Loggerhead Shrike sitting tall on the barbed wire while whizzing down a quiet backroad. We quickly turned the car around and to our disbelief the bird was still perched tall taking in the afternoon sunshine. We did not get to observe the shrikes wonderful hunting behavior that afternoon but it is always a joy to see these beautiful birds.
Yellow Rumped (Myrtle) Warbler
A male Yellow Rumped Warbler of the Myrtle variety give us both a right and left profile as we followed him through the woods as he passed through our area on his spring migration. These little guys only hang around for a few weeks so it was nice albeit frustrating at times to get a little looks as these every busy and moving little birds.
Songs of Spring
Listening to a a song Sparrow singing the praises of Spring is a fine way to spend a weekend morning.
Happy Saturday to all.
nature has no boss 
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