While this winters light, what little there has been, has been mostly the grey variety sometimes the sun does indeed shine. This morning a Townsend’s Solitaire rests quietly in the choke cherry bush illuminated by a wonder filtered light just poking over the Southern horizon.
Well, we can all agree 2021 has been a strange and unordinary year in many respects and one event that has us scratching our heads and has just turned the strange-o-meter up to 11 is the absence of Hatchmo this winter.
As long as we can remember Red-Breasted Nuthatches have been a neighborhood fixture. Not just in winter but all year long. Their honking a constant reminder that someone is out there in the trees and their visits to the feeders in winter are sure to bring a smile to our faces when the sun is low and temperatures are cold. Perhaps they have all gotten together and moved south this year or perhaps they have just moved to the next valley over.
Whatever the reason it has left of scratching your heads, searching the web for explanations and feeling just a little lonely this winter.
So if you see Hatchmo tell them the feeders are full and it’s OK to come home.
Put on the jacket and head outside. Nothing like a little walk in the rain to keep the weekend rolling.
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy holiday, even if it’s not a holiday for you, wherever you are on this wonderful planet.
Christy and Mike
Robert or Bob to his friends.
Just a few days ago we were intently watching a Rabbit forage on some exposed grass when they suddenly became alert and sat up tall with ears wide open. We thought we had startled her when suddenly and silently off in the distance we spotted this North American Bobcat on the prowl thus explaining the rabbits alertness, and for good reason, as Rabbits are a Bobcats main food.
The Bobcat wandered around for just a moment without detecting the rabbit and quickly disappeared into the forest below. A truly beautiful cat and one we seldom see more than once a year.
This Mule Deer was hanging out eyeing a couple other males with much larger racks off across the way perhaps dreaming of joining them.
Maybe next year.
In spite of lacking heat the winter sun still warms the day.
On Saturday at mid-morning we spotted this Coopers hawk tidying up a bit on a broken old Cottonwood branch. He looked like he has had a bit of a rough time lately with his feathers looking downright scruffy. After a half hour or so of preening his feathers were back in fine order and he was off again hunting in nearby woods.
Finding a sprig of green grass is not an easy task this time of year.
Hats off to you Kiddo.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend and your own personal sprig of green grass.
It nice to have reliable places to go when you just need a wildlife fix. This day we visited one of our favorite places to view Bighorn Sheep. While reliable some days you only get a glimpse through the binoculars while some days you get a much closer view.
This day the view was almost too close to photograph with the long lens we had attached to the camera as this big Ram moved down a hill and into view.
Anyway we did get a nice view and it looks like this big guy has gotten good use of this horns.
nature has no boss 
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