Tag: environment

Time With Chip

On By Mike and Christy2 Comments

Spending a little time with Chip. This summer a Chipmunk family seems to have made a home nearby and we were happy to spend some time observing them feeding, playing and just hanging out doing what Chipmunks do.

Play was on the menu this afternoon under the shade of an old Douglas Fir.

After expending all the energy a quick snack of Service Berry was in order. Better save a few for winter.

We all know what follows a big meal. Yes, a little afternoon snooze. Who wouldn’t like that on s sultry summer afternoon.

Have a wonderful and happy weekend.

Another Small Bouquet

On By Mike and Christy1 Comment
Another small bouquet freshly picked and delivered just in time to usher in another week. It ’s hard to believe but The last week in July already. My oh my how time does fly.

Wishing you a great week.

Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Firecracker Penstemon, Yellow Columbine and a lovely pinkish painted Brush.

Young and old

On By Mike and Christy2 Comments

Just a couple of weeks ago the wild roses along the road were in full bloom and evening light made them oh so appealing. Yet just a few steps away were older rose bushes rose-hips still attached and full of cobwebs.

As we walked this road the pattern seems to repeat young and old, new and old over and over again.

A fine study in contrast yet none really exists.

A Small Bouquet

On By Mike and Christy1 Comment

With summer chugging along at breakneck speed a small bouquet of wildflowers, picked via camera, from a recent mornings walk feels a fitting way to start another week.

oh, and don’t forget to stop and smell the roses. They just don’t last that long.

Lupine, Wild Rose, Arrowleaf-Balsamroot and Sticky Geranium.

Lark Sparrow

On By Mike and Christy3 Comments

At least there is one sparrow that is always easy for us to identify.

The Lark Sparrow.

This large sparrow may be brown, but its harlequin facial pattern and white tail spots make it a standout among sparrows. Males sing a melodious jumble of churrs, buzzes, and trills reminiscent of an Old World lark. Their courtship is also unusual, involving a hopping and crouching display unlike other sparrows. Lark Sparrows occur in the West and the Great Plains in prairies, grasslands, and pastures with scattered shrubs. In winter, look for them in small flocks in brushy areas.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lark_Sparrow

Getting a nice long look at Lark Sparrows always makes the long drive out to visit to the grasslands and prairies complete.

However on a more serious note, prairie and grassland birds and their habitats are perhaps the most threatened birds and ecosystems in North America. A recent article in Forbes, yes Forbes, brings this problem to light and how one major bird conservation group is working to address it.

Lazuli

On By Mike and Christy2 Comments

While we regularly see and hear the brightly colored male Lazuli Bunting singing his somewhat squeaky song from the tops of bushes and trees at the edge of open fields we see and have had the opportunity to photograph the female only on rare occasion. Softly colored with a light cinnamon breast the female was quietly hanging out in dense foliage listening as a nearby male sang his heart out.

The beauty of the Lazuli Bunting did not escape the early naturalist who named it Passerina amoena, meaning beautiful sparrow.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lazuli_Bunting/overview

While it was indeed named beautiful sparrow the Lazuli Bunting is actually in the family Cardinaliadae being more related to Cardinals or Grossbeaks.

It was indeed our lucky morning as another female peeks out from a thick tangle of shrub with her best man nearby.

And just for fun, one more shot of the male perched nearby in a cottonwood tree.

And by the way… isn’t Lazuli a fun word to say?

Mighty Mink

On By Mike and Christy3 Comments
Mighty_mink_1

While out at a local lake on our kayaks we were treated to a very unexpected sight…a mink hunting crawfish. This guy/gal was working the shoreline and caught at least two crawfish while we watched from out in the lake on our kayaks. We had no idea mink lived along the shores of this lake and have never seen one before. Another reminder that those little moments sure can make your day.