With snow still lingering in scattered spots and the landscape just deciding it’s O.K. to turn green butterflies are starting to spring up and brighten the day. One of the first is the beautiful Mourning Cloak which can always be found hanging out up at butterfly hill.
A week or two back we watched this Black-capped Chickadee mercilessly ripping apart these fluffy cattails near a riverbank close to home. We had heard that Chickadees sometimes use this fluff as material for their nests however this birds was discarding the wonderful fluff and letting it fly into the wind.
We figured they must be foraging for food. Perhaps Seeds?
This bird worked diligently but it was not seeds they were after. A small grub was their prize.
Happy Friday and wishing you a wonderful weekend.
Drop by drop
drip by drip
we get released
from winters grip
A little good company makes staying close to home just a bit easier and two of our closest companions these days are the Mountain Chickadee above and the Red-breasted Nuthatch below.
A Pink Sided Dark-eyed Junco is a wonderful companion to have keep us company while we work our way through these days of sheltering at home.
With a disgusted look on their face an American Robin wonders where spring has gone. Standing on a pond that was liquid as liquid can be only a few days prior and the forecast ahead points to another chilly couple of days. Really?
Spring can be so fickle yet this guy will tough it out.
Just down the road, where the sun hits just right, is a small patch of earth warmed by the sun where the snow has melted and the Sagebrush Buttercups are already springing to life.
Growing low to the ground with their buttery shiny-waxy petals these wonderful little flowers are a challenge to photograph yet fun nonetheless. They are a bit poisonous to the touch so take care if handling them as they can cause blistering.
While a few were blooming most we still just on their way.
A wonderful sign that spring is indeed on it’s way despite the recent snows.
An Ermine still dressed in their winter whites peeks out from under a log. Seasons are changing and soon Mr. White will become Mr. Brown and we will have a hard time seeing him as he forages in the tall grasses of the fields nearby.
Boundless energy in such a small package makes them such a wonder to observe.
Well that’s a mouthful.
The names given to groups of particular birds are always interning, and sometimes head-scratching to say the least, but with a little imagination these do seem to fit the bill.
So let’s begin.
Last week we got paid a visit by a group of six Stellar’s Jays. While it is typical for perhaps two or three to hang around the nearby forest six at once was a new experience. All six seemed friendly enough towards each other and curious enough about us so a “band” of jays…well perhaps.
A cast….ummmm….maybe. They each did seem to play a role in the whole show. Some were boisterous and bold others a bit more shy like this guy below who hung around on the edge of the forest while other paraded by quite close to us. Unfortunately they did not congregate or come close enough together for a nice group shot but we caught at least three or four individuals who all seemed to strike a similar pose and looked remarkably similar as well.
All seemed to be having a good time and displayed quite a range of vocalizations ranging for the usual scolding Jay sounds to songbird initiations and one Jay was quite adept a imitating the sounds of a pair of Golden Eagles we have heard all winter calling from the tops of the trees. So in their very own Stellar’s Jay way it was indeed a party.
And while we were indeed scolded every now and again for hanging around in their forest it was a gentle scolding and one we could easily accept for invading their space.
So there you have it a nice visit with a “band”, “cast”, “party”, or perhaps a “scold” of Stellar’s Jays on a April afternoon.
A lesson in social distancing made easy.
nature has no boss 
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