Seeing variations on a theme along the trails we hike. Similar shapes yet different colors on fully display in white, yellow and purple. Each color selected over time to keep the wildflowers flowing, bees buzzing and the forest just that much more beautiful.
Nature in action.
A Red-naped Sapsucker appeared out of the aspen forest to perch on the shrubs for just a moment before flying off into the forest.
“Red-naped Sapsucker nest holes make good homes for other species. Many species that nest in holes don’t have a specialized bill needed to carve out their own home, including Mountain Bluebirds, nuthatches, and chickadees. The small holes excavated by sapsuckers provide safe places for smaller hole-nesting birds to nest.“1
Reference:
After a winter taking Dark-eyed Junco portraits in the snow a fresh view of this cute little guy as well…refreshing. Green leaves in the background as well as soft looking, clean and very spring like feathers made for a nice portrait.
Our annual photographic homage to one of our favorite spring flowers the Glacier Lilly.
We follow their progressive blooming form the edge of the foothills up high in the mountains seemingly ushering in spring in each progressive life zone.
Beautiful from afar…
as well as up close.
It was an unusually dark Friday afternoon just a week or two ago, light rain falling, when this male Yellow-rumped Warbler descended from their usual stomping grounds up in the tops of the conifers to forage on insects in the cattails along the edge of the pond.
Taking their time they perused the area and picked out the most buggy of the areas to work over.
Like a true warbler they rarely held still but we were lucky enough to get a nice long look of this beautiful bird before they took off to the tree tops above.
Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend.
Just a splash of yellow and quick glance back as a Savanah Sparrow sits quietly along a barbed wire fence was enough to make our day.
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.
A dose of afternoon sunlight brings out the best of things, these leaves included.
Light, leaves and color create a feeling as well as a sight.
Hope your weekend includes a bit of both.
Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend.
A Bald Eagle doing a bit of acrobatic aeriel dental care without a net.
A short article posted at the Audubon Society’s website suggests that there is more to this commonly observed activity than meets the eye.
A few weeks back we began to see the Chipmunks scurrying around the area. After spending the winter in their dens and absent from sight they are a welcome addition to the late spring-summer population of area residents. Quietly going about their business and cute as a button to boot. Welcome back Chippie.
nature has no boss 
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