Tag: nature photography

An unassuming walk

On By Mike and Christy5 Comments

Unassuming_walk_1

Just the grass greening up in a landscape filled with sage and juniper. Quiet, perhaps the sounds of Meadowlarks and Sparrows singing, an unassuming landscape in a quiet place.

Unassuming_walk_2

Yet upon closer inspection we were provided with quite a treat. Chocolate Lily – Fritillaria atropurpurea were hidden in theses still greening grasses. 

“Chocolate lily, also called “rice root” by Indian people, has bulblets that look like grains of rice. The bulbs grow relatively close to the surface and are easily extracted. Bulbs were dug in spring (before flowering) or in summer or fall (after flowering) using a digging stick, a wooden spade, or the fingers”

Unassumin_walk_2

Some were on full display and added a a wonderful splash of color and gave us quite a surprise on what we thought would be a unassuming walk through an early spring landscape.

Unassuming_walk_4

It’s nice to have no assumptions.

References:

1.http://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=PMLIL0V020

2. https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_fraf2.pdf

Brown Jay

On By Mike and Christy2 Comments

Brown_jay
The Brown Jay is and conspicuous bird to say the least. We found a flock moving through the trees and calling loudly while foraging for a morning meal this day.

This bird deftly plucked the last berry from a leafless branch and quickly devoured it before moving along with the rest of the boisterous flock to find another meal.

You guys…..

On By Mike and Christy4 Comments

Junco_tustle_1

It was a cold snowy day just a week or two ago and it must have put the Junco’s in a foul mood that day as we watched numerous scuffles break out as they were scratching and foraging for a meal underneath an old spruce tree.

You guys….

Luckily the snow only lasted a couple of hours in the morning and just like magic the sun appears, the snow melted, and calmer heads prevailed.