An evening rain left frozen pools that had just begun to thaw and clouds lingered throughout the day. Yet all in all it was a perfect hike and one just right for seeking solitude.
Tag: nature photography
Pinyon Jay
While getting ready to go for a hike a while ago we were pleased to have the company of numerous Pinyon Jays buzzing about in the parking area collecting seeds.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Pinyon Jays are highly social birds of the lower mountain slopes of the western United States, the Pinyon Jay is specialized for feeding on pine seeds. Each jay stores thousands of seeds each year, and has such a good memory that it can remember where most of them were hidden.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pinyon_Jay/id
Now if only I could bottle that kind of memory and take a sip every morning I might never forget where I placed my keys.
As Spring Begins
As spring begins snow still blankets the landscape. Yet it is not mid-winter snow. Transformed by wind and sun and then the cold of night this was a day to wander along and enjoy the season before it’s gone.
Wind and sun and even more wind have given this snow covered hill a dune like quality.
On this day the wind blew strong yet the sun was warm as we made our way along the trail and softening the thin veil of clouds along the distant horizon line.
Streams began to flow some exposed and running free while others were still hidden beneath a blanket of snow.
A seasons long drift formed what we called the ear.
To end the day the wind bid us adieu while crossing a final open valley as spring begins yet winter remain.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Observation
Watching and observing as early morning light breaks through the trees.
Observation seems a lost skill in a world where words now speak louder than action.
Proportions
Much smaller than the leaves on this tree a Female White-Necked Jacobin puts proportion in perspective….. how can something so small can leave an impression so large.
First Blues
With snow still covering the fields the Mountain Bluebirds have made their return. Yes, at this point there are only a few scattered along the county roads staking out the prime real estate and empty nesting boxes, but what a welcome sight they are.
The male a brilliant blue perched upon an old fence post was a welcome sight on this mid-March afternoon.
In a small package
So much joy in such a small package.
A Crowned Woodnymph brightens the day. And we can all use just a smidgen of brightening to start this week off right.
Wishing you a wonderful week and one day at a time will be this week motto for us.
Almost But Not Quite
Almost but not quite. Red Winged Blackbirds are back in town but the shoulder badges on the males are not quite a vibrant red and the sky is still a bit grey and wintery this day. Almost, but not quite, spring is indeed in the air. I can hear this blackbird singing.
Green Heron
We sat and watched this Green Heron as they slowly moved along the river bank and while we could see them they maintained constant cover in a tangle of dead branches and roots. After about 20 minutes they flew out into the open and landed on this tangle of roots in the river.
Amazing birds in that they can use tools to catch fish.
That would be something amazing to see and something to keep an eye out for next time you spend some time observing one.
In a dense forest
It is always amazing to us when we find raptors perched up high in the tree tops of a dense forest. This day a Common Black Hawk sits perched looking to the forest floor right above your heads looking for a potential meal. This bird only sat long enough for us to snap a quick photo before nimbly soaring off through the branches and dense foliage. An amazing sight indeed.
nature has no boss 
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