With the bottom of their acorn vault looking depleted a pair of Acorn Woodpeckers makes their way towards the top shelf of their tree. The first one confidently leading the way as if saying follow me. I love the colors and the button eyes of these guys.
We spotted many Swainsons Hawks while driving a quiet yet bumpy backroad but this one stood out. Standing tall and alert as a chilly wind more reminiscent of winter than spring puffed up those beautiful white breast feathers.
A full moon rises over the grassy hills on a silent night. No wind and just light clouds. The sun sets, the moon rises and spring finds it’s way.
Early spring reflecting into calm water.
Was it the hike itself, the early morning sunlight or the small window we were hiking to in the rock wall? All seemed like windows in which to experience the wonderful nature therapy offered up in Bryce Canyon on a sunny spring morning several years ago.
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.
We watched and mostly listened as this male Sage Thrasher sang his long and complex song from the top a the sage brush on a quiet dirt road.
According to All About Birds “males have long, complex, melodic songs, with remarkable variety. The rambling series of phrases, often preceded by soft clucking notes, is continuous and interspersed with moments of repetition and mimicry. Songs can be very long indeed; one male was recorded singing for 22 minutes straight.”
While this guys song was not a whopping 22 minutes it did go on and on leaving me out of breath just listening.
A lesson in social distancing made easy.
nature has no boss 
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