A wonderful looking Williamson’s Sapsucker rests in a dimly light forest in Yellowstone NP.
Not a common sighting for us so we sure felt lucky to see him that day and had to sped a little trying to correctly ID this guy.
For more info: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Williamsons_Sapsucker/id
A Black Headed Grosbeak working overtime on a wild dandelion patch in the mountains of Montana. Looks like he has a long day ahead of him.
Butterfly and Beetle both agree…Milkweed is the Plant for Me.
Denver, CO
Out in the grass as the sunlight started to fade a Says Phoebe enjoys their perch.
All About Birds says “these open-country birds have cinnamon-washed underparts and a rather gentle expression. They sally from low perches to snatch insects in midair or pounce on them on the ground. Say’s Phoebes often pump their tails while perched on a wire, fence post, or low bush. They breed farther north than any other flycatcher and are seemingly limited only by the lack of nest sites.”
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Says_Phoebe/id
It is always a treat to see a Says Phoebe.
Perched at the edge of a leaf and taking a break from their seemingly endless flight. Perhaps deciding which flower to visit next or just taking in the wonderful view. The wildflowers were thick along this on this stretch of trail so the choices were many for a butterfly that day.
Crested Butte, CO.
From Wikipedia:
The ten-lined June beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata), also known as the watermelon beetle, is a scarab beetle, living in the western United States and Canada. The adults are attracted to light and feed on foliage. They can make a hissing sound when touched or otherwise disturbed, which can resemble the hissing of a bat.
I stumbled upon this little moth taking a break on a yarrow plant while out in the garden on afternoon. This little moth was content and stayed put even as I moved in to get a nice close look. As I pulled out the camera to take this photo it sure felt like this little moth was looking back at me saying “hey it’s just me… a little moth”.
If anyone out there has the skills to identify this little guy please chime in as “Little Moth” although descriptive could surely be expanded upon.
Have a great weekend.
Earlier this summer we were lucky enough to have a few little Bushtits visiting the trees nearby. I miss those little guys and sure hope we are lucky enough to have them visit again next summer.
We have seen many of these wonderful beetles this summer and today I think they deserve the spotlight.
Sitting on a fence post looking for his next victim is a Loggerhead Shrike. “These birds sit on low, exposed perches and scan for rodents, lizards, birds, and insects. They eat smaller prey (such as ground beetles) right away, but they are famous for impaling larger items on thorns or barbed wire to be eaten later. The species often hovers. When flying it uses bursts of very rapid wingbeats.”
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Loggerhead_Shrike/id
This time the victim was a large Grasshopper.
Which the Shrike Caught and them impailed on this barbed wire fence.
The Shrike let the Grasshopper be for a minute but quickly went to town on his meal.
Laramie, WY.
nature has no boss 
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