by Owen

Birding and Errands (but mostly birding)

Posted on 5 June 2019

Yesterday we went on a short walk on the Mineral Belt Trail. The trail provided many opportunities for birding and provided excellent views of Mountain Bluebirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Pine Siskins, and many more. Additionally, the birds around the cabin were particularly active, such as Violet-green Swallows fighting for food, and Mountain Chickadees visiting a potential nest site right on the deck! Here are some of the highlights.

***For some reason, the Violet-green Swallows around the cabin all desire this one little ledge, and repeatedly fight for it. This one is holding on to the side of the apparent “prime real estate”.***

***It is extremely difficult to get good pictures of flying swallows, but as they landed frequently, I was able to acquire several good shots.***

Mountain Chickadees are some of the most charismatic birds there are. One flew up on to the deck and perched on a hole right in front of me! We now think that there may be a nest located in that same hole.

***Chickadees are also very noisy, and, despite their small size, their sound can carry far.***

***We did not just have birds for visitors; this is a Golden-mantled Ground-squirrel, one of the most common high elevation mammals.***

***This is a Dark-eyed Junco, a common winter bird, and one of the most variable bird species in the world. This is either a “Slate-colored” Junco*** ***or a “White-winged” Junco.***

***Pine Siskins are classic high-altitude finches. They look a lot like female House Finches, but the golden wing bars and the sharper bill separate them.***

***Pine Siskins usually inhabit, as their name suggests, pine forests, but this one was out of character and posed on an aspen.***

***Adult male Mountain Bluebirds are some of the most beautiful birds in Colorado. Their coloring is glacier blue getting darker on the wing and the head.***

***Mountain Bluebirds are rather skittish, and since the light was not favorable, I couldn’t get as good photos as I wanted to. However, the bluebird let me get a few.***

***This small bird is a White-crowned Sparrow. They are very common in the mountains, and are very trusting, allowing close views.***

On the Mineral Belt Trail, there was a huge flock of these Brown-headed Cowbirds, maybe numbering in the forties or fifties. These birds are actually nest parasites, laying their eggs in other birds nests, and kicking out the other eggs.

photography

Sunset and Turquoise Lake Ice

Posted on 4 June 2019

As you saw on the Rambles page, we went on a walk near Turquoise Lake yesterday. The shoreline was coated with lots of ice, providing several photographic opportunities, such as ice shards, minute cracks, and flowing water. Then, near the end of the day, we had a wonderful sunset, just above the mountains, providing more photos. Here are some of my best photos from both events.

***A lizard-shaped hole in the ice at Turquoise Lake revealed water flowing down the shore to the lake.***

***Not all of the water was iced over; in several places there were mini-rivers, often with very nice reflections and red-colored sand underneath.***

***Due to the profusion of ice, we found many piles of ice shards, like small icicles, that made a very pleasing sound as they rubbed against each other.***

***From the cabin, we had an amazing sunset just over the mountains.***

***The sunset was blueish, purple, pink, and orange at the same time.***

***The darkness of the mountains was very nicely offset by the soft sunset light.***

photography

Pine Grosbeaks in the Backyard

Posted on 3 June 2019

Yesterday I posted some photos of a pair of Pine Grosbeaks that visited our yard. The grosbeaks stayed far away, and I wasn’t able to get good pictures, but they returned yesterday evening and provided great views, mainly of the male, and I was able to get better photos. Here they are!