Flashing his neck feathers
Yellow Lady's-slipper
Moose in the late evening sun
Grape Hyacinth / Muscari sp.
Brant grain elevator
Eared Grebe
Chionodoxa forbesii, white
A scene from the past
Eastern Kingbird
Masterwort / Astrantia major
Moose kneeling to lick salt from the road
Blue and banded
Barberry
Ten little bundles of joy
The dreaded Goat's-beard / Tragopogon dubius
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, flashing his colour
Muscari sp., white
Swainson's Hawk
Purple avens / Geum rivale
Yellow-headed Blackbird female
Peace and late evening sun
Very young Mule deer
Mariposa Lily / Calochortus apiculatus
Colour for a dreary day
Eastern Phoebe / Sayornis phoebe
Almost time to fledge
Having fun with its reflection
Neighbours of the feathered kind
Eared Grebe / Podiceps nigricollis
Pasqueflower / Pulsatilla vulgaris
Western Tent Caterpillars
Clouds and Dandelions
American Goldfinch female with Sunflower seed
Fritillary
A lovely splash of colour
Spiny Rose Gall
Well, hello, little Chickadee
Collecting supper for her babies
A little blossom flower
Coyote in a field of dandelions
When black isn't really black
Shades of orange
Snack time for baby Coot
Love these little guys
Convergent Ladybug / Hippodamia convergens
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A snack that is sure to tickle


Six days ago, on 6 June 2015, my place was beginning to get uncomfortably warm inside. That meant I needed air-conditioning and the only place to find it was in my car. So, off I went along the backroads SW of the city. I wasn't expecting to see anything different, but there were certain birds that I was certain I would see - birds that I really enjoy photographing. I really do need to drive somewhere different, but this drive is just a fairly short drive and fits nicely into an afternoon or early evening.
The "usual" included Mountain Bluebirds, and this male (head feathers ruffled a little by the slight breeze) obliged, bringing a fat, hairy caterpillar for his babies. Dad seems to bring the larger, heavier insects, especially Grasshoppers, while Mom tends to choose lighter, more delicate ones. Funny how the nearby Tree Swallows will sometimes "tease" their Bluebird neighbours by flying and landing very near the Bluebird nesting box. Out of nowhere, the brilliant flash of blue of the male flies at top speed to chase the Tree Swallows away. Yesterday, I noticed the female Bluebird landed just a couple of feet from the Tree Swallow nesting box and just sat there with a Swallow on either side of her. No idea why she did this, as it annoyed the Swallows, and of course she was chased away.
In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id
www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...
Other sightings on my drive included the usual Tree Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Black Terns, a pair of Cinnamon Teal glowing in the bright sunlight, a distant Coot feeding her little ones, a Pied-billed Grebe who was annoying an adult Coot who kept racing across the top of the water to chase the Grebe further away. My final sighting was a Coyote in a field of Dandelions. By the time I had pulled over and raised my camera, it was already heading off in the opposite direction, stopping once to look back as Coyotes tend to do.
I almost forgot to mention the highlight of my drive! Not far from home, I noticed a Canada Goose in the distance, standing in the grasses right at the edge of the road. I thought it might just step out in front of me, so I stopped in my lane on this fairly busy road and turned on my hazard flashers. Sure enough, it did exactly what I was suspecting - and it was followed by its family of half a dozen or so goslings walking in a very disciplined single file, with Mom/Dad bringing up the rear. Fortunately, the cars coming behind me in the other lane also slowed down and stopped till everyone was safely to the other side. May sound silly, but I find it such an amazing, humbling experience when this happens : )
The "usual" included Mountain Bluebirds, and this male (head feathers ruffled a little by the slight breeze) obliged, bringing a fat, hairy caterpillar for his babies. Dad seems to bring the larger, heavier insects, especially Grasshoppers, while Mom tends to choose lighter, more delicate ones. Funny how the nearby Tree Swallows will sometimes "tease" their Bluebird neighbours by flying and landing very near the Bluebird nesting box. Out of nowhere, the brilliant flash of blue of the male flies at top speed to chase the Tree Swallows away. Yesterday, I noticed the female Bluebird landed just a couple of feet from the Tree Swallow nesting box and just sat there with a Swallow on either side of her. No idea why she did this, as it annoyed the Swallows, and of course she was chased away.
In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id
www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...
Other sightings on my drive included the usual Tree Swallows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Black Terns, a pair of Cinnamon Teal glowing in the bright sunlight, a distant Coot feeding her little ones, a Pied-billed Grebe who was annoying an adult Coot who kept racing across the top of the water to chase the Grebe further away. My final sighting was a Coyote in a field of Dandelions. By the time I had pulled over and raised my camera, it was already heading off in the opposite direction, stopping once to look back as Coyotes tend to do.
I almost forgot to mention the highlight of my drive! Not far from home, I noticed a Canada Goose in the distance, standing in the grasses right at the edge of the road. I thought it might just step out in front of me, so I stopped in my lane on this fairly busy road and turned on my hazard flashers. Sure enough, it did exactly what I was suspecting - and it was followed by its family of half a dozen or so goslings walking in a very disciplined single file, with Mom/Dad bringing up the rear. Fortunately, the cars coming behind me in the other lane also slowed down and stopped till everyone was safely to the other side. May sound silly, but I find it such an amazing, humbling experience when this happens : )
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