Daddy Owl silhouetted at dusk
Last night there was not much of a sunset, but daddy owl flew up on a tree well after sundown so we could see him in silhouette. He stayed on the tree until I was able to walk around where I could get him in profile in the afterglow. An Osprey flew overhead and then a beaver was out basking in the twilight on the east bank of the river.
Daddy Owl in profile at twilight
Osprey overhead
Beaver basking in the twilight
Beaver on the east bank grooming at twilight
A tiny grasshopper on Heritage.
“Hi there big little boy!”
Romance is in the air and on the Shasta Daisies, as the Pearl Cresent Butterflies have been courting with standoffs and flurries of fluttery foolery in the flowers. I assume the smaller butterflies are the males.
“This is my good side.”
“Well? Are you just going to stand there and gawk at me?”
Lady Cresent in waiting.
She didn’t have to wait long.
The male paused to savor the view of Lady Crescent’s beautiful butterfly behind.
An advance.
Fluttery butterfly foolery in the flower.
I found these two had snuck off into the weeds to do the butterfly bad thing.
This is what they call the “Butterly Position”.
A Viceroy Butterfly was hanging out along the edge of the Rio Grande this morning. He had a chunk out of his wing, but he fluttered about like nothing was wrong.
I had a tiny grasshopper rode with me today.
Silver’s tail almost crept away from him while he was sleeping.
His tail slipped back into place as Spunk entered the scene.
Silver was not sure what Spunk was up to.
Silver seemed to think it was safe to get more shuteye once Spunk settled in.
Silver’s not sure of Loki’s intentions.
One the branch staring me down.
We haven’t seen the little owls for a couple of weeks. When the smoke descended upon us the owls seemed to say “¡Hasta la vista! Babies!” and disappeared. Over the past week, we had heard them eeping, but we couldn’t find them in the trees. Various people mentioned hearing the owlets and seeing them fly into the bosque, but sightings, where the owlets are perched on a branch eeping and watching people, had become scarce.
Last night when I was walking to 4th of July Point at sunset, I heard eeping, and I found this little owl on a branch behind the Tangle Heart Tree. Laurie walked up and we could hear the other owlet eeping deeper in the bosque south of the Tangle Heart Tree, but I couldn’t find it.
Taking a closer look at the pesky paparazzo.
Half-moon in the Tangle Heart Tree
The owlet flew back behind other branches.
¡Hola!
Sasha took my chair and wouldn’t give it back.
Shasta Daisies
Assassin Bug hanging out
A bee lands on the daisy and the Assassin Bug prepares to strike.
The Assassin Bug gets the bee.
Wings in a daisy
A Pearl Crescent butterfly gets a bite to eat.
A large native bee having breakfast.
A large, allusive red wasp quickly passes through.
A Great Purple Hairstreak Butterfly wandering around on a daisy.
Loki and Spunk boxing before bedtime.
