Cottontail
Under A Freezing Midday Sun
We got about an inch of snow last night, and while the sun tried to peek through the clouds, the temperature never got about 25ºF (-3.9ºC). A couple of walks in the bosque and out on the beaches along the Rio Grande resulted in new birds and some exciting owl news.
Sandias and the Rio Grande from North Beach.
Canadian Geese.
Five Thrushes.
These Thrushes looked really iridescent in the snow on the riverbank under the cold, filtered sun.
Red-Tailed Hawk way off in the distance.
Sparrow up north scavaging in the snow and pebbles.
Red-Tailed Hawk in profile.
This poor calf has lost its herd. It’s all alone and has been sadly mooing for someone to keep it company.
Can you spot the northern mama owl sitting on her eggs?
She didn’t use this nest last year because the raccoons had ransacked it. She is in it again this year. The year before, 2018, she had Virginia in this nest: https://wp.me/p1yQyy-4dG
Thrush
Blondy the blonde porcupine sleeping way up in a cottonwood.
Thrush getting a drink.
The acequia madre
Robin
Snowy Bosque
Mama Owl and Daddy Owl in their usual spot with snow all around.
Happy Valentine’s Day From The Birds
The pTerodactyl posed perfectly in the Tangle Heart Tree for Valentine’s Day.
Miss Stripy Sparrow
Mama Owl
Sparky Sparrow
Daddy Owl snoozing at sunrise.
A congregation of cranes at dawn.
Tommee Towhee
Cranes celebrating the frosty sunrise.
The other side of Miss Stripy Sparrow.
A pTerodactyl takeoff.
A silly duck on takeoff.
“¡Hasta la huego you silly goose!”
As a thunderstorm blew in this evening lots of crows were flying all around us.
Ghost Train
The railroad crossing arms came down about 6:45 am.
I sat there waiting for the train.
And sat there. Cars started backing up from the other direction.
After sitting, waiting about 3 or 4 minutes for the train to go by, the arms started to rise.
The ghost train had gone by and we were free to continue on our way.
¡Nada!
Yesterday we had clouds running amok through the skies with our painter scrambling to keep her colors from blowing away with the winds. Today ¡Nada! Not a cloud in the sky. However, our ever clever painter brushed the Sandias with pink, then she threw a spray of ocher that turned into lavender, purples, and blues as it spread from the horizon into the sky.
Our painter picks her colors from sunbursts.
Mama Owl watches as our painter makes her magic.
Quick Change Skies
Looking west @ 5:31 pm February 10, 2021
Mama Owl @ 4:23 pm February 10, 2021
Looking south @ 5:42 pm February 10, 2021
Cranes @ 5:44 pm February 10, 2021
Looking east @ 5:45 pm February 10, 2021
pTerodactyl with ducks doing vespers prayers. 5:53 pm February 10, 2021
Looking west @ 6:01 pm February 10, 2021
The Last of the First Moon of 2021
The 11th is the new moon, but this is the last moonrise of the first moon of 2021 that I will see.
5% waning crescent moon 6:15 am February 9, 2021.
Pensive owl
Penultimate Moon Morning
The second to the last moon before the new moon.
18% waning crescent moon 6:25 am February 8, 2021.
X marks the spot
View from South Bend at 5:20 pm tonight.
Owls with their ear tufts blowing in the wind this afternoon.
Suffering Succotash, Birds!
“Suffering succotash! Do I see birds?”
18% waning crescent moon February 7, 2021
Top of The Tangle heart pTerodactyl Tommee Towhee morning To ya
“What’s that title? Alliteration on steroids?”
“Hey! Paparazzo! Incoming!”
“There’s the Tangle Heart Tree.”
“Here goes. Geronimo!”
Tree got in the way.
Nice landing. “Thanks!”
pTerodactyl on the Tangle Heart Tree.
Is that a branch or are you happy to see me?
“It’s a branch, Paparazzo. Get your mind out of the drainage ditch!”
“Oops! Don’t mind me. Just flying by.”
Tommee Towhee was hopping from branch to branch having Russian olives for breakfast.
A quarter moon with Swiss crater-style cheese, please. 25.4% waning crescent February 6, 2021.
Off Center & Not Even 