All Clear

March 17, 2021March 17, 2021 Timothy Price48 Comments

By late afternoon there were no clouds, no owls, no Pteradactyl, no squadrons of fighter ducks. Simply blue skies, a little snow lining the crest of the Sandias, a ragged Cormorant, a lonely crane, and a time-lapse video.

Above is a time-lapse video Tristan took of the balloons and clouds this morning. This video really shows how the winds blow in different directions at different altitudes in Albuquerque, which makes it easy to navigate hot air balloons around the Albuquerque area.

Cormorant

A little bit of snow along the top of the Sandias with the towers.

The cormorant looked ragged under its wings.

Towers in focus.

A lonesome crane flying around looking for other cranes.

Wood Duck Daze

March 13, 2021March 12, 2023 Timothy Price62 Comments

When I went out on a walk this morning, I found Daddy Owl in the tree he sits in when he watches over the owlets. Mama Owl’s ear tufts barely stuck up above the edge of the hole in the tree. A few cranes flew over close to the tops of the cottonwood trees. Most of the cranes have headed north. Only a few cranes are holding out.

Then I saw something moving in the cottonwoods. It was a female Wood Duck hopping and flying around between branches. A male Wood Duck soon followed. That was the first of three pairs of Wood Ducks I saw in the cottonwoods as I walked in the bosque this morning.

A couple of months ago there were some birders looking for the elusive Wood Ducks. I told them they were too early. They looked at me like I was crazy. The birders acted like the Wood Ducks are rare. Well, they were quite rare in the middle of the winter, but they are not rare now.

I took a lot of photos of the Wood Duck pairs. I was thinking about the best way to show a lot of Wood Duck photos and decided I’d write a song and put the photos to music. The song is not very polished, but I had fun doing it. I hope you enjoy Wood Duck Daze and the all photos of the Wood Ducks.

Swan Dive @ 5:00

March 8, 2021 Timothy Price43 Comments

Morning clouds at dawn

Sandhill Crane doing a swan dive @ 5:00. “Banzai!”

Sunset

¡No Me Gustan Los Whirlybirds!

February 26, 2021February 27, 2021 Timothy Price47 Comments

Whirlybird with a game warden looking for a coyote that attacked a runner.

Daddy Owl: “¡No me gustan los whirlybirds! ¡A mí tampoco me gustan los coyotes!“

Flicker: “Whirlybird? Is that what that thing is called?”

Mama Owl: “Stupid coyotes! Stupid whirlybird!”

I thought the doves flew up out of the cottonwood because of the helicopter.

But a second look revealed a Cooper’s Hawk had flown up in the tree where the doves were perched.

“It’s a bird! It’s a plane! IT’S a WHIRLYBIRD! Stupid coyotes!”

Blow up of Mr. Cooper.

Whirlybird hovering before flying south. A crane flying north.

Mr. Cooper flew north to another tree.

Mama Owl: “That’s better now that the whirlybird has flown south!”

Clouds at dawn looking north.

Daddy Owl: “Mucho mejor sin el whirlybird.”

Like a sunset at sunrise looking southwest.

Snow Came and Went

February 16, 2021February 16, 2021 Timothy Price49 Comments

Black and white of snow under dawn’s dark light turns to snow black and white under a dark street light.

Cranes fly into darkness in the sun’s waning light.

Clouds break up over the Rio Grande and the snow-covered Sandias.

Mama Owl and Daddy Owl perched in a different tree.

Crows fly in the final light of dusk.

The pTerodactyl reflects in the darkness.

Quick Change Skies

February 10, 2021 Timothy Price49 Comments

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

Top of The Tangle heart pTerodactyl Tommee Towhee morning To ya

February 6, 2021 Timothy Price48 Comments

“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.

Splash Landing

February 5, 2021 Timothy Price55 Comments

Splash landing at dusk

“Non che male! Almost as good as ‘Diving @ Dusk’!”

35.1% waning crescent moon 6:15 am February 5, 2021.

Heavy Mist

January 31, 2021January 31, 2021 Timothy Price43 Comments

There was heavy mist rolling over the Rio Grande this morning. At times the cranes looked like phantoms in the haze.

87.3% Waning Gibbous over treetops

Wile E. Coyote

In the shadow of the rising sun

Of Cloudscapes and Cats

January 30, 2021January 30, 2021 Timothy Price57 Comments

The clouds over the Sandias this morning made beautiful cloudscapes, some with rainbow colors made by the rising sun reflecting off ice crystals in the thin clouds. Other clouds cast shadows as the sun rose above them.

Sasha