Refuge Friday

A very nice day to be out at the refuge - very few people and enough stuff to make it interesting!
All the geese are gone and the ducks are MIA pretty much also. A couple of Snowy Egrets remain, no yellow-headed blackbirds, lots of herons - Great Blues and Black-crowned.
I found a Creature from the Black Lagoon - sliding along just under the surface sucking up stuff..

Anyway a very relaxing time..
Enjoy!

The Creature from the Black Lagoon - swam just under the surface and would open its mouth and suck down stuff...

Cats and flowers

Often Leo (black and white) and Fuzzy (orange) do not get along - but this day they did as they both napped under the table.

Summer brings lots of Day Lilies - here's a few that we have enjoyed so far...

Refuge Thursday

I managed a quick trip to the refuge before it got too hot. GBH, Egrets and Ibis were all holding their own, along with the Yellow-headed Blackbirds. I did see a couple of male Harriers but nothing up close enough for a decent photo.
The most enjoyable time was capturing the adult Pied Bill Grebe carrying and then giving its catch to one of its young.  I've never seen a young grebe before.
Enjoy!

Hey Emma, let's go down and pose for that photographer by the bridge!

Catching the morning rays..

Why does the pheasant cross the road?

So he can play hide-and-seek with me on the other side!

Here's the Pied Bill Grebe sequence

Refuge Tuesday

Tuesday morning at the refuge - egrets, herons - GBH and Black-crowned - ibis, bees and clouds. Wonderful time..

Lunch time

Thistle purple is so vibrant..

Sometimes looking up is the right place to be..

Long walk home..

Wild ibis..

The hunters..

Mountain views

We were fortunate to spend time with friends at their cabin in the Manti-LaSal National Forest last Sunday and Monday. The forest is alive with beauty - dynamic skies, burgeoning fields of flowers, wildlife keeping an eye on people, ....  Cool nights and warm days with a wonderful sunset capped it off.
Speaking of sunsets, those photos will be coming but today we have just the birds and bees and flowers - plus Roy, their dog!

Curious just like their whitetail brothers..

Wild peas being pollinated..

Roy!

So much beauty around - hard to take it all in..

Molly and the Potgut!

Western Flycatcher - s/he tolerated us humans quite well..

The valley below the cabin, stream flowing into Gooseberry reservoir. There are two kayakers in the stream.

Late afternoon skies just before sunset..

The flowers will blow your mind..