Backyard Surprise

This big honker showed up eating food and drinking snow in our backyard this afternoon. Looks like a Gilded Flicker rather than the common Northern Flicker that we often see.
Beautiful bird!!

More Aquarium photos.

Tour guide Carmen took us through the South American section first with birds and snakes as well as jellyfish and sharks and cuddle fish!

Visiting the Living Aquarium!

We toured the Living Aquarium with Carmen as our tour guide! She had been there 4 times already so she was ready to take us around! And I think that we might have gotten lost without her so it was great to have a guide.
So many beautiful beings to photograph a few of which are below. Carmen had a good time also, petting manta rays and other cool water things!

Caiman!

Amazon river fish

Rivet!

Love his eye and skin.

Cloud Leopard

River Otter.

Refuge Dreams

The Northern Harriers are incredibly beautiful beings and when you capture them with their surroundings everything seems to match.

The light for the morning was very intriguing; sometimes sun, sometimes dark.

New Year's Day at the Refuge

Despite all the crappy air, the birds were still very active at the refuge today.  Lighting was dark but with a bit of work one could get a decent photo.  Here's some from today!

Harrier over hoarfrost - almost has a poetic ring to it!

I'd rather be swimming!!

Slow, careful steps to get into position to catch prey.

Stretching his wings!

Baldie in the swamp!

Prairie falcon - look at the resemblance between him and the kestrel above.

Happy New Year!

Look for the simple things to enjoy in 2017!

Visiting Antelope Island

Diana and I spent several hours enjoying the beauty of the island today. The biggest surprise were the porcupines hanging out in Russian olive trees; but the most fun were the young coyotes that entertained us.  The most hilarious was the Magpie that flew down to the truck as soon as we stopped and started asking for food!
Here's some shots from the day.

What's a trip to Antelope Island without a Buffalo photo?

This guy greeted us early on.

This scene reminds me of the song - Home, Home on the Range.....

Here's the very forward Magpie!

Bet this is the first time you've seen eye to eye with a porcupine!

Sometimes the view just has to be captured! - Or at least attempted.

Here's the delightful young coyotes..