I have a passion for the outdoors and I am most happy enjoying what nature has to offer. Hobbies include photography, birding, Pickleball, astronomy, biking, and hiking. I have been happily married, for 50 years, to an amazing person.
Lake Colorado City State Park, Colorado City, Texas, April, 2017
~Scaled Quail
Scaled Quail pair
Commonly known as the “blue quail”.
Several of these gorgeous birds were running around Lake Colorado City State Park, Colorado City, TX early this spring. Courtship was in full swing. Often we would see two males trying to win over the attention of one female.
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A typical RV site at this Texas State Park with lots of room. Our site had a view of the lake.
When feeding the Dowitcher uses their long bill in the motion of a sewing machine needle, up and down. They usually stay for longer periods of time in one spot, as opposed to other shorebirds that wade and probe.
I believe this bird is the Long-billed, which has a bulkier body with a more rounded back and a longer bill.
Can be difficult to tell between the Long and Short billed Dowitcher.
Not many Black-necked Stilts on the marsh when we were there. We were lucky to see a few of these cute birds. They don’t stand still, continually using their long bill to forage for food in the muddy waters.
I saw my first Black-necked Stilt on April 7, 1995 in Kauai, Hawaii. Howard and I were there celebrating our 20th anniversary.
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Too far away for a good photo, but you can still make out this White-faced Ibis in breeding plumage.
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The photo below shows a typical marshy area in the southern states. Beaumont has done an excellent job in preserving this area. We observed several species of birds; however, it would have been fun to be there a little later to see more of them migrating through.
Cattail Marsh
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Forty degrees this morning in Loveland, Colorado. We have cloudy skies and occasional snow flakes. Spring is coming!
A cool Spring day here in the Colorado Rockies. We went for a walk this morning along the Big Thompson River. Looks like we are caught in between Winter and Spring.
Soon, warmer weather will melt the snow in the mountains sending runoff to fill the river.
Big Thomson River waiting to be replenished.
Some Cottonwood trees have seen better days, some are starting to sprout their leaves. Wildflowers are starting to bloom. We heard that a Great Horned Owl is nesting in one of the Cottonwoods along the river path. Can’t wait to see babies.
Wolf Song Blog 