Birds and Nature

In the top two pics this Common Raven, who is being harassed by the second raven in hopes it will drop it's rabbit, jumps up (with rabbit safely in it's beak)then lands again to feed a little more--and providing nice views of the underside of it's wings and tail. The distinctive 'very shaggy throat' noted in The Sibley Guide to Birds is clearly visible in the bottom pic and I have enlarged it for a better view of these plumage details. Also note th4e big chunk of rabbit it has in it's mouth. SeEtta

This is one of two Common Ravens I enjoyed watching this week in Canon City, CO. In the top pic the raven has a beak full of rabbit, with the rest of the bounty secured by it's feet. In the bottom pic the nictitating membrane is covering the bird's eye, giving it a strange appearance.   Double-click on these pics for very close-up views.  SeEtta

Another cool little Brown Creeper blending in with dark bark this time. SeEtta

I found this male Downy Woodpecker working hard on one tree after another on the grounds of The Abbey in Canon City,CO. The bottom pic shows the Downy with it's nictitating membrane over it's eye, a protection it uses just a millisecond before it's beak rams against the tree. SeEtta

Look closely--even though the bark on this tree is mostly white, this Brown Creeper still blends in. SeEtta

While I was watching the two male Williamson's Sapsuckers chase each other around the Lakeside Cemetery in Canon City, CO, I got another surprise when the very big buck in these pics showed up. Though Lakeside Cemetery is on the edge of Canon City, it is bordered on the north side by H115 which is busy all day. I suspect he ran across traffic as he was already in a panic to get out of town when I first spotted him. It is not only unusual to see such a large buck with this big rack here but he is a Mule Deer and I usually see White-tailed Deer in town. In the bottom pic he is getting ready to jump the 6 foot fence that can be seen behind him and he made this big jump successfully. SeEtta

This is one of the male Williamson's Sapsuckers I found in Lakeside Cemetery today. I just love how yellow the bellies are on this species. SeEtta