Birds and Nature

I spotted this female bighorn sheep in a small maternal herd in the Bighorn Sheep Canyon about 30 miles east of my home.  Female sheep live in small groups of ewes and their lambs.   I think this ewe has such a bright eye that she must not be very old.  Both top pics are of the same female bighorn sheep. The pic below is one of the several lambs in this herd. SeEtta

I found this Barn Owl last year in a campground next to Lake Hasty in far southeastern Colorado. I took the pics with my 300 mm lens ( or 6X enlargement) and additionally cropped the pic (see below)o enlarge it to the top pic. SeEtta

[Click on Read More below to see second pic} While not as flashy as her male counterpart the female Lucifer Hummingbird is a 'looker' in her own right. Their backs are dark green like the males. The best description for their underparts I have seen is as follows: "They have an intense cinnamon wash on the breast and throat. Compared to other similar hummingbird species, female Lucifer Hummingbirds have buffier under parts, particularly the breast and throat." (from http://www.hummingbirdsplus.org/species/lucifer/#) And as clearly shown in these pics the females the distinctive curved bill like the males of this species. I photographed this female at Ash Canyon B&B in Hereford, AZ last fall. SeEtta

(click on Read More at bottom of this to open full post to see all 3 pics) These Lucifer Hummingbird's extends north from Mexico into southeast Ariz/southwest N Mexico and into the southern part of Big Bend National Park in western Texas. And the best place to see them is at Ash Canyon Bed & Breakfast in Hereford, Arizona. They are fairly regular at this fantastic hummer haven which allows day visitors to watch birds at their feeding stations for a mere $5. This bird sanctuary is located in the Huachuca Mountains and they have a number of birds visit the feeders and water including including records of 14 hummingbird species. I have visited here several times, including last September when I took these pics that I haven't had a chance to upload, and have never been disappointed. These are all male Lucifers and these pics show their distinctive curved bill and beautiful purple throat. SeEtta