Birds and Nature

This pic is exactly how this brightly colored Lazuli Bunting looked like, all I did was crop the photo to enlarge it, nothing else. And this is the same turquoise blue that I saw when I took these pics, just a gorgeous bird. I didn't crop the pic just above as strongly as the other pics because I wanted to show how its turquoise feathers were reflected in the water.SeEtta

Both the Western Tanager and Lazuli Bunting are first of the year birds in Canon City (tho I saw W Tanager on S Padre Island 2 weeks ago so not my first of the year). I spotted 4-5 male Western Tanagers in a one mile walk on the Canon City Riverwalk. Heard a lot more Lazuli Buntings than observed--just this one observed, heard at least 4-5 others singing. This Black-headed Grosbeak had been singing up a storm as were several more of his species today and in the past few days. At least a dozen Cedar Waxwings were in the feeding on fruit of hackberry trees and on tender new buds in other trees in Veteran's Park. I also spotted a first of the year for Canon City male Rose-breasted Grosbeak on the tip top of a 60+ ft tall cottonwood so no pics, and likely a female but too many branches and leaves in that distance to be sure. And I spotted a first of the year for Canon City male Bullock's Oriole but in top of tall tree so no pic for him either. SeEtta

I spotted this Lazuli Bunting in my yard but did not get a chance to photograph it until it thought it was hidden in my next door neighbor's tree about 50 feet away. They can be such shy birds. Later in the morning I spotted one at the Canon City Riverwalk where they breed. SeEtta

This is one of the two male and one female Lazuli Buntings that have been singing in trees in my yard and several several adjacent yards for over a week. Hopefully one of the males will pair up with the female and nest in one of our neighborhood trees. Have also had a male Indigo Bunting during the same time period, also singing, but haven't spotted any females for him. In this photo the male Lazuli is eating at Sean and Melanie's feeder. SeEtta

I photographed these two birds on the Canon City,CO Riverwalk this week. The female Black-headed Grosbeak flew in quite close but thought she was hidden behind the foliage. She was one of a number of Black-headed Grosbeak that were chasing each other as a part of breeding behavior. I didn't get the greatest view of the male Lazuli Bunting but I do like to show the underside of birds since that is often the view we get in the field. SeEtta