Dogs. They don’t care that it’s raining. Or muddy. Or dreary.
Most of the snow has melted so ski season is mostly over and hiking season is officially underway. Mountain Bluebirds and Spotted Towhees added a few sprinkles of color in an otherwise pretty monochrome setting. The songs of Western Meadowlarks accompanied me for much of the hike. This area burned in the giant fires of 2014.
Mountain Bluebird
Female Mountain Bluebird
Spotted Towhee
Ants
Common Raven nest
The morning’s bird list: Gray Partridge, Dusky Grouse, Golden Eagle, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Say’s Phoebe, Black-billed Magpie, Clark’s Nutcracker, Common Raven, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Bluebird, American Robin, Brewer’s Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Spotted Towhee, Western Meadowlark, Cassin’s Finch.
This old harvester has been fading into the landscape for a long time.
March has brought us all sort of winter-like weather but I think that spring is finally settling in. Most of the snow is melted. For the first time in four months, there are deer walking around on our hill. It was a hard winter to be a deer in the valley. Wild Turkeys seem to be wandering around here too. Birds are selecting nest boxes and building nests. Tiny wildflowers are growing and blooming.
Good morning
Still looks like winter
Swallows
Vernal pond
Wild Turkey tracks
White-tailed deer
Robin’s nest on my Hok skis
Steershead foliage
Spring beauty
Yellow bells
Ash tree
Spring
Finally, the snow is retreating, leaving enough bare ground that a person can safely walk without getting her feet wet. Muddy, but not wet. Little patches of green grass are everywhere (except in our yard which is a whole other topic best left alone). Tiny forbs are sending out small shoots and I was even able to find one tiny flower. Sky found her own treasure.
Bitterroot leaves
Those might be steershead leaves
Sprouts against a sun-warmed rock
Waterleaf
Tiny lomatium flower
Balsamroot
octopus wood
I think these are currants
I found it. You throw it.
My Everyday Photos 