A pair of snow geese (Anser caerulescens) look for a landing spot adjacent to a pond at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. The geese were only a week or two away from departing the refuge for their flight north to their breeding grounds.
Tags: snow geese Anser caerulescens Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge New Mexico winter range stick the landing
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Sun breaks through the clouds of a departing winter storm and illuminates a selection of buttes and ridges in the Grand Canyon (including Dana Butte and the Tower of Set), as viewed from the south rim.
The warm bright light along with the almost continuous cloud cover leaves dark shadows with only hints of the side canyons showing below. Sunrise at the canyon is a celebration of strong contrasts between light and shadow, a condition sometimes referred to chiaroscuro, derived from painting styles used in Europe during the Renaissance.
Tags: Sunrise Grand Canyon Grand Canyon National Park south rim Chiaroscuro Arizona
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From its high perch a Say's phoebe scans the area for flying insects on a cool afternoon at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Say's phoebes are one of my favorite flycatchers, as they show up relatively early in the spring, are fairly easy to identify, and wag their tails when perched. We have a pair that nest somewhere near our house in Boulder, providing entertainment from our front porch.
Say's phoebe gets its name from the naturalist Thomas Say who was the first to collect specimens near present day CaƱon City Colorado, when he accompanied the Stephen Long expedition in 1819-1820. They breed as far north as the Brooks Range and the Arctic coast.
Tags: Say's phoebe Sayornis saya Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge New Mexico
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Two lesser goldfinches feed on seeds in senesced sunflowers at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. The species is gregarious, often foraging in groups. They range from the intermountain west in the U.S. to northern South America. This pair are part of a green-backed race of lesser goldfinches, found mainly in the species' western range. Toward the eastern part of the range the birds have black backs. The population of lesser goldfinches has remained stable over the past six decades.
Tags: lesser goldfinch Spinus psaltria Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge New Mexico sunflowers
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Today marks the transition to longer day length than night time in the northern hemisphere, and thus the start of the spring season, at least on the calendar.
The crocuses in our yard made a brief appearance last week before a major spring snowstorm dumped 6 inches of wet snow on them. Just in time to mark the occasion they popped through the snow yesterday to celebrate the onset of spring. The pasqueflowers in the mountains however will have to wait a bit longer, as 2-4 feet of snow fell there.
Tags: Spring spring flowers crocuses springtime in the Rockies spring snow backlighting
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