eve walk and back to campsite

more aspen in the setting sun.
wild rose, maybe rosa nutkana? these were also at our campsite
view from the campsite looking to the west side of the lake where the horse camp is located.

The little water birch shrub? (at least that is what i think it is) , rose, saskatoon berry shrubs had lots and lots of bird activity. Cedar wax wings and house finches were feeding on the berries of the saskatoons. The finches were so ravenous they had berry juice all over their beaks. the waxwings were much more delicate. they just swallowed the berry whole. Lots of yellow birds, finches, warblers, Siskins? kinglets, I didn't figure out who was who. and humming birds I think they were rufous, but immatures so hard to id. I did catch a glimse of a burnt orangish bib.t There was a small woodpecker (maybe a hairy or a three toed) that had drilled some holes into the birch shrub. the sap was running so insects were congregating there. consequently the hummers, and yellow birds were all going in to eat the insects. quite the commotion. the hummers were flying so close we could hear the buzzing of their wings. They kept buzzing our heads. at first I thought there was a nest, but I couldn't really identify any mature ones, although there was one time a courting display was done; that huge arc where they fly down and peep at the bottom of the arc. The birds just kept flittering from shrub group to shrub group. it was great. The waxwings were also eating the insects on the fly and they would buzz up and around in a small flock (5 birds maybe) as they did that. all over the lake.Baca selengkapnya