Short Blog - Some Birds - A Sign - Some Dust

We went out for a ride about the other day. We went over Canelo Pass about which we had a previous post. We really like the area and were headed to Patagonia. We found a couple of interesting birds along the way.

Here is an American Kestrel. There was a light breeze blowing and the Kestrel was sitting on a road sign and then lifted up and headed backwards in the breeze.

This is a Phainopepla. The male seen here is all shiny black with some white wing patches visible when it flies. The female is a light grey color, similar in shape and size but entirely different color

The bird in the background is a Western Bluebird while the bird in the foreground is a Purple Finch. In the winter the finch does not look purple but in the spring and summer breeding plumage, the male shows some purple coloration. The strong facial markings and the lines on the breast identify it as a purple finch. It is similar to the more common House Finch.

We thought this an interesting sign. It designates one of the many cattle ranches that are located in the San Rafael Grasslands. There is a lot of country out here and a lot of very large, in acreage, cattle operations. Great sign.

Here is a Common Raven siting on a fence post calling to some friends that are off in the distance. He is certainly displaying a different posture.

Just before getting to Patagonia we saw this mom and her young calf. I had shown some of you this image before but a few of you may not have seen it. It is a fun image.

In Patagonia we stopped for a bite of lunch at the Gathering Grounds, a great little cafe that has outdoor seating. This image shows the back window on our car. It really could be almost anything but it is actually the dust pattern from the dry and dusty roads we had just driven. The window was clean when we started, really it was.

We hope you enjoyed this brief post showing some birds. It may have given some of you a respite from the cold and fog found up north.

Let us know if you have any questions or comments. All the best and stay safe - George and Deanna