Rock Stars

I love living in the middle of a giant rock garden! It is inevitable that some of the formations are eventually given names depending on their appearance. We have both big and small outcroppings that have earned that honor. 

The two biggest identifiable rocks are Vertebrae (above) and Tower (below). The first is about 30' high and 200' long. Not only does it sit in approximately the center of our land - like a backbone - it actually looks like a spinal column. 

Tower Rock can be seen from quite a distance and is often the first thing people comment on when they visit because of its relative isolation from other large formations. It is about 100' high.

Almost all our rock is sandstone which means it changes over time. Especially with the amount of rain we have had this year.

 My favorite smaller rock formation is the three spinsters to the right. Can't you see their faces and each unique bonnet they are wearing?

Ken calls the rock below the Snowman. I always think it looks like one of the statues from Easter Island. I can't imagine his hat is going to survive for too many more years before toppling.

And the last rock in this group is Rooster. He even has a lichen colored comb!

Where's the Beach?

I always get a kick out of seeing shore birds in Wyoming. Maybe it is because I grew up on an island but I always expect things like herons and pelicans to be hanging out on the coast - not the prairie!

This spotted sandpiper on the left seemed to be perfectly happy digging around in a puddle off the Green River. I saw several of the birds on my morning hike.

 Killdeer seem to be at home in many environments but they always look like they should be on a sandy beach somewhere.  

One of the treats I had on my hike along the river was the opportunity to see four different types of swallows: Barn, Cliff, Bank and Violet-Green! 

More Birds of Green River

Two of the birds I saw in Green River that I am unlikely to see at home were the Bullock's Oriole and the Catbird. The first is a strikingly beautiful bird that stands out like a beacon in the brush.

The catbird, on the other hand, has a more subtle beauty. Unless you look closely you might not notice the black mohawk or the reddish butt. Understated elegance!

Bird Break

To get to Green River from here you have to go up and over South Pass. As you climb the steady incline to almost 8000' where you eventually cross the Continental Divide, there is a view to the west of which I never tire.
It almost looks like I have the camera at an angle but if you focus on the Wind River Mountains in the background you will see it is the earth that is tilted, not the photographer!

 For some reason Green River seems to be the perfect environment for the Wyoming Ground Squirrel. These surprisingly cute rodents always seem willing to pose for the camera!

Gifts

 The original plan was to continue posting about the birds and scenery of Green River but sometimes life presents you with unexpected gifts and it is best to accept the offering!

Yesterday I noticed movement in the honeysuckle bush. When I looked more closely, I was amazed to discover an adult male MacGillivray's Warbler perched on one of the branches. Never heard of it? Neither had I! And, more amazing, neither had Ken! The giveaway is the white around the eyes, giving it a somewhat devilish look. Not only are these birds uncommon, they are normally found in deciduous patches near water (according to Sibley). I suspect the recent high winds may have had something to do with his apparent detour.

What a treat!

The garden flowers are finally starting to bloom. The columbines will be in full riot this week.

Speaking of nature's gifts, I was given yet another this morning. I saw something on my morning run I have never seen before. As I approached the SE corner I suddenly realized there were two giant jackrabbits nose to nose on the trail in front of me. This is amazing for a number of reasons:

- I have never seen two jackrabbits together before.

- They tend to be nocturnal so when I do see one it is almost always in the headlights of the car.

- When you are used to seeing cottontails everyday, seeing even one jackrabbit is like seeing Godzilla when you are expecting a sand lizard!

The pair saw me at the instant I saw them and took off in opposite directions. The one on the left looped off like a normal jack. The one on the right began pronging on all fours - just like a fleeing mule deer or a happy llama. Every prong took it a couple feet in the air before all four legs touched down and it pogo-ed up again. It was a truly wondrous sight to behold!  

Commoners

I just returned from judging a wonderful little quilt show in Green River, Wyoming. I love traveling to that city as they have a great river walk where I always manage to see birds I wouldn't see at home.

Even though all these shots were collected along the Green River, the robin is obviously not an uncommon bird anywhere in North America.

People do not get excited about seeing photographs of robins, which is too bad because I love taking them! Not only are they beautiful birds, they are amazingly human-tolerant, which means I can get closer to them than I can to many species.

Warblers

 Like everything else this year, the warblers have been later than usual in passing through. They are now making up for their tardiness in sheer numbers. Almost all the tiny fliers we have seen have been members of the same species: the aptly (but not so elegantly) named Yellow-rumped Warblers.