Mountain bluebird | Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

All rise

2 03 2026

Merlin (the app) tells me this is, in fact, a mountain bluebird. I know it looks green. Pretty sure it’s not the camera/lens/white balance/color cast because it looked green in person!

That big white disc behind it is the MOON!

I got kinda skunked again trying to photograph it rising because of thin clouds that were just enough to block/blend the moon as it rose behind the eastern(ish) ridges. When I got back to my buggy from a fairly long walk into Spring Creek Basin looking for the *right* place to stand and shoot (spoiler: I didn’t actually find it), this beautiful fellow flew in to check me out from the utility wire right above me and the road. How sweet! How did it know I needed a pick-me-up? 🙂 These bright blue flashes of gorgeousity are everywhere right now. … I’m not sure whether they’re early … or right on time. The temp hit 68 insane degrees yesterday.

He gave me enough time to unpack my camera from my bag, fiddle faddle around and change some settings from moon-shooting … and of course, he posed like the gorgeous creature he is (see top pic) … before he flew off. I got this pic (above), and then everything else was a green blur (pretty sure that’s a superhero character: “The Green Blur”).

And it was a beautiful evening after all. 🙂

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Categories : Brumley Point, Colorado, Disappointment Valley, Lone Cone, McKenna Peak, Moon, Mountain bluebird, Temple Butte

Bluebirds on a bluebird day

3 03 2025

In Colorado, we have a saying about “bluebird days.” I think (don’t quote me) it might have originated during the clear-turquoise-sky days of winter, clear as seaglass against snowy slopes, but honestly, with about 364 days a year of sunshine (I’m only sliiiiiightly exaggerating), most days in Colorado are bluebird days. The last few days haven’t featured even a single cloud in the sky (sorry, Seattle). With all hope, we have some clouds in our forecast – and maybe even some moisture this week (it comes, it goes … we never know until it falls, or spits, or drizzles). Cross your fingers; we love our marvelous Colorado skies, but we sure need some clouds and any moisture they might bring and release onto our parched region of earth.

The other day, while in Spring Creek Basin at one of my favorite lookout spots, glassing for mustangs, the mountain bluebirds seemed very numerous and very curious. I sat for a while and was rewarded with some close encounters of the bluebird kind. Under a bluebird sky, these little winged jewels of sapphire are happiness personified (birdified??).

Please bear (bird?) with me as I show off at least one (I can’t tell you whether this was one or three (or more) birds). I’m no bird photographer; I like my subjects (quite) a bit larger … and hooved. 🙂 But boy did this little guy (I think it (or they) was (were) a male(s)) put on a show. Have a look:

I love the pop of orange lichen in the above two pix. When this bird took off, he landed on the ground, in the grass, not far away. I’m sure this one is the same bird because he very deliberately walked over to a big rock embedded in the ground … with a prize.

Whaaaaaaat?!

While I photographed the little guy with his snack, I knew I was missing the key to all bird photography: the catchlight in my subject’s eye. But as I’m not a bird photographer, and the behavior was so cool (I think the bluebird was smacking it on the rock?), these two pix had to be included. I missed the moment when the bird swallowed his prey.