Many of the ponies were sporting mud last night, after the rain the night before. 🙂
Pretty grey lady
10 10 2021Comments : 10 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Hanger outers
9 10 2021
Shane, Maia and Alegre half-napping, half watching a visitor. 🙂
Comments : 6 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Whooo whooo spots the owl?
8 10 2021
Because … even at a FAR distance, hugely cropped …
BURROWING OWL!
It’s the first one I’ve seen in Disappointment Valley in many years. Whooo (!) doesn’t love a burrowing owl!? 🙂
*** Update ***
My favorite bird photographer, Ron Dudley, posted about burrowing owls on his blog – Feathered Photography – this morning, requesting respect for these beloved owls. Maybe a coincidence, maybe an opportunity to share some love and education.
I was driving when I saw a bird zoom in front of the Jeep, and I thought it was a kestrel (also one of my favorite birds), but I looked through the window as I passed and was astounded to see the owl on the ground. I stopped and slowly backed up … and spotted it again at a fair distance from the road. It flew again and landed, and those are the shots posted above. I never got out of the Jeep to pursue further pix because I didn’t want to bother it – it WAS doing the bobbing behavior indicating stress – and spent no more than a couple of minutes watching it (I took four pix). Even though I knew the pix would be terrible quality, I was so excited, I tried anyway.
When I tried to select “burrowing owl” later on the bird ID app (Merlin) on my phone, it didn’t even give me the option! All books and websites I’ve looked at indicate that burrowing owls are uncommon and the population is declining. … Ron Dudley’s post gives some indication why that is. I’m very happy to have seen this little owl … and very much hope I didn’t cause it any harm.
Comments : 14 Comments »
Categories : Disappointment Valley
Ordered disorder
7 10 2021
Dundee, Aiyanna and Rowan are still getting used to their new home territory … and their new personal photographer. 🙂 As much as I would like them to all gather prettily in the frame, facing forward with ears alert and a stunning background in the, you know, background, they insist that they are wild girls, and it’s much too much to ask for posing postures!
Ah, OK. Much, MUCH more than I want to see any of that posing, I love to see them doing what they’re doing – eating, drinking, moseying, learning the lay of their new wild land. 🙂
Comments : 14 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Rain on the horizon
6 10 2021
We’re ready for some of those storm-dark skies again! Chipeta may not look excited about the rain (this pic is from about a week ago), but I just *know* she was looking forward to the rain! As we are, again, now. 🙂
Comments : 13 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Complementary
5 10 2021
I think they’re starting to look a little rounder ’round the edges. 🙂
**********
Speaking of complementary partnerships, The (Cortez) Journal recently highlighted the partnership with the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol Unit, BLM and mustangs! Kudos to everyone involved with this program!
Comments : 8 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Strollin’
4 10 2021
Maiku moseys after his band with other bands in the distance.
As the seasons march on, the sun is setting earlier and earlier. That’s what it does, of course! It’s noticeable. Here, Maiku and the band were already in the shade of the hill while the rest of the basin still enjoyed the lingering evening light.
Comments : 10 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Highlights
3 10 2021
Soggy times may be a weird time to remember dusty times, but when the ground is wet (there’s been dew … DEW!), we can remember when the ground wasn’t so wet … when that dust just made for a dramatic background to a photo as Aiyanna, Rowan and Dundee crossed an arroyo on their way to evening water. 🙂
Comments : 14 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Waves on the grassy sea
2 10 2021
If ridges were the crests of waves and the blowing grasses the motion of the sea, Raven would be a seafaring equine goddess.
We’ve had more rain. Poetic visions aside, that’s more goodness for land and mustangs alike!
Comments : 8 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
Just before the brakes
1 10 2021
This shot came seconds after the pic in yesterday’s post, and just a frame ahead of her stopping near her stallion. 🙂
Terra. Sooooo beautiful!
Comments : 10 Comments »
Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs
