Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Water visitors

12 03 2025

I keep saying I’m not a bird photographer (I’m really not!), but birds keep finding their way in front of my viewfinder lately. Who am I to NOT try to photograph them?

These four mallard ducks (two drakes, two hens) were with another pair on one of two ponds in Spring Creek Basin that currently have water (which is in itself something special, given our dry conditions). They took off when I approached … and circled … then came back to land.

Super bummed that this shot is out of focus, just as one pair of ducks was landing on the water. But I love the position of their wings, and so I say it’s worth sharing.

This is another pair – landing flaps are down and ready!

Just about to touch down …

And splash landing! I caught the actual contact with the water, but the drake was blocking the hen, so I liked this image better. Watching them drop right over the pond and into the water is a lesson in flight dynamics, I’m sure! Not quite vertical, but it was a much steeper approach than I expected.

They (not necessarily these specific birds) are visitors every year … and every year, it surprises me that they’ve managed to find these spots of open water in the desert. Love having them. 🙂

Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : Ponds, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Water, Wild birds

Prince of his family

11 03 2025

Mama Shane and pumpkin Odin grazing together. He enjoys the watchful and doting protection of all the “aunties” in the band, but sometimes he just likes to be near mama. 🙂

Comments : 7 Comments »

Categories : McKenna Peak, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple Butte

Bright delight

10 03 2025

I took this pic of Cassidy Rain while sitting on the edge of a shallow little ditch, hanging out while the band grazed and napped. Hope you all remembered the time change; crazy, isn’t it? The sun doesn’t actually set any differently than it did before … only the human clocks change.

Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

More braid art

9 03 2025

Now that braided mane of Terra’s is a master faery’s work of art! 🙂

Comments : 4 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Still Mariah

8 03 2025

Pretty Mariah a few evenings ago, napping with her band.

It’s a good thing the horses still have their winter coats because while we haven’t gotten any sticking snow, Thursday, some squall waves passed through the region that left the ground at least damp. Up on the southern ridges of Disappointment Valley, there was actual snow and at least a temporary inch to 3 (?) of the white stuff, despite the strong wind (we even had an advisory) that blew it sideways. It was wet stuff, though, and we’re always grateful for ANY wet stuff.

The evening I spent with Mariah was fairly still, which was pretty nice.

Comments : 9 Comments »

Categories : McKenna Peak, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs, Temple Butte

Rolling hills and clouds

7 03 2025

Stout Skywalker under a lovely sunset sky with a buddy.

We got some more moisture yesterday. Higher got snow; lower got … either rain or snow that melted on impact. But it was all wet, and we are grateful for anything wet. 🙂

Comments : 8 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

Birds of a pink feather

6 03 2025

Pink and brown birds!

These and at least a couple (few?) hundred more were flocking (is that a thing?) hither, thither, over, around, past and settling around me and a band I was with the other day in Spring Creek Basin. The horses WATCHED them fly and flock and land and twitter (the correct and natural way) and flutter all around us. They were nearly always in motion, and all I could tell was that they were LBJs (little brown jobs). I knew they weren’t bluebirds, but I didn’t know what they were – and I still don’t.

If you happen to know what these beauties are – that *pink*!? – please, please let me know. I think both males and females must be together, as some are less pink (do you suppose it’s the males that are more pink?).

Comments : 8 Comments »

Categories : Colorado, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Wild birds

All about perspective

5 03 2025

Spotlit by heaven’s sunshine is Temple Butte. You’re not used to seeing it from this vantage point, are you?

That’s because when I took this image, I was way up high among the ridges that form the southern boundary of Disappointment Valley, and I’m looking uppish-valley (!). Snow was still blowing through the region, and the sunlight was finding different and varied windows through the clouds … and

WAS

SPECTACULAR!

Every time I’m up there, I’m reminded anew how absolutely gorgeous is this part of the world. Spring Creek Basin is back to the leftish, and with the clouds and sunlight and waves of snow … it was more painting than reality. But it WAS reality, and by gosh, it was gorgeous.

(I even saw a band of mustangs from up there, but they were very far away and nearly impossible to see other than through binoculars. I think I did take a pic with them in it, but they’re not in this pic.)

Comments : 2 Comments »

Categories : Colorado, Disappointment Valley, McKenna Peak Wilderness Study Area, Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Temple Butte

Wind in her locks

4 03 2025

It’s been a wee bit windy lately. 🙂

The day I took this pic of Dundee, the temp was in the lower 60s, very sunny, very windy.

The next day (yesterday), it snowed, and the high was around 39F. 🙂

Gotta love Colorado!

Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area, Spring Creek Basin mustangs

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.