consworld

Summer’s finally here and so are ducklings. My first sighting of the tiny yellow and brown swimmers was on an early morning walk around the lakes at Lower Lake Ranch.

Clouds overhead reflect white in the dark water while low morning sunlight traveled up the valley to light this straggler.

The reflections changed as I moved around the lake. Light changed, too, cloudy one moment, a bit of bright sun the next.

Birds, Lower Lake Ranch

Goose with goslings, one of the images I’m printing for bookmarks this year.

Birds, Lower Lake Ranch

Lower Lake Ranch, beaver

goslings nibbling grass by the lake

This morning at Lower Lake Ranch I found the Canada goose still sitting on the nest I’ve been watching. Then, I wandered around looking for something else to photograph and found a family of geese with six goslings near the creek. The parents didn’t want me close to the kids but I managed to get a few images without troubling them too much as they moved between the creek and lake. There are three pairs of adult Canada geese staying at the ranch ponds this spring.  I wonder how many goslings will be there tomorrow.

My field guide for N. American birds says they nest in Alaska and Canada. But then I checked the breeding map and saw an area along the southern and central Rockies in the U.S. marked as a breeding area for them as well. They must like it here as much as I do.
 

 

cute baby on the creek bank

Birds, I and the bird, Lower Lake Ranch

barn storm

Captured while snow shoeing on Lower Lake Ranch at Elk Falls during the storm. As I worked my way up the creek the snow fell harder and the camera only left the bag to make quick image here and there.

picnic, anyone?

To go or not?

Lower Lake Ranch, snow, spring

male mallard

This beautiful couple stood on an icy pond just before sunset yesterday evening.

female mallard

Birds, Lower Lake Ranch

spring snow

An overnight snow fall last week made a perfect morning for a walk on the guest ranch in the valley below my house. Light snow was still falling as I began my walk.

bridge over elk creek

Weak sunlight begins to filter through the clouds as I photograph the barn with lions head soft in the cloudy background.

 

at the barn

spring color along the creek

 

 

two geese on upper lake

two newcomers

The 2nd pair continue to circle and call,

circling pair

then land on the snow covered ice at the other end of the lake.

geese landing

The lead goose lands gracefully followed by a sliding partner.

still sliding

As the clouds lift and the sun rules the sky, I move up the creek to photograph lions head from a couple of other favorite locations.

Near crop rock:

ponderosas and lions head

And, from lion’s foot.

Lower Lake Ranch, snow, spring