Short of the hummingbirds, which usually arrive in the middle of April, most of the summer birds that frequent the high mesa are here in force, along with the frenetic activity that comes with mating, nest building, and breeding.  It almost seems that they awoke, looked around, and said to themselves "Today is the day."  Despite the fact that the juncos have not yet returned to the high country and are zipping around like mad, Say's phoebes, solitaires, robins, jays, rufous sided towhees, ravens, turkey vultures, Cassin's finches, and pine siskins fill the sagebrush, trees, and the air.  For some time when we first bought the land on which we live, we thought we did not have many birds.  But as the advertising copy of biscuit and cake mixes during the 1950s and 60s said "Just add water". We did and they came in droves.  It is a wonderful thing.

Hardly any birds love the water as much a robins.  If there is a handful of water anywhere, a robin will find a way to drink and bathe in it.  Even if the water is frozen, as is the case in the photographs below, robins will find a way to drink.

Robin 2

The detail of nature is endless fascinating.  I love the chin and whiskers evident in the next two robin images. Robin chin detail Robin 1

Bath time will come later, no doubt!

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image@