One of the givens is that life on Planet Earth needs water.  And where there is water, there is life.  We have seen this play out on the high mesa time and time again.  When it rains and there are puddles, birds and other wildlife don't bother visiting our water dishes.  But when it is dry and ours are the only water sources for miles, animals gather at all hours of the day and night. The elk, deer, and occasional cows have been ravaging the aspen and assorted plants that are still green because of the extended autumn warmth.  Many different species of birds are here as well, some that you normally would not see.  

Often we hear birds before they make their presence known, but what I think is a hairy woodpecker has been, literally, hanging around lately.  It could be a Downey woodpecker, but I think because of the length of the bill and lack of dark spots on the white tail feathers it is a hairy.  This one had been taking a bath and was very busy fixing its feathers. 

hairy woodpecker 1

hairy woodpecker 2

hairy woodpecker 3

Then there are the "bathing beauties."  Members of the thrush family - robins, solitaires, and bluebirds - are almost like ducks in their attraction to and affinity for the water.  A group of western bluebirds flew in, staging in the New Mexico privets before their bath.  Here is a pair - male on the left and female on the right - and a lone male in the next image.

western bluebirds, male and female

western bluebird, male 2

Once again, I am struck by the talent of wildlife photographers and the images they produce.  Mine pale in comparison, but serve more as a record of time and space.  Which, truly, what photography is and photographers do.  And so it continues.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image@