All in Wildlife Watching
One of the most common birds found along our lakeshores and wetland areas in the summertime is the red-winged blackbird. These familiar birds prefer to nest in wet and swampy areas filled with cattails, marsh grass and other wetland vegetation, and the male birds defend their nesting territory enthusiastically.
The tiny hummingbird is familiar to most people around here, and these small birds can often be seen visiting flowers in our gardens. But another daytime visitor to the flower garden goes unseen by most of us. It is the small but speedy hummingbird moth.
Almost everyone who has spent a little time outdoors has seen a common garter snake at one time or another. Garter snakes are the relatively small, black snakes with the yellow stripes that we see in our back yards, in our gardens, in our parks, along creek banks, and many other places.
Beavers are very recognizable creatures. After all, how many large, brown furry animals do you know that have a really flat, leathery tail? Beavers are actually part of the rodent family, but they are much larger than most rodents.
We found an independent coffee shop, got the java, and hit the road. That road was California Coastal Highway 1 (from here-on out known as Highway 1), one of the most famous drives in the country. Friends who had driven it told us not to take it south. We would learn why later this day.
Bunnies seem to be everywhere, especially in the spring and summer. Mother cottontail rabbits often start having babies in April and May, and they can have as many as four separate litters during the warm weather months.
Pumpkinseed sunfish are colorful little fish that are almost always willing to bite. That’s a good description for this feisty member of the sunfish family since these fish are quite colorful indeed. They are often a greenish-yellow color, fading to yellow-gold on the belly with orange speckles on their sides.
Yellow warblers are one of many small songbirds that fly south for the winter and migrate back through North America in the springtime. They breed and raise their young throughout much of the United States and almost all of Canada during the spring and summer.
Most moths look very drab and boring. Many species have gray or tan wings with little or no other coloration. But not all of these night-time flyers are lackluster; some are actually quite colorful and beautiful. One of the most spectacular moths in North America is the large and colorful cecropia moth.
Some birds are seen but rarely heard. Others are just the opposite – heard but rarely seen! The gray catbird is one of those vocal, but very shy birds that people don’t often see. Aptly named, this gray-colored bird prefers to spend its time in thick underbrush and at least one of its many calls sounds like the lonely mew of a cat.
Utah Highway 12 passed through two red sandstone arches before we saw the sign for the Red Canyon campground. It had been an early start and a dash- this campground was first-come, first-served. We pulled in at 10 AM and found a site immediately.
Everyone has seen bumblebees in their back yards or in their flower gardens. These large, plump native bees are covered in soft hair that makes them look (and feel) fuzzy. Often, those hairs are covered with a thick layer of pollen grains.
