Fine Feathered Friends

When we traveled to Waterton, earlier than usual this summer, I hoped to find the Mountain Bluebird.  I knew where they were but had always missed them.  And when I saw "Blue Bird Sky" on the menu for the Waterton Wildflower Festival, I was all over it.  I was over the moon to finally see the brilliant blue birdie sitting on the fence and I loved to learn more about them (as well as other birds and all about the fescue grassland they were surrounded by) from our lovely presenter, Kim Pearson. 

A couple of days later we took in "Early Bird Chorus", waking up with the early summer sunrise to go birdwatching with David Musto.  I was in absolute awe of his bird knowledge, in particular his ear for deciphering the intricacies of each bird's song.  We'd be standing quietly on location and he'd pick out a bird song, identify it based on its musical qualities and then magically show us its location.  Truly, it was inspiring. 

We saw so many birds that morning but most of them were a great challenge to photograph considering their distance from us.  I cooed, oohed and aahed at the House Wren, which I find completely adorable.  And one woman from our group had a Lazuli Bunting sighting on her wishlist, so David took us to another location and found her one.  What a stunning bird.  I hope to see one again at a closer distance.  I was sure happy to have our binoculars in hand and the early morning rise was more than worth it.  The world is quiet and peaceful as the sun comes up, and the chorus of bird song made my heart happy. 

We made our way on our own to observe the Mountain Bluebirds two more times in the evening light and they delighted us by taking turns watching over their nest.  Thank you, my fine feathered friends.