Something Old, New, Furled, Blue

But not in that order...I hit the road again Wed., circling the upper half of the E Hills area, with several stops along the way...

Along Spring Creek, fern fronds are unfurling...

A giant 'shroom is aging...

...A Western tanager was flitting about at the picnic area, crossing the creek to dodge me...

Close overhead in an oak tree, a song sparrow was chirping...

Heading N on CR 237 along part of the Mickelson Trail, I stopped to look around...coming back to the car, a Mt. bluebird couple landed on a nearby sign...

Martha, no need to flaunt to get directions, the sign says Hill City's that way...

Geez Harold, I wore my prettiest ruffled nickers just in case... 

Back at the Bloody Gulch Rd. turn-off, a goldfinch was crooning on the opposite side of Rapid Creek...maybe the same fellow I saw previously...

The black currant blossoms are thriving along the creek...I'm seeing more of it this year than I have in years past...there's also red currant, golden currant, and gooseberry in the Hills...

Next stop, along the side road to Wonderland Cave in Vanocker Canyon...a big, creepy turkey vulture soared overhead, seeming to follow me...yikes...when a 2nd one joined it, I skeedaddled outta there...

Back at Elk Creek in V. Canyon again...the blue butterflies were all over (don't they lay eggs in the mud?)....on closer inspection of my photos...

I was able to capture open wings...Boisduval blue I think...and discovered something else, eeeek!

Go ahead Frank, I'm right behind you...you can take him...

Still along Elk Creek, my old W. field guide says this is a Western flycatcher...which, I discovered online, has been split into two different, re-named flycatchers...this would be the Cordilleran flycatcher...the other one is the Pacific-slope flycatcher, which wouldn't be found here. Groovy!

I can't find this pretty little butterfly with my ID sources (tried moths too)...

At the N end of Vanocker Canyon, the ox-eye daisies are in bloom, blanketing much of the countryside along the road...my last stop before taking I-90 home.