Nature's Cruise Control

Saturday I took another drive around the grassland farming/ranching area E of the Hills, starting with a check at the 'pond' on Elk Creek Rd....

A male Wilson's phalarope...several were bopping along...the female has the darker more showy coloring...

As far as I can tell, there are only a few pied-billed grebes on the pond...

One eared grebe couple still waiting on their late bloomer...

Do eared grebes have cruise control?

Papa eared grebe dives underwater, gathering what appears to be pond greens for the chick...now this is what I call drive-through dining...

Another shot of a mom and chick cruising along...life can be so rough...

Mama Northern shoveler and her growing brood of seven...could be the same family I saw previously...

I don't think I've ever seen an American coot standing...look at those feet! Yowza!

A female yellow-headed blackbird...I'm only seeing a few males now...

A coot and its growing chick...tune in on Thurs. for the shocking truth about younger coot chicks...

Arrowhead is growing strong on the pond now...from the Water Plaintain Family...

Heading away from E.C. Rd...I see lots of mourning doves on the grasslands, some are ok with posing for photos...this one, not so much...

A grasshopper sparrow 'buzzing' away...they're named for the buzzy sound they make, similar to the grasshopper's...

What's wrong with this picture?! Lovely view of the Black Hills in the background...but, notice that the grass is no longer green, Arg! Summer's barely here and already it's starting to take its leave...I am not amused.

I'll share the second half of this outing on Thurs.