Happy Earth Day!

I can tell spring has arrived this week.  Violet-green Swallows are circling the ponds and rivers, perfectly timed to catch the first round of bugs.  Waterfowl are on the move too, and we saw Canada Geese, Northern Shovelers, Cinnamon Teals, Common Mergansers, and Buffleheads.  A pair of red-shafted flickers were nest-building in the snag of an old cottonwood along the Dolores River, and a Bald Eagle Flew far overhead.

old growth pondorosa

Here's an interesting art project to celebrate Earth Day and remind me why I'm out here:http://www.lostbirdfilm.org/
This afternoon, I was privileged to watch a swan reach orbit for the first time!
To celebrate, I went for a hike up a ridge, past a raven's nest, to a sandstone arch near Taylor Creek to watch the moon rise in the window of rock.

On certain nightsWhen the angles are rightAnd the moon is a slender crescent

It's circle showsIn a ghostly glowOf earthly luminescence - Earthshine