Author Archives: Amy Law

Cooper’s Hawk Snags a Finch

Trigger warning: The small bird died. I was getting ready to start making dinner last night when I saw a shadow swoop over the back porch, low, fast and dark. When I looked up, I saw a squirrel running down the top rail of the fence faster than I have ever seen a squirrel runContinue reading “Cooper’s Hawk Snags a Finch”

Patterns in Nature

I started off thinking this post was going to be about the fact that sunflowers make two different kinds of flowers, which I think is really interesting. When we think of sunflowers, we think of the big showy flowers around a central disk. But the disk is made up of flowers, too! And actually, theContinue reading “Patterns in Nature”

Hummer migration

You know I love hummingbirds. I love to see them and I love to photograph them. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to watch them, at least. I’ve been getting up just before dawn (5:30 MDT) and can see them at a feeder in the garden. Photographing them has been a little tougher — at thatContinue reading “Hummer migration”

Pollinator Week: Hummingbirds

My last post for this week (I have no photos of pollinating bats, unfortunately), is of hummingbirds. Hummers are another favorite subject of mine. They are so earnest as they go zipping about their business. I have come to the conclusion that although musk thistles are considered a noxious, invasive weed in the west becauseContinue reading “Pollinator Week: Hummingbirds”

Pollinator Week — Bees

One of the pollinators we are most familiar with are bees. I love to take pictures of these gals — no idea why. But they have given me some of my very best photos. Bees are special among insects because they are covered in hairs. The hairs pick up pollen for them. Bees go fromContinue reading “Pollinator Week — Bees”

Pollinator Week — Butterflies

It’s Pollinator Week! Pollinators are animals that pollinate plants. As my friend TZ at Notes in Nature (https://notes-in-nature.org/2022/06/20/pollinators/) explains, the group includes bats, birds, and bugs of all sort. This includes butterflies. Butterflies are incredible pollinators, visiting flowers of every type, in all sorts of environments. Western Swallowtails are some of the most common butterflyContinue reading “Pollinator Week — Butterflies”

Red-tailed Hawk Gets Mobbed

We have had a lot of red-tailed hawks in our back yard this spring. I saw another one yesterday. Of course I grabbed my camera and started shooting. This guy was in the Russian Olive, looking back at something behind him. Then I pulled back on the lens a little and saw that he wasContinue reading “Red-tailed Hawk Gets Mobbed”