Spring Morning on the Ranch

 The spring light has been delicious, with moody clouds, dramatic slanting rays, and extra humidity in the air to lend an ethereal mood to the high desert. The birds have been returning from their winter sojourn, so I got up early one morning to go in search of sandhill cranes during the golden hour. My husband warned me they might be hard to find, as he thought they had moved out to the meadows. I went anyway, knowing I'd find something interesting to photograph. I stopped at the feed yard, where one cow perched as queen of the hill.

Further on, out in a field, I found a pair of Canada geese clucking away.

A raptor, I think a red-tailed hawk, perched near an abandoned building high up on a dead branch.

The raucous trill of the red-winged blackbird caught my attention.

 

I couldn't find the sandhill cranes. But I did find lots of meadowlarks. And I took many, many photos of them. The one that came out best was this one, singing his heart out for a mate, perched on a fencepost. Good luck, beautiful bird. And thank you for filling the morning with your beautiful song.