Ahhh this desert that I have come to adore.....

So far the summer field season has started off with quite a bang. I have managed to weasle my way into some pretty cool wildlife experiences this summer, and some of them happened to me by accident. Either way I'm enjoying the photo opportunities as they come and being able to share them with you all is an added bonus. Hopefully this will make up for the fact that I haven't posted a single crafty item since Feb. I actually do have some on my camera, just not downloaded yet, but I digress.....

This past Saturday I was asked to tag along on a BLM banding trip for Ferruginous Hawks. I've never had the pleasure of seeing these guys up close so of course I said yes. We banded several hawks of different age stages since their hatch date, and each time I was able to get some cool photos, here are some of those. The badger and rattlesnake were added guests at lunchtime on the hawk banding trip.

Then, yesterday I conducted a wildlife clearance survey for a project with our veg ecologist. I had seen a pronghorn doe earlier in the morning watching us and I assumed she had a fawn with her, so I gave her plenty of space. Little did we know that she had TWIN fawns and they were not with her, but rather right in our path. I was taking a photo of a plant when I heard this strange noise, and then heard Sarah say "please don't come by me, I'm not your mom". I looked over and was shocked to find these two little fawns bleating for their mom while walking towards Sarah. I was able to snap a few photos before we bolted out of there so mom could come back. I never saw them again on our way back so I'm guessing their reunion with mom was successful. And I walked away amazed and excited that I had the opportunity for such a surprise. Even when things are stressful at work, it helps to know that I do something for a living that allows me these little glimpses into a world SO much larger than me. It keeps me motivated through the rough stuff I think.

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed the experiences. May you all be having a nice summer!

Cheers!

SJ