Towheeblog

J. Charles Wilson was my first college room mate, summer of 1963.  Hot and mosquitoey in Northfield, Minnesota.  A friendship now 57 years old!  He went on to do distinguished research in atmospheric science, ozone hole, climate change, et al.  He was a physics major at Carleton for which I forgave him easily.  My father and brother were all physics professors so I rebelled, delving deeply into the liberal arts.  I decided I could have one friend who was a physicist, ended up with several, of course.

Now he is often confined to his home in the Rockies, outside Golden, Colorado.  And he has begun photographing his neighbors that come into his wildflower garden.  Like this male Spotted Towhee, carrying around an insect to show the youngster what to look for:How would you like a Mountain Bluebird in your garden?
Below: a pair of Lesser Goldfinches going for the goodies.I am naive about Colorado birds but suppose this to a Broad-tailed Hummingbird/.Purple Finch male.Two Bullock’s Oriole shots:Maybe this is youngster?  The required dark line through the eye is only hinted at for this male.Wilson’s home is around 6000 feet in elevation, local mammals include deer, marmot and elk,