Wednesday in Wyoming -- May 17, 2017

I was fascinated when this bird appeared, since I'd never seen one with such a pronounced chest patch.  It turns out that it's a Northern Flicker, part of the woodpecker family.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- May 10, 2017

What are this pair of hawks doing?  Dining!  At first the younger one appeared content to watch its parent, but soon the lure of fresh meat took over.

As you can see, there was a bit of a struggle.  You can guess who won.

The next morning, the youngster returned to the same site, as if expecting food to have been delivered there.  It wasn't.

I believe these are Swainson's hawks, which are common here, but I'm not 100% certain.  Can you confirm that?

Wednesday in Wyoming -- May 3, 2017

This month I'm going to feature some of the birds that have visited (or even taken up residence) in my yard.

Do you recognize this one?  It spent a lot of time on the birdbath, then hopped to the ground and stayed there for the better part of an hour one morning, which gave me plenty of time to pull out my trusty Audubon Field Guide and identify it.

This is -- drum roll, please -- an American Kestrel, a member of the falcon family.

Wednesday in Wyoming - April 26, 2017

Our last sculptures of the month are located on the capitol complex in Cheyenne and feature a cowboy and a steer -- both important parts of Wyoming past and present.

As you may have guessed, one of the reasons I included this picture is to show you just how beautiful spring can be here. Winter is long, but spring is glorious!

Wednesday in Wyoming - April 19, 2017

Perspective is everything. From this angle, you could believe you were experiencing the same thing the early pioneers did, exploring a land with few settlers.

The reality is, this statue is located at the National Historic Trails Center in Casper, with buildings, a parking lot, and a fire hydrant close at hand.

Which one do you prefer? I vote for the first one.

If you'd like to visit the museum -- which I highly recommend -- here's the link for more information.

Wednesday in Wyoming - April 12, 2017

Continuing our exploration of art in Wyoming, I'd like to introduce you to Lander Lil, Wyoming's answer to Punxsutawney Phil. Yes, she's a prairie dog rather than a groundhog, and yes, she's a statue rather than a live animal, but that doesn't stop her from predicting whether or not winter will last past Groundhog Day.

Does the snow give you an idea of what Lil normally predicts?

Wednesday in Wyoming - April 5, 2017

This month we're going to focus on outdoor art in Wyoming.

If you've been to western Wyoming, you know that elk, also known as wapiti, are common, so it's no surprise that the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson would have this statue -- or is it a series of statues? -- named Wapiti Trail near its entrance.

But this is only the beginning. In addition to a variety of exhibits, the museum also has a sculpture tour.

For more information, click here. There's even a virtual tour.