In the dead of winter, here in Wind River Canyon, the smart wildlife is somewhere else.  It will be a couple of months before we see the rise of any springtime here in this valley; the snow has been melting then freezing each night.  The Wild Turkeys, Hummingbirds, Orioles, Mountain Bluebirds and Wrens will not be seen for quite some time; even our big buck Deer are not to be seen.  But living here is like living inside a painting from the Hudson River School----nature at her Canadian Geese, In Flight-Wind River Canyon,WyomingCanadian Geese in flight-Wind River Canyon, Wyoming. finest.  For the first time we have many Cottontail Rabbits running all over the mounds of snow, and I watch Golden Eagles hunting the unreachable cliffs miles away; the honking of Canadian Geese as they fly up the Wind River, the sound echoing off the canyon walls.  

     While obviously having time on my cold hands, I wanted to see which of our regular wild visitors I'd missed documenting on HogbatsPhotography.com.  It was a surprise I'd forgotten one our favorite birds, the Black-headed Grosbeak.  You see, these birds come to nest in the Wind River Canyon every spring, and are a regular visitor to our feeders every day.  They look an awful Black-headed Grosbeak, male-Wind River Canyon, WyomingBlack-headed Grosbeak in Wind River Canyon, Wyoming. lot like blackbird sized parrots; all the Grosbeaks do to my eyes, because their beaks are used for opening seeds of all sorts.  The Black-headed Grosbeak's range is west of the Great Plains, while their eastern counterpart, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, lives throughout the northeastern part of our country; yet they do hybridize where there range overlaps.  They are both related to the Northern Cardinal, which is never seen in Wind River Canyon.  

Black-headed Grosbeak, female-Wind River Canyon, WyomingBlack-headed Grosbeak female in Wind River Canyon, Wyoming.      What's so special is they both are seen in the canyon for some reason; apparently this is a good place if you're a bird.  A Black-headed Grosbeak likes the same things we do, big trees, green shrubbery, and lots of big bugs; okay, maybe not the last one.  They're friendly and the females are very animated and fun to watch.  The gorgeous Rose-breasted Grosbeak usually is moving through the Wind River Canyon, while the Black-headed Grosbeak comes here to raise their young.

     What will surprise you is that they're one of the few birds that can eat the poisonous Monarch butterfly.  The similarly constructed and named Evening Grosbeak is actually considered to be a finch, yet is somewhat larger, and is also seen in the Wind River Canyon.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Wind River Canyon, WyomingRose-breasted Grosbeak, a rare visitor to the Wind River Canyon, Wyoming.   Evening Grosbeak-Wind River Canyon, WyomingEvening Grosbeak in the Wind River Canyon, Wyoming.                                    

     I've seen and photographed over one hundred species of birds here in the canyon, yet great pictures of a bird are an allusive goal, and some species may never be on my website; so unless they start cooperating to some extent, I have a lifetime of work ahead of me.  So sit back and read my weekly dribble about the wildlife in this magical Wind River Canyon....we'll both learn something I'm sure.  

photography and writing by Michael John Balog