Mountain Green, UT 7.22.12

Morning walks are a time to get acquainted with new-to-me fauna and flora in this high, dry climate surrounded by mountain peaks. This morning I encountered a Black-headed Grosbeak that had come in to feast on ripe plums in a yard; a Mule deer doe and her fawn were headed downhill through Common Sagebrush toward a reservoir.  Alongside the trail, Musk Thistle (Asteraceae Carduus nutans), an alien, provides cover and nutrition for a host of birds and bees. 

Sunsets over the mountains have been spectacular.