More Blues from New Mexico

In the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, there is a magnificent force of Mother Nature known as the Valles Calderas. This phenomenon is the collasped crator of an ancient volcano. As I drove down into the caldera towards the headquarters, there were hundreds of small birds that would rise up, like covies of quail, out of the tall waving grass. From a distance I could see flashes of bright blue color which would rise and fall with the small fast birds. I stopped the car (no traffic at all), shut off the motor and waited. The wind was blowing gently, no noise except for the wind, and suddenly this bird landed on the post. At first appearance, the bird is gray. However, look at the blue underneath the gray. When the bird takes flight the gray disappears and all one can see is blue. These birds also can hover in mid-air, like a helicopter or a hummingbird. I tried to capture that on camera, but these little suckers are fast! I hope you get to visit the Valles Calderas someday and see these fascinating creatures along with some of the most beautiful scenery in the United States.