thorns

you can see why this seed pod is called a thorn-apple. It is the seedpod for the Datura plant that is everywhere during the summer. This plant is pollinated by the big hawmkmoths. However, at this this of year, the dry seed is looking very out of place.

this snake was also out of place. It could be a large garter snake? I really don't know. It is strange to see blue on it's belly (ventral) scales. This guy is dead, there is some damage at the neck end. Snakes are seriously in need of some public understanding. Not only are they very shy and easily disturbed, but people treat all snakes the same (deadly, so kill) they are actually facinating creatures and with a little knowledge, completely harmless.

many small birds also look similiar, but color is the easiest way for naked apes to tell them apart. This, obviously, is a bluebird. It could be Western, Eastern, or Mountain. It's likely Eastern according to the Inaturalist jury.

we have many perching (passerine) birds in the bushes right now. However, almost all of the ones I can get a photgraph of is a type of junco. They seem to be hunting insects and eating russian thistle seeds (tumbleweeds).