Let's see, where I have I been lately. Well, Rocky and now Connie that she's out of school, we go down to Lake Arbor on our walk everyday. Tons of baby ducks and geese this year - tons of them. Never seen such a bumper crop. And the little pond down at the end of the street which is maybe a third of an acre has produced 27 baby mallards this spring! Connie, Rocky and I went camping along the Arkansas near Buena Vista right after school was out. Nice weather, except it's always windy there in the mornings. Cold air draining down out of the upper valley in the morning, I think, to fill the valley as the air warms and rises down around Salida. I have went to Pueblo to paddle and fish in early June, and to the upper Colorado around Hot Sulphur Springs to paddle and fish. Spent a few hours over at Margaret's Pond in Westminster awhile back. It's a small pond, but apparently very productive as there are at least six big snapping turtles that call the pond home. Course I'm always on the lookout for birds where ever I go. So here's a few pics from those locales.
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Walking around Margaret's Pond recently I was being observed by a Kestrel. Very striking birds that are here all year long.
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| Margaret's Pond supports at least six large snapping turtles. At any one time you can often find them sharing a couple of large logs on the west side of the pond. |
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| In the irrigation ditch that feeds Margaret's Pond I found a pair of beautiful wood ducks. They were cruising along pretty fast and didn't get a sharp pic of the female. |
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| My camp along the upper Colorado River near Hot Sulphur Springs . Great little State wildlife area that is free and right along the river. One of my fav spots to camp. I got lucky and got the choice spot right next to the river under some cottonwoods. Nice river sounds. |
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| An osprey sitting on eggs on a nest at William Fork Reservoir in late June. Sky was smoky white from nearby wildfires up along the Colorado/Wyoming border. |
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| During the summer Lake Arbor near our house is frequented by several snowy egrets. This one was foraging in the shallows near the bridge. |
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| At my camp along the Colorado, I was serenaded almost constantly by this song sparrow. Very pleasant. |
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| Rocky and I checking out the roaring Arkansas River just above Buena Vista this June. The north end of the Sangre de Cristos are off in the distance. No wonder they named Buena Vista as they did. |
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| Lots of the smaller fringed leaf white primrose along the upper Arkansas near Buena Vista, but in the rocks along the road was this larger species. Such beautiful, delicate white flowers. Just love them. |
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| Shrine to the gods of the Colorado or chipmunkcs? I don't know. I was sitting there watching chipmunks climb a cottonwood in my camp when I noticed this odd little shrine in a hollow of the tree. You suppose someone had sacrificed something to the chipmunk gods? Kind of spooky. Looks like something out of King Kong! |
