Eventful Trip to Grey Rock

Getting a later than usual start, I was surprised at how birdy Gray Rock was this morning. I haven't been on the trail in years and didn't realize it's potential...

I was staring up at some wrens.....when I looked down, there was a beautiful red, black and white snake between my feet. We both skedaddled promptly, so sadly no photo op. (Maybe a King Snake...I have no idea.)

Up the trail a little ways, a lizard attempted to hide...

A little further along, a BLACK BEAR meandered onto the trail!

I have been hoping to see a bear in Colorado for years!!! Granted I was 

kind of thinking of seeing one across a distant meadow, not thirty feet 

down the trail.....but beggars can't be choosers, right?

The bear decided I smelled like a vegetarian, wouldn't

taste very good, and kindly

allowed me to continue on my way....

As many insects as anything else on this hike....

Grey Rock

So I noticed this nest....

in this partly-fallen tree. I noticed some wrens flitting about,

so I figured it was their nest - even though it seemed big. Eventually 

I noticed that their nest was in the same tree, but in a different spot!

A few more photos from today's trip to Gray Rock:

RMNP Day Hike

Connie and I went for a hike today that began in Alpine Tundra and finished in Forest and Meadow. Along the way, several marmots, Rock Wrens, a Sage Thrasher and a few Pipits. Shortly below the trailhead we were joined by bunches of elk with young calves:

The view from a little ways below the trailhead. Our first Dusky Grouse

was up in the Tundra, oddly relaxing on a rock formation...

Our second Grouse, mid-way down the trail...

quiet and cooperative.

The third Grouse. Before spotting the mom, I noticed one 

little fluffball by the side of the road. Seconds later 

Mom put on a defensive display for a threatening 

Townsend's Solitaire.

One of the fluffballs (Connie says maybe two weeks old...)

Another. We counted four.

A few more photos from today's hike:

Mill Creek Today

I (just about literally) ran into some Wild Turkey chicks today on the Mill Creek trail. I unknowingly flushed them from some high grasses....I flushed them before I saw them.... The first one that didn't entirely disappear from view landed in this tree:

Eventually I noticed one had stuck around...

I moved my foot an inch and he took off.

I was a little worried about the one in the tree so I walked 

off for a few minutes and came back to make sure he'd gotten 

down alright. He had - nowhere to be found.

Here's Mom:

Also up at Lory today:

Chipping Sparrow with "stuff"

Blooming thistle

Nuthatches (red-breated and Pygmy)

Bloomin' cacti

Plenty of mystery empids. Here's one.

and another

and one more

and a few cedar waxwings too.

More of the same:

Estes Park this Week

I now present the cutest fluffballs on the entire planet:

Northern Saw-whett Owl getting ready to fledge

Northern Pygmy-Owl almost ready to fledge

A few more photos from this week:

:)

The long-awaited "Post Shot." Maybe I didn't have to wait that long.

more of the same:

RMNP Highlights

A FANTASTIC Day at Rocky Mountain National Park. We went seeking White-tailed Ptarmigan. Of course, Connie found us one (eventually two.) I think we were amazed all day.

Ptarmigan video just for kicks:

Summer Nesting seems to be just getting started at RMNP:

Red-naped Sapsucker in nest cavity

Cooperative Tree Swallow

Female Violet-green Swallow at Nest Cavity

Dad looks on...

The always great-to-see Yellow-bellied Marmot

Having a mid-afternoon stretch. (The end of

a really wonderful day....)

The rest of the photos:

Plenty of Nighthawks

I keep hearing about Common Nighthawks at Crow Valley. After some help, I finally found them.

On the way to Crow Valley I stopped to look for (and listen for) Grasshopper Sparrows.

There were bunches. They have undoubtedly been there the whole time,

me never noticing them!

Female Lark Bunting

Two minutes after getting out at Crow Valley I started looking and "Poof," 

My first Common Nighthawk. I left him and went off in the 

direction of some loud and serious chatter:

Northern Mocking Bird happily commotioning

and

Brown Thrasher causing a bit of a fuss too.

I circled around the campground, finding my first Prairie Warbler

and many MANY mosquitoes. Then another (or the same)

Nighthawk flew towards me:

And landed right beside me. Later I found another one, and eventually 

noticed four or five circling the campground:

Heading towards home, a Cassin's Sparrow:

And of course when it rains, it pours....

Hanging out on County Road 41...

The rest of today's photos: