North East Colorado Field Trip

Day One Highlights:

The neatest experience today was watching two immature Mississippi Kites food begging in Sterling. We couldn't find them for awhile - we could only see adults circling above. Just after we located the two immature birds, Mom (or Dad) came in with a snack. Here's a few shots:

The expression on Mom's (or Dad's) face above makes me laugh!

Off to find some more...

We stopped at the hotel and discovered

The Hotel Bat.

We went off searching for more shore birds...

Pelicans never get dull.

Wilson's Phalaropes

Unimpressed Prairie Rattlesnake

Most of us missed out on the Barn Owl, but we

had this spider as consolation...

Goodnight Pelicans!

a few more photos from today:

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: