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:

Running Deer Test Run

Whatever my weekend plans were going to be, they took a nose-dive Friday afternoon when I discovered my camera had been stored in a wet bag all week. (Exactly when Camelbak will manufacture a bladder that doesn't prove faulty I don't know.)

After talking with the B & H rep this morning I concluded that it's going to be alright. Even if something happens down the road that five year extended warranty will be there to keep me and my yogurt-exploding persona safe.

And so, a test drive at Running Deer this evening. A little too dark too soon [read not miserably HOT,] but I think I can tell that everything is functioning as it should be:

Red-winged Blackbird silhouette

I figured I'd shoot whatever I saw, even if that meant grasshoppers.

There were a lot of dragonflies. It was remarkably quiet; I

don't ever remember such a quiet night at Running Deer.

Too dark for these guys, but you get the idea...

Blurry or not, I love seeing the mink :)

Maybe I'm just a little tired, but for the moment I'm unclear. Only

glimpsed momentarily...

Reminds me of some immature yellow-breasted chats

I saw last week, though it's lacking the distinctive

eye ring...

More herons than anything else at Running Deer tonight. I almost got a hilarious shot 

of a Great Blue Beak underneath me as it somehow didn't notice me standing above it 

at the dam. Two seconds too late...

Excessive Cuteness up at Mount Evans

Yup. I'm talking about pikas. Here's the young ridiculously cute one:

It's this last one that just pushes the pika into

cuteness overload, I think. I mean

LOOK at those paws, for pete's sake.

Moving on, the baby ptarmigans:

and the Mountain Goats:

I can't think of too many creatures that seem sweeter.

The view from up top:

This means of course, I need a new goal; For thirteen years

my Colorado goal was to see a Black Bear and Mountain

Goats. Mission accomplished. Brad is thinking Wolverine, I was

pondering Lynx. I think I'll have to consider it for a bit more.

A LOT more photos from Mount Evans:

Young Things

and other stuff from the last week or so...
I'm learning that around this time when things are pretty quiet, it's nice to stumble upon young things.


Running Deer:

Yup, it's my buddy....inquisitive young mink.

Also at Running Deer right now: frogs, toads and tons

of dragon flies.

The wrens seem to be making a funny frog-like noise lately....

I don't know if this relates to fledgelings or not (or if

I just never noticed it before.)

I've been watching this Red-winged Blackbird nest for

a few weeks. Looks like someone's hungry.

(double-click photo to enlarge a little)

Young Gulch:

Earlier this summer there were bunches of flycatchers 

at Young Gulch. Now, very fluffy fledglings. 

Here's mom with a snack:

And here's the kids.

This one, a little further down the trail.

Pawnee Grasslands:

A friendly Grasshopper Sparrow

A young Meadowlark,  I think....

I did see a few young burrowing owls, but none

braving posts yet.

Two shots of Mom Lark Sparrow, 'cause I think

she's wonderful...

Maybe one day this little guy will look so pretty!

Didn't find any resting Common Nighthawks 

(well other than the ones I accidentally flushed...), but this one 

briefly flew into the tree above my head.

Riverbend Ponds:

First, a stop near Wellington.

What I think is coolest about the dickcissel, it's song:

A little reminder for me today: When it's a little slow and 

maybe kind of dull the Kingfisher embodies 

everything I've grown to love about birds.

Another enthusiastic wren.

A Young Barn Swallow, I think!!

Three guesses (it's not a kingfisher...)

MORE Photos.....

Rails and Soras

Recent word of Rails and Soras sent me to Lower Latham today (thanks Mary!) After visiting with the phalaropes and a funny muskrat, I found the spot.

My first glimpse driving by, was of this immature Virginia Rail:

He took off swiftly, followed by Mom or Dad

Then the immature Sora, a little less shy, appeared:

BIG Feet!

The Sora kept disappearing/ reappearing...

So I kept waiting.

While I waited, a Common Yellowthroat flew in 

for a two-second visit...

The Rail made a brief reappearance:

Two birds I was really beginning to think I might never get to see!!

More photos from Lower Latham today: