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Had to take a step back and breathe, quietly. Spent a blessed Saturday hiking with the boys along the 104th nature trail.
Despite the storm looming above the mountains, despite the dramatic sky and dimmed sun, the temperature was surprisingly warm and the weather mild.
After parking, we paused at the first frozen pond. Cyberwolf skipped stones across the unyielding ice. Lone strips of dark water that looked very much like blacktop broke the white and gray color scheme of the surface. These were holdouts of water untouched by ice.
Rounding the path we approached a utility pole where pigeons huddled.
Nearby an eye-catching bird's nest hung from a tree limb. The green mesh used by the Parks and Recreation Service to cover freshly planted seeds in the spring had been utilized into the handsome outer cover. Inside, leaves were stuffed to overflowing.
We went beneath 104th and crossed over to the other side. Nearing the suspension bridge that spans the Platte River, I noticed an unusual squealing chuckle. The bridge serves as a conveyor belt, carrying rocks from a gravel pit to the other side of the river. It normally makes a low rumble with the slightly squeaky whir of cogs, but this was markedly different. The mystery-sound-maker was a regal belted kingfisher poised in the bridge.
Further down the trail, we were surprised by a colossal immature bald eagle in it's dark phase. It circled us and soared directly over our heads. Got plenty of photos of specks in the sky or blurred movement. D'oh! Exciting nonetheless. >;-)
At the four mile mark we spied a muskrat trolling the edge of an ice floe on a lake. It was dipping its paws in the flowing water and retrieving what looked like pond scum. Near the muskrat a male Gadwall took to the ice.
Goldeneyes and a Hooded Merganser swam close by. I had never seen a Hooded Merganser before; their profile is most strange.
A touch further and we spied unusual and gorgeous black ducks with white bills. They weren't to be found in the Colorado bird guide, but I did find them on-line -- American coots.
When we made our way back, a pretty hawk or falcon trailed us. It remained too distant for us to properly identify.
Then, as we bid farewell to my beloved area, a mature bald eagle swooped down on a tree within our line of sight. It seemed to me as if it was the area's way of saying, "See you soon."
The photos under the cut.
( Read more... )
Despite the storm looming above the mountains, despite the dramatic sky and dimmed sun, the temperature was surprisingly warm and the weather mild.
After parking, we paused at the first frozen pond. Cyberwolf skipped stones across the unyielding ice. Lone strips of dark water that looked very much like blacktop broke the white and gray color scheme of the surface. These were holdouts of water untouched by ice.
Rounding the path we approached a utility pole where pigeons huddled.
Nearby an eye-catching bird's nest hung from a tree limb. The green mesh used by the Parks and Recreation Service to cover freshly planted seeds in the spring had been utilized into the handsome outer cover. Inside, leaves were stuffed to overflowing.
We went beneath 104th and crossed over to the other side. Nearing the suspension bridge that spans the Platte River, I noticed an unusual squealing chuckle. The bridge serves as a conveyor belt, carrying rocks from a gravel pit to the other side of the river. It normally makes a low rumble with the slightly squeaky whir of cogs, but this was markedly different. The mystery-sound-maker was a regal belted kingfisher poised in the bridge.
Further down the trail, we were surprised by a colossal immature bald eagle in it's dark phase. It circled us and soared directly over our heads. Got plenty of photos of specks in the sky or blurred movement. D'oh! Exciting nonetheless. >;-)
At the four mile mark we spied a muskrat trolling the edge of an ice floe on a lake. It was dipping its paws in the flowing water and retrieving what looked like pond scum. Near the muskrat a male Gadwall took to the ice.
Goldeneyes and a Hooded Merganser swam close by. I had never seen a Hooded Merganser before; their profile is most strange.
A touch further and we spied unusual and gorgeous black ducks with white bills. They weren't to be found in the Colorado bird guide, but I did find them on-line -- American coots.
When we made our way back, a pretty hawk or falcon trailed us. It remained too distant for us to properly identify.
Then, as we bid farewell to my beloved area, a mature bald eagle swooped down on a tree within our line of sight. It seemed to me as if it was the area's way of saying, "See you soon."
The photos under the cut.
( Read more... )
