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July 9th, 2011: the moon and the fire..,
Jul. 26th, 2011 05:21 pmAfter the bright, hot, cleansing fire had simmered down, Jay broke out the camera and captured some of the magic:
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On the walk back we spotted two eggs on the ground beneath a tree with a damaged nest. The eggs were close to hatching before the chicks died. We figured the recent wind and storms had blown the nest open and the eggs rolled out. One was closed and heavy, and the other was cracked. We brushed aside the ants and peered inside--the chick had been fully formed, perhaps days away from hatching. Not far from there we found the muddied remains of a Tree Swallow, its skull visible:
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The following trees drew me in:
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The following trees drew me in:
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As previously stated, the South Platte was running deep and fast. It progressed as we pushed on, what with the spate of sprinkles and harder rain further east (yes, that's actually downtown Denver in the not-so-far distance in the next pic):
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Jay checked out the stretch of beach for us, since my wheels sink in sand. There were neat sights sights there, including a beaver-gnawed and -stripped tree, pretty naturally-tumbled rocks, bird and deer tracks, and the sand itself:
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Such dramatic skies!:
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Jay checked out the stretch of beach for us, since my wheels sink in sand. There were neat sights sights there, including a beaver-gnawed and -stripped tree, pretty naturally-tumbled rocks, bird and deer tracks, and the sand itself:
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Such dramatic skies!:
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Only two sunflowers grew near the river:
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The purple thistle blooms were electric:
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Various greenery:
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The purple thistle blooms were electric:
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Various greenery:
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Antonio and I paused to watch the turbulent flow of run-off:
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There was something vaginal and powerful about this naturally-slit old tree:
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There was something vaginal and powerful about this naturally-slit old tree:
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The South Platte was running fast and high, and had flattened some shrubs and reeds during recent flooding:
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Lovely wildflowers dotted the riverside. Delicate white butterflies flitted en masse about them:
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Lovely wildflowers dotted the riverside. Delicate white butterflies flitted en masse about them:
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These lovely manicured miniature roses were near the parking lot of the trail that continued from the 104th Open Space:
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This sign marked this farther, and new to us, expanse of trail. The birding community of Denver sponsored much of the scenic turnoffs near the riverside, and lots of nooks with benches and binocular signs along the way:
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Pretty wild grasses:
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These tree stumps were captivating. A stalk grew from one that sported a pretty little ladybug:
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This sign marked this farther, and new to us, expanse of trail. The birding community of Denver sponsored much of the scenic turnoffs near the riverside, and lots of nooks with benches and binocular signs along the way:
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Pretty wild grasses:
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These tree stumps were captivating. A stalk grew from one that sported a pretty little ladybug:
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Two different beautiful Bull Snakes appeared, as did a lovely striped Garter Snake:
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We walked the trail further than ever before, nearly twelve miles! We stopped by this piece of equipment and turned around. Whew!
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We walked the trail further than ever before, nearly twelve miles! We stopped by this piece of equipment and turned around. Whew!
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The puffball mushroom, so called because when stepped upon it erupts into spores. I suggest avoiding stepping on them, they cause quite a mess when they explode.
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The puffball mushroom, so called because when stepped upon it erupts into spores. I suggest avoiding stepping on them, they cause quite a mess when they explode.
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It was a beautiful day Saturday. These Columbines were by the parking lot, and the wildflowers were scattered throughout the walk:
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A gorgeous end to a gorgeous day.
A man-made waterfall in the South Platte:
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A dried husk of mullen (also known as Arron's Rod):
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Display of branches, leaves, cottonwoods, wildflowers, and split trunk:
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A man-made waterfall in the South Platte:
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A dried husk of mullen (also known as Arron's Rod):
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Display of branches, leaves, cottonwoods, wildflowers, and split trunk:
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May 7th, 2011: Part One
Jun. 6th, 2011 05:07 pmIt was, according to myth, the birthday of the goddess Artemis. To honor her special day, the boys and I went for a stroll along our much loved 104th Open Space and bike trail. A new trail and walking bridge have been erected in the opposite direction we normally go, so we went that way first, after photographing this pretty bush beside the parking lot:
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I love how green the moss looks beneath the South Platte River in this particular shot:
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For some reason the tree in the two following shots struck me as the presence of Artemis:
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Lovely little wildflowers along the new path:
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Fragile green butterfly:
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Hive of bees in a tree:
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Tree of holes and nooks:
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Snowcapped peaks in the distance:
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Inviting off-trail spots in the new area:
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As we doubled back, we caught this Canada Goose couple. Look how tiny their gosling is!:
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Following the trail in our usual direction now, we spied the Cliff Swallows flitting about the 104th highway bridge. Lo and behold, some were mobbing Red-tailed Hawks:
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Beside the Platte was a male Mallard, followed by a Cattle Egret, followed by Black Crowned Night Herons:
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Scattered feathers, an empty egg shell, a dead frog:
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We came across a rotting doe carcass. It was killed by coyotes that live by the river, we surmised, as its throat had been torn out and the stomach ripped open. Not much edible remained, though one leg and the head/neck still had fur on them. The stink was astounding:
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I love how green the moss looks beneath the South Platte River in this particular shot:
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For some reason the tree in the two following shots struck me as the presence of Artemis:
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Lovely little wildflowers along the new path:
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Fragile green butterfly:
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Hive of bees in a tree:
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Tree of holes and nooks:
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Snowcapped peaks in the distance:
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Inviting off-trail spots in the new area:
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As we doubled back, we caught this Canada Goose couple. Look how tiny their gosling is!:
( Read more... )
Following the trail in our usual direction now, we spied the Cliff Swallows flitting about the 104th highway bridge. Lo and behold, some were mobbing Red-tailed Hawks:
( Read more... )
Beside the Platte was a male Mallard, followed by a Cattle Egret, followed by Black Crowned Night Herons:
( Read more... )
Scattered feathers, an empty egg shell, a dead frog:
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We came across a rotting doe carcass. It was killed by coyotes that live by the river, we surmised, as its throat had been torn out and the stomach ripped open. Not much edible remained, though one leg and the head/neck still had fur on them. The stink was astounding:
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Not less than a minute after the owl flew away along the river, the temperature dropped significantly and moisture beaded the air. A fog rolled in, blanketing everything in its wake. It was so cool and eerie.
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After padding through the leaf-strewn copse, we made our way around the now mostly dry swamp toward the river. At a bend, someone had hung a set of keys from a branch. We noticed a hollow, or maybe a burrow, at the base of a scraggly tree. A metal fence post was overlapped by a tree, and struck me as significant; given time, the wild will absorb everything again. Holes in trees always tickle my imagination. And then we were surprised by flushing a Great Horned Owl out of the underbrush! It was close, and huge. Jay barely had time to attempt a shot--it can be seen in the last photo (upper left).
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The tree line from the bike path, and then into the familiar cottonwood copse. Some greenery was struggling to emerge, followed by two background-worthy leaf shots. We spotted a fallen nest which posed amiably. Then we came upon freshly cut trees bleeding chlorophyll. Sad yet picturesque.
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At the base of the big tree we were greeted by a duck head and a couple of crawdad owl pellets! We hadn't previously seen an owl pellet containing crayfish parts. This led to musing how an owl hunts for them. Does it snatch them from another animal (such as the beheaded duck), or actually skim the river's shallows for them?
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