Denver
& the Rockies (p.2)
22-26
June 2004
Henry Detwiler
While up in Denver for several days of training, I escaped to the
mountains every afternoon and all day on Saturday!
105
species -- bird list is at the bottom of the page
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized shots.
| At several locations I saw elk, like this herd close
to Evergreen. The antlers were all velvety. In the
nearby meadow Vesper Sparrows were singing. |
Elk
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American Dipper
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Rain threatened to put an end to my birding on Friday
afternoon, but it cleared up before sunset. Dippers and
Golden-crowned Kinglets were the highlight at Pine Valley.
Pine Valley
|
Golden-mantled Ground
Squirrel
|
On Saturday morning I set out to Mt. Evans, with the
first stop on the way being Echo Lake, at over 10,000'. Birds
were out in force and singing when I arrived at 8:00.
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Two female Pine Grosbeaks were feeding next to the
lakeshore, and posed for several photos before disappearing into the
willows. Orange-crowned and Wilson's Warblers, and Lincoln's
Sparrows were also singing & calling from the willow
tangles.
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Pine Grosbeak
|
Mt. Evans
|
In the picnic area were a few puddles of water
where scores of Pine Siskins and lesser numbers of Mountain
Chickadees were busily bathing. This chickadee then landed
above the puddle to dry out.
Cordilleran Flycatcher at
Echo Lake
|
Mountain Chickadee
The only flycatcher that I saw around the picnic area was
this Cordilleran. Before it got crowded, it flew down to the
corner of a picnic table and started flycatching just inches away
from me. |
|
Summit Lake (12,800')
Sight of: White-tailed Ptarmigan,
Brown-capped Rosy Finch,
White-crowned Sparrow,
& American Pipit
|
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Once I got up to Summit
Lake, I was greeted by cold winds and clouds. I shouldn't have
complained, because before I got too much farther it started
hailing, too. But I persevered, making it to the distant
lakeshore, where I saw a single ptarmigan and a single Brown-capped
Rosy Finch.
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Back down from the mountain I stopped once more at
Echo Lake, and was treated to a small flock of Red
Crossbills. The light was bad, but I managed a diagnostic
shot. The rest of the day I drove around the Mt. Evans
Valley, enjoying more spectacular scenery and birds. And on
Sunday, it was back to 105-degree weather in Yuma.
White-breasted Nuthatch
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Red Crossbill
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Aspen in Mt. Evans Valley
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