Boulder, CO & Surroundings
(Page 2)
26-31
July 2005
by
Henry Detwiler
I took advantage of a training class in Boulder to explore the area
more, visiting Rocky Mountain National Park on Saturday.
Click on
thumbnail pictures for full-sized photos. 
White-crowned Sparrow
Alpine Center, Rocky Mt. National Park |
After a quick breakfast on Saturday morning I dashed up to Rocky Mt.
NP, only stopping once--just in time to avoid flattening a baby
deer. The birds were out in force, and the morning was sunny
and beautiful. In the Fall River Valley I had close looks at
singing Dusky Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, chickadees, Lincoln's
Sparrow, and Wilson's Warblers.
|
| Just past the bridge on Fall River Road these two
woodpeckers were feeding close together. The young sapsucker
would follow the Hairy Woodpecker until it was chased off--then it
would return again in a few minutes. This is also where I got
nice photos of the Black-billed Magpies--one of which is posing at the
top of the page. |
Red-naped Sapsucker & Hairy Woodpecker,
Rocky Mt. National Park
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|
Alpine Visitor Center
Rocky Mt. National Park
|
I took the Old Fall River Road up to the Alpine Visitor Center.
It was a beautiful drive, and once the road opened up on the tundra,
the views were spectacular. There were also a fair number of
animals, with elk and marmots being the most visible. |
|
|
White-tailed Ptarmigan
chick
Some hiking around beyond Medicine Bow Curve turned up a family
of White-tailed Ptarmigan--a mama and her five chicks. She was
constantly whistling softly to them, and they never ventured far.
As with other ptarmigans I've encountered, they exhibited no alarm
or fear at my presence.
|
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Rocky Mt. National Park |
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Chasm Falls - Rocky Mt. National Park
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This waterfall along the Old Falls Road was scenic but crowded.
I expected one of the boys jumping from stone to stone to fall in,
but he always regained his balance. The surrounding forest
held Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain
Chickadee, and many Yellow-rumped Warblers.
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The tundra flowers & birds were beautiful, but as I watching the
ptarmigan family, the American Pipits, and the White-crowned
Sparrows, the winds and rain came howling in. Temperatures
dropped significantly, and I soon abandoned my quest to photograph
the Brown-Capped Rosy-Finches. Maybe next year!
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BACK to PAGE 1 |
