Final Day in the Rockies

Ever stand in a forest, feeling maybe you're being watched?

Today was interesting, I'll say that for it! I started off fairly early - for me - driving far up into the tundra trail, or whatever they are calling it these days. It is at about 12,000 feet plus in altitude, so I brought put on my oxygen backpack (yes... I have an oxygen back pack) but I never had to use it. I come to this trail whenever in the park to search for the 'ever elusive', i.e., $@#! White-tailed Ptarmigan.

But even before I could get up very far, I was stymied by adorable little Pikas, running hither and yon. I never saw any Pikas on on this trail before.

The tubby little hamsteroids are so flippin' cute. I watched a few of them gathering greens then running off to store it all under boulders and rocks, literally making 'hay' that will keep them fed come winter.

Climbing up the high altitude slope, I panted a lot, but I am thrilled to say, that after last year's 'My Big Sick' I felt neither light-headed, dizzy or in need of the oxygen tank in my backpack. HURRAH for MOI! 

"DANGER! DANGER!"

Then things got more interesting. The video gods were with me, as a coyote downhill from me, trotted up hill until it was parallel to me. The whole of the time a fat marmot, constantly & never-endingly (is that a word?) - barked its alarm call. I was ecstatic!  As I stood 'on watch' other park visitors tromped up hill, and I waited to hear their response to the coyote, only there was none.

"You frickin' little loud mouth, if I get my
 teeth in you we'll see who's barking..."

The coyote, in the open but among granite rocks, was in plain sight, and yet invisible at the same time. I made it my busy-body duty to point out the coyote to folks. I'd say 3/4 of those passing by did not see the beast. I really thought the constant cries of the Marmot would have been a great tip off. But nope, the incessant barking - echoed by still more barking marmots off in the distance - went unnoticed.


I totally enjoyed, to use birder's lingo, putting visitors 'on' the coyote, that was truly difficult for many to spot.

Let's play, 'Find the Coyote'

 A small crowd enjoyed watching as the coyote, that stood still for perhaps 20 minutes, finally, with an air of  'I, an apex predator, and I don't care if you bark, 'cause your butt is mine' fuzzy face meandered ever so slowly toward the barking arsehole of a marmot. HEY! I didn't call the marmot an arsehole, the coyote did! Then the coyote made one desperate lunge at the barking bugger, and... and... missed. Damitalltohell! Frustrated, the coyote then loped off dejectedly into the horizon. I hope it found something else for its breakfast.

And if you are wondering if I had luck finding White-tailed Ptarmigan... ah... never mind that. How about seeing the lovely video I shot on the alpine trail?


Post coyote adventure, I headed down the eastern side of the mountain. On the lower park road I spotted a big ole treat - a girlie Moose. She wore a telemetry collar, so her meanderings are being tracked by wildlife biologists.

The moose walked parallel to the same road that leads out of the southwestern park exit. So our girl caused quite the wildlife traffic snag. I'm beyond grateful that I got to see a moose on this trip.

Her K6 signature jewelry is just darling

 I so loved seeing that grand moose!

Post 'moose adventure' I headed south, out of the park's east entrance and drove around the sleepy little town of Grand Lake.

Grand Lake

I stopped between Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Lake to spot a few birds that deemed to show themselves. Then I headed back into the town of Grand Lake, parking in front of a small cafe. Why? was I hungry? Nope, the shop had what my soul needed more than food - hummingbirds!

Girlie & juvenile Broadbills at the snack bar

A few days ago at Aunt Judy's ranch I saw lots of hummingbirds, all being Rufous, which I can also see in California. So I am positively joyous getting to see what I cannot see in California: Broad-billed Hummingbirds.

'Himself' in for a meal

Enjoyable doesn't quite describe the thrill of watching flying jewels sucking down the nectar like bedazzled piglets.








While filming the Hummers, I got a phone call from my birder buddy Don back in California. He told me of a cute hotel near Estes Park that had bird feeders. There, he said I might be able to see my long-sought Rosy Finches. Shortly thereafter I headed back into the park and into Estes Park. Sadly the hotel was a bust. There was new, short-sighted management that took down all the bird feeders. BOOOOO! 

The remainder of the day I spent wondering WTF were all the elk & enjoying that pristine Rocky Mountain scenery.

View from Alpine Visitor Center

Yeah... my fourth visit to Rocky Mountain National Park was no luckier at finding White-tailed Ptarmigan, Rosy Finches or Dusky Grouse. And what does that mean? I'll have to return another day, and that's not sad thought, is it?

Last thing. The topmost photo of this post was both the 2nd and the last elk I saw for this trip. Here's a super-quickie video of the bull elk, in the shrubbery where it laid itself down. It had an audience of myself and several other happy campers.

A Mule Deer Laden Afternoon

Some occasionally moody scenery in Rocky Mt National Park

Not long after returning from the Pawnee Grasslands to Estes Park, I headed back into Rocky Mountain National Park. There were lots of Mule Deer out and about.

























The antlers on many of the bucks must have the does sitting back to
fan their brows.

Below is what I call a Disney assortment of bucks, by which I mean they come in two lovely and different shades: two gray, and one red. 

The gray buck below - who wears a dynamite set of antlers - still retains his gray winter coat. The red buck below has shed most of his winter coat so he is red - his summer color. Obviously the red buck is setting the seasonal trend.

A Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel was insulted when I didn't want to photograph it because I can find such squirrels in California. The squirrel was insulted but offered to model for me so, what could I do but oblige it with its own photo spread?

The fancy tail gives its rear view some panache

In the end, for my efforts I got a polite standing ovation

I stopped to wander around the Sprague Lake picnic area where there were Gray Jays, a species I don't get to see very often.

A nice brace of Canada or Gray Jays

Damp Mink

I did the tiniest bit of hiking on the Sprague Lake trail. I was besides myself with excitement when briefly, I spotted a Mink standing in the shore reeds. It scarpered off as soon as we spied each other, so no photo. To compensate, here's a photo I took of a mink eons ago. Can't see much of it? Sadly, that's often the case with these sneaky little rascals.




It was closing in on sunset when this singular young bull elk, with spike antlers showed itself on a roadside. The first elk of this park visit. Where the heck are they all hiding out?

A late roaming group of Mule Deer - which are plentiful this visit - included a spotted fawn.

It grew dark so I headed back to Estes Park and my cute Air BnB hideaway, still wondering, 'Where are all the elk?'

Revisiting the Pawnee Grasslands

Pronghorn Doe with her fawn at the Pawnee Grasslands

Instead of touring the main park this morning, I drove to the Pawnee National Grasslands. The grasslands are north east of Denver, just below Wyoming's state border. Arriving at a first bit of the grasslands I was a tad disoriented but after finding some of the information boards, it all came back to me.

Grassland informational kiosk thingie

 Huzzah! BIRDIES!






So off I went on my driving tour of the grasslands. My previous visit(s) were 2008 and 2011. being springtime there were loads of birds then. *sigh* That that was then. This is AUGUST. What birds I found seemed to look a little out of sorts.

Out of Sorts Lark Bunting

Other Lark Buntings just looked cranky and sort of HOT.

Horned Lark, also fond of perching on barbed wire

Not unlike Wyoming, this part of Colorado seems plum full up with Pronghorns.

Buck Pronghorn grazing

Another doe Pronghorn, this one with twins

 And guess what? Pronghorns!

Gotta love those fluff bums

Yes, loads of Pronghorn, scattered across the grasslands. But for birds? What few were around were easy to spot. 

Little male American Kestrel

So for a morning's birding how many species did I find? Four. A miserable tally by any measure. The Kestrel, a few Lark Buntings, Horned Larks and Western Meadowlarks, and that's it. Now. Do I blame the birdies? Heck no! It was too hot for me to walk around, too hot for them too. That's a BS explanation but I'm sticking to it.

How about a quick vid of Pronghorns fleeing to the sound of a dramatic soundtrack from Dances with Wolves? The soundtrack was actually playing when I filmed this because - yet again - I forgot to turn off the car radio. Enjoy... this always cracks me up.