It has been quite a while since we hiked together, so it’s time to head out for a three-mile hike in Garden of the Gods. Arriving at 6:15am, we have golden light, trails you have never seen, and huge rocks, particularly red rocks, everywhere. Now I know what so many country songs mean when they talk of “red-dirt”! We’ll be brushing it off our shoes and if our shoes “breath”, we’ll be washing it out of our socks. Ready to head out? The Bretag Trail awaits!
Hello and hope you are doing well in this strange summer minus much travel and vacationing. I thought I’d take you to a few local places in search of LBJs. What is an LBJ you ask? If you have never spent time looking at birds or searching field guides to find their official names, it is a name you can use and people will think you have an inside scoop on bird ID. How can that be bad? I know, rather lame, but still fun.
Actually LBJ is a fun as well as good initial identifier–Little Brown Job. With so many darting brown to grayish brown smallish birds, it is a quick naming start as we look for indicators that will lead to identification such as its size, body shape, size and shape of bill, color pattern, habitat, and behavior.
So here we go, looking at some of the many LBJs here on the Front Range of the Rockies. I’ll be giving you a link to each LBJ to explore more as you desire. Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology has wonderful online bird guides which explain so many amazing aspects of their unique lifestyles!
Hi all, have missed you! Hope you are well, taking precautions, and figuring out life again. While staying closer to home longer than I’m used to, been hiking locally and seeing many new birds in the parks and open spaces. Some staying for the summer, some just passing through, some year-round residents. Come along to see the beauty of these Gems of the Sky!
Hi there and welcome back. Hope you are well and staying sane during these very different days. All my 2020 trips have been canceled which has lead to reimagining life with the coronavirus and reflecting on what is truly important. Are you having similar thoughts?
For the last years I’ve been sharing the “big stuff”. Bison, wolves, Pronghorn antelope, Bighorn sheep, Sandhill Cranes, Harlequin Ducks, Yellowstone, Glacier, and amazing landscapes in the East, West, and all along the way. Slide down the right column to view past adventures–relax, smile, and enjoy.
For now, however, it is time to explore the close by. Beautiful county park’s trails, although closed visitor centers. Amazing city parks and open spaces plus close-by state parks. Taking the time to enjoy the often-overlooked close-by places and abundant small wonders they hold.
Come along and enjoy our amazing natural world as we explore Fountain Creek Nature Center and surrounds late winter into early spring this year. Many birds migrate through, some stay to have young, others make it their year-round home along with many plants and small mammals. Remember my friend, to really enjoy the great outdoors you MUST slow down and look around. Never know, you may find “friends” in other forms along the way.
