What Happens to Colorado Wildlife in Winter?
When winter socks into Colorado’s Mountains and plains, our wildlife undergoes some remarkable adaptations to cope with the challenges of the season… so let’s dive in and look at some of them.Â
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Bad Year for Birds at Barr Lake
In the third week of September I visited the Banding Station at Barr Lake operated by the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. This is one of two sites where the BCOR bands and monitors birds migrating through the area in spring and fall. I checked in and took a seat on a shaded deck along…
Watchin’ Varmints: Yellow-Bellied Marmot Behavior
While I was up on Mount Blue Sky this summer, one of my favorite pastimes was marmot watching. And this summer I got a lot of marmot watching in. No thats not a weird euphemism! I really watched marmots this summer. But before we dig in on some fun behavior… You Might be Wondering… What…
More Isn’t Always Better: Reservoir Expansion Puts Bird Habitat at Risk
During the 3rd week of September an email appeared in a nature email group I follow. It sounded the alarm for birders and nature lovers in the Colorado Front Range. Important bird habitat was being destroyed to expand water capacity for Barr Lake State Park. Worry mounted that the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (BCR), who has had a bird banding station there for 35 years, would lose their post and the habitat for the migratory song birds they study.
Greenery On Top of the World: Amazing Native Colorado Alpine Meadow Flowers
Colorado alpine flower species; American Bistort & Queens Crown glow in the afternoon light at Summit Lake, Colorado. Photo by Heather Valey copyright 2023, all rights reserved NOTE: As of September 15th, effective immediately. Mount Evans’ name has been formally changed to Mount Blue Sky! Summer on Mount Evans The summer went by quickly, quicker…
The Magic of Magee Marsh: A Biggest Week in American Birding Festival Report
Back in January, a friend of mine invited me to join her at the Biggest Week in American Birding Festival. I of course agreed with gusto before I noticed that it was in Ohio. Ohio? Really? Are there even birds in Ohio? Just kidding of course, but every time I think of Ohio I think…
Death Sentence in Disguise for Prairie Dogs at Picture Rock Trail
First, Let’s Set the Scene Boulder County Open Space in Colorado has a reputation for world-class parks and trails. The Picture Rock trail at Hiel Ranch near Lyons in Boulder County is a great example of this. With its stunning views, diverse habitats, and multiple recreational opportunities, Hiel Valley Ranch is a wonderful piece of…
Snow Geese in Colorado
This winter I made the trip up to Lamar Colorado for the High Plains Snow Goose Festival. Over 30,000 snow geese migrate through Colorado in the winter. I tried to find the geese on my own last year and didn’t know enough about the bird’s behavior to look for them in quite the right place. …
There is More to Ashe Juniper Than Cedar Fever
In the Texas hill country, the changing of seasons is more subtle compared to some other areas of the US. Locals usually mark their winters with different events rather than snow and ice. One of these occurrences is Cedar Fever, the cedar allergy season. Cedar trees are ubiquitous in the Texas hill country, just like barbecue and tacos. These trees are found almost everywhere you look, and at times it might seem like the whole world in Austin is made up of cedar trees, as depicted in the picture to the left.
Hurricane Harvey Challenges for Whooping Cranes
One morning in January of 2018 I got up at the crack of dawn and drove from my home in Austin, Texas to Rockport on the gulf coast with the intention of seeing Whooping Cranes. It had escaped my mind that Hurricane Harvey had devastated the area 5 months prior, that is until I got…