Wow, what a wonderful (long) weekend of wildlife!

Wildlife Drive

Not one but two Shrike, it must be Skrike Time

Friday we went for a drive, ostensibly looking for Golden Eagle. On the way out of the canyon we saw our herd of “canyon greeters” (the Coal Creek Canyon Elk herd) but also a less usual visitor, a shrike. We didn’t get close enough for an id, but it was a welcome visit. A few miles, a pair of coyote later, and we were stopped at the lookout point for eagle. To our surprise another shrike (likely a Loggerhead Shrike) came and posed on a fence post right next to us.

We saw more Elk, the obligatory Mule Deer herd (browsing the valley), and a Turkey Vulture recycling a Red Fox before we came upon the Golden Eagle sitting high on a power pylon. Today the bird was resting, preening; attempting the important work of maintaining the flight equipment.

Migrants Return

On Saturday both our local singers returned, almost as if they arrived back together. The house wren — our most energetic singer — was back from migration, and already singing from atop one of ‘his’ two bird boxes (allowing his lady choice of abode.) The green-tailed towhee — loud and glorious — was happy to pick a bush to sing from. Two of our most anticipated birds, back the same day … a wonderful event!

Barr Lake State Park

Sunday — a mother’s day treat — a trip to Barr Lake State Park. We arrived in time to catch the last available spots on the Eagle Express a naturalist guided open air ride to the eagles. We should have made reservations, but this day we were just very lucky. When you go to Barr Lake, book the ‘train’ … it is great for the young and old, and still fun for those in between.

On the ride out we saw a bull snake swimming across the canal, various orioles, and scads of crazed western kingbirds. Too cold (this year) for the carp to be splashing their mating rituals (and that is quite a sight), but the bald eagle were nesting, as were the swainson’s hawks. Perhaps the best aspect of the ride was the northern harrier that put on an amazing show by gliding feet above the reeds. A mule deer gave backdrop to the aerial display off by wandering gently past the harrier.

Barr Lake was alive with life, but perhaps the best part of the day were the many bull snakes.

Bull Snake Show

We came upon a pair of snakes right as the male was making his advances. He’d been patient and taken his time (or so we were told by other observers) but now was pressing his advantage. She recoiled, and puffed up her head (see her pushing out her cheeks) but instead of giving up he chose to strike. He hit his target precisely and grabbed her behind the neck, and now secure from her fangs he attempted his moves. We are not sure if he scored in the ensuing tussle but the two of them writhed and splashed in the waters of Barr Lake for almost a minute before separating & going in opposite directions.

He's making his advances

She doesn't seem interested. Note the puffed up head.

Not sure the outcome (in terms of mating) but he pushed his point. They tussled for a while (part of it underwater) then separated.

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WildObs Mobile 1.1 for Android now supports Android 1.5 to Android 2.0 and beyond.

Here is a brief overview of WildObs Mobile including how to use WildObs Mobile for Android to:

• Browse community wildlife encounters (featured, most popular and recent.)
• Perform a species look-up by name or partial name, viewing photographs and other encounters.

Find out more about WildObs Mobile for Android or (if you are on an Android device) go to the market:

Want access to your wildlife encounters when you are out an about? Want to know what you saw the last time you visited this park, beach, or location? Want to know what others have been seeing that isn’t on your life-list? If so, then WildObs Naturalist (the latest member of the WildObs family of wildlife applications) is for you.

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See what others have seen close to where you are that is not on your life-list, then find out where to find those species locally:

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Hummer on a Stick

Reduce hummer stress: place feeders around your property out of sight of each other.

Hummingbird males (at least our broad-tailed hummingbird males) like sticks.

They like a vantage point to oversee their territory, to dominate all in sight. They terrorize any males that come into range (even if merely flying by) and hound any poor females stopping on a feeder to grab a rest and a bite (ok slurp.) These sticks are what they need in order to be mini masters of their domain.

So, don’t create a vantage stick? Don’t support this little megalomaniac? Maybe, but they’ll be little the same little bleeder anyway, just from a nearby branch or a bush.

If you put up the stick and attract them to it, at least you get some say in the matter. You can locate it such that he cannot see another feeder hidden around the corner of the house allowing those nesting females a break.

Literally within minutes of me putting this stick up we had a settler. He gave himself a good stretch and made himself at home.

Stretch

See more hummer encounters on WildObs: Wildlife from you, for you and around you.

Lake George is a wonderful little lake: built as an ice producer for the miner at Cripple Creek, newly refurbished after muskrat undermined it’s dam, currently undergoing random dredging attempts, below 11 mile canyon and next to the South Platte River (when it is but a stream.) It is also next to the cabin we go to.

Lake George (albeit now full)

This weekend it saw frost/rain/snow but also sun/blue skies. Each walk around it was a different and invigorating experience. Spring is building on the lake.

There were more water fowl (mainly coot & ducks) than it normally sees; a vast array of species. Luckily I had a sister-in-law wildlife biologist (central flyway) to help me identify the species ‘cos I was lost amongst the masses. Gadwell, Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, Canvas back, Merganser, Bufflehead the list goes on. It was great to see them out enjoying the lake and feasting on it’s weed before they moved north. A mass of life.

On the cold mornings (after a spring snow) there was a thin layer of ice on the lake, and frost on the ground & cat tails. Red-winged blackbirds were settling in, with males singing to the world. A Belted Kingfisher stalked along the Platte, it’s call clear and distinct. On the muddy banks (even down at the water’s edge) mountain & western bluebirds took advantage of the damp ground to find food. Nice to see all these guys back for the season.

A couple of muskrats showed themselves to us in the river. Swimming away oblivious to the fact that they’d been the primary cause for a $1M & multi-year dam repair job (they’d just  been doing their thing & burrowing.) These guys remind me of the (somewhat cuter) water voles of the UK, just bigger/more gangly. Encounters with them make me smile.

The Tarryall Mountains red, and further enhanced with sunrise light, surrounded a low patch of cloud (technically fog I guess) from the remaining evaporating snow. The view from lakeside over the water and to this sight in the west was breath taking. Slowly the fog moved up and dissipated.

Turkey vultures (firsts for the season) demonstrated their amazing gliding skills, effortlessly skimming high and then low (almost brushing the ground) as they search for carrion. Ugly with the red faces yet beautiful in flight. Again, a welcome return for the season.

No bald eagle this weekend, but before we left we had one quick search for “a large white bird” my wife noticed flying over/down to the lake. Our inquisitiveness was rewarded by the gift of (separately) a white American Pelican and an Osprey both fishing the lake (although the Pelican took the more sedate approach.)

Spring is growing fast & strong at Lake George, CO.

You have to love what the folks at NWF are doing to promote getting out there and connecting with wildlife. Track them on Twitter and track some of their stories on their NWF Twitter stream.

Here is an awesome video NWF created about Wildlife Watch:

 

 
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Hummer Anticipation

Will you survey your wildlife species this year? Here is why I (and others) do on WildObs.com. Please join us.

One of the many things I love about Colorado is how dramatic the seasons are. Glorious summers, beautiful autumns, white winters (normally) and budding/optimistic springs. Springs bring an abundance of life to Colorado after the relative peace of winter. Springs bring birds back from migration, bears back from hibernation, and plants to sustain them all. For me the anticipation of spring is palpable, I get increasingly excited as the days get warmer, and the species return.

I have watched and recorded the return of broad-tailed hummingbirds to Colorado for over a decade (how long I’ve been in this house, which is almost as long as I’ve been up these mountains) and I know to expect the first scout on April 15th (or April 14th more recently.) I clean out my feeders (and remind my local community to do the same via http://www.hummingbirds.net/feeders.html#cleaning) and present these red beacons to the sky by April 1st. I know I am listening for that sound, that buzzing hum, from then on.

Finally, a year ago, I decided I wanted to record my encounters (especially first-of-season encounters) shared on a public website. I didn’t find a website that let me pick the species, or let me pick what species I wanted to record and/or follow. In part this led to the creation of WildObs http://wildobs.com/.

With WildObs each individual gets to monitor and record the species that touch them, the ones they love or admire (like the wren, one of the better songbirds up here.) If the WildObs database does not contain the species you care for, add it & it will. What is different about WildObs is that these recording are shared but also collected as yours, you can

Record the species in your neighborhood (in your yard or on your feeder) but also record what you find at you parks, on your hikes. Your neighbors will thank you for bringing them an understanding of their wildlife neighbors.

Members of the Coal Creek Canyon community have started work on their regional wildlife species list. This survey has helped newcomers to the canyon learn what that big blue bird is, or how frequently bears get stuck in unlocked cars (so lock them!)

Doing a spring survey of your neighborhood, or while on your walks, is fun and records citizen science data for you and others to benefit from. Best of all? You will almost certainly get more in touch with your nature, and probably even learn from human wildlife lovers around you.

Survey your wildlife today.

A week or two ago I was recuperating after my “day/night/whenever job” (volunteer firefighter) assisting with decontamination on a clan-lab bust. Being up ’til three a.m. I was fit for nothing the next day, so found a place to hike (and nap) up Clear Creek Canyon. I bumping into a herd of bighorn sheep, and later a lone female.

These brief but enjoyable encounters got me interested in looking harder, when I was more awake. I went back the next weekend, via the Central City Parkway (where I observed two Raven engaged with a whole egg, gosh knows where that came from this time of year, or how they transported it safely). At tunnel #3 I found a couple of young sheep up on the cliff. Unfortunately the hillside was busy with mountain bikers, and the cliffs with climbers, so the main herds of sheep had likely “head for the hills”. Note to self: Sheep hunt during the week, not the weekends.

I found a less popular spot to hike, and set of up the hill. I hiked long and hard for three hours, traveling a decent way up the mountain, to find sign but little else. A couple of mulies wandered by, but no sheep. Hot and tired (crazy weather for November) I finally came back to the car, and strange but true … there was a ram wandering right past my car.

Not yet satisfied I came back up (the two sheep were still there) then looped back and came to Lookout Mountain. Beautiful views of the two mesas east of Golden. (Again, lots of people out enjoying the weekend, so the wildlife would be making themselves scarce.) Nearing the bottom of the long winding road down to Golden, I found a pull-out that overlooked highway 6. I glassed the hillside above Clear Creek Canyon Park. It was close to dusk, and the deer were coming out. I could browse a lot more hillside than I’d managed in three hours of hiking and I had a good view.

First, I noticed two sheep down a draw. Then I spotted what seemed like their herd, another 10 or so. Some sitting (perhaps ruminating), some grazing. It was wonderful to watch them from afar, since they were clearly acting very naturally, oblivious to a remote observer. Lookout Mountain has become my new favorite spot for sheep when I’m feeling like an “easy hike” (i.e. get out of car, sit, look, get back in.)

This would have been fun enough, but what I learned yesterday really surprised me. Two encounters of a Bighorn sheep ram were made in Coal Creek Canyon itself. Coal Creek Canyon not Clear Creek Canyon!!! Wow. A local wildlife observer had predicted it (when I told her of my sightings in Clear Creek) but I didn’t expect it with all the densely forested hills around. I am amazed to wonder how he (or they) got here. Yes we have Elk, yes Moose (occasionally), but Sheep? WOW.

It might be cold (not as cold as yesterday) and I might be sick, but I suspect I’ll be sheep spotting later today.