During these long winter months in Michigan, it isn’t the snow or the cold or the relatively short hours of daylight that make ‘surviving’ winter a challenging endeavor, it’s the endless days of overcast skies. It’s just hard to stay upbeat and pleasant with so many dreary days in a row! When the sun finally does come out, though, everything seems happier, even the birds are smiling!! All seems right with the world… until it isn’t.
A happy looking Female Mallard hybrid on a sunny day at the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, January 6, 2021
On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, the sun was expected to shine all day. I absolutely couldn’t wait to get outside and take pictures! And even though it was going to be the coldest day ever, I had to get out of the house with my camera to see what I could find.
Adult Trumpeter Swan, Kellogg Bird Sanctuary January 6, 2021
Trumpeter Swan feet (juvenile swan on the left, adult swan on the right)
Juvenile Trumpeter Swan, Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, January 6, 2021
In order to insulate myself against the frigid temperatures, though, I wore three long-sleeved shirts, one fleece jacket, one wind-breaker, one winter coat, two pairs of gloves, one scarf, two hats, and a pair of over-boots to keep my feet from freezing. Inside each pocket of my coat were rechargeable hand-warmers! I was well insulated against the cold, but not well insulated against the breaking news on the radio as I drove home from my blissful day of picture taking.
Cedar Waxwing enjoying juicy red berries on a cold winter day
Female and Male Northern Cardinals
American Robin enjoying a tasty snack on a winter’s day
The Capitol building of our beloved country was under siege by armed insurgents who were hell bent on overthrowing our election and doing as much damage as possible along the way—smashing windows, breaking down doors, destroying historic property, threatening the lawmakers and beating one Capitol police officer to death. It wasn’t until I got home and turned on the TV that I saw the full extent of the mayhem, hate and carnage that was still taking place.
Dark-eyed Junco in the snow
Female and Male Mallard
Northern Pintail
In the span of just a few short minutes, my peaceful day among the birds had been totally upended and set on fire.
Female Common Goldeneye
Pine Siskin and a House Finch Three Canada Geese and a Male Gadwall
Today, as I look back through the pictures I took on January 6th, I am reminded of all the beauty that still exists in the world. And, I am reminded as well that beauty is not always easy to find or even easy to hang on to once you do find it, but it’s always worth looking for.
Trumpeter Swan, Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, January 6, 2021
Mel and I have just returned from a vacation in Colorado
where we both enjoyed pursuing our passions—fly fishing for him, nature
photography for me.
August 28-29
Hitchcock Nature Center, Honey Creek, Iowa
Our four day, twelve hundred mile car journey from Michigan to Colorado took us through the states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska. According to Google Maps, it’s only a 16 hour journey— that is if you don’t stop to sleep or eat or go to the bathroom! We did all of the aforementioned, plus took a side trip to Honey Creek Iowa where we spent two days in a cozy little cabin on the grounds of the Hitchcock Nature Center. While at the nature center, we took pictures walks along the Fox Ridge Run Trail and the Boardwalk Trail.
Yelllow-billed Cuckoo (Mel’s shot)
Dickcissel
Great Spangled Fritillary on Field Thistle
Baltimore Oriole
Red-headed Woodpecker (Mel’s pic)
August 30- September 2
Ft. Collins, Colorado
From Honey Creek, Iowa we headed through Nebraska to Fort
Collins, our first Colorado destination.
Fort Collins is well known for its excellent fly fishing opportunities and a multitude of natural areas to explore. Over the course of our stay in Fort Collins, Mel went fishing several places along the Cache La Poudre River, while I took picture walks along the Hewlett Gulch Trail, the Fossil Creek Reservoir (twice) and at the Colorado State University Annual Trial Flower Garden. Mel joined me for picture walks on one of my visits to the reservoir and at the university flower garden.
Cache La Poudre River where Mel was fishing (He took this picture while he was fishing and you can see the tip of his rod in the lower right corner.)
Bumble Flower Beetle (something I’d never heard of!)
Rock cairn on the Cache La Poudre River
I was surprised to find White Pelicans in Colorado! This one, as well as hundreds of others were hanging out at the Fossil Creek Reservoir in Fort Collins
Pied-billed Grebe
Western Grebe
Red-legged Grasshopper– one of hundreds at the Fossil Creek Reservoir
Barn Swallows waiting to be fed!
Musk Thistle
Swainson’s Hawk
Fossil Creek Reservoir is a huge tract of land! That’s me in the lower left corner!
Beautiful flowers and butterflies from the Colorado State Annual Trial Garden…
Painted Lady butterfly
Aphrodite Fritillary (I think)
September 3-5
Estes Park, Colorado
As soon as we arrived in Estes Park, Mel headed to the fishing shops and I headed out looking for pictures to take. Surprisingly, the Knoll-Willows Nature Preserve is right in town and only a stone’s throw from where we parked! Within a minute or so of commencing my walk, I spotted a huge bull elk lounging in the underbrush along the edge of the preserve! A little farther down the sidewalk, were several of his girlfriends. Apparently, elk are a very common sight right in Estes Park!
Bull Elk lounging around right in downtown Estes Park!
The Girlfriends
Looking around for a snack
Hmmm. No dogs allowed. What’s up with that??
“Hey, good lookin’, what’s cookin’?”
Teenage boy in Estes Park
Bull Daddy in Estes Park
In front of the Visitor’s Center at Estes Park, the Hummingbird Moths and the Hummingbirds were a delight to watch…
White-lined Sphinx Moth or Hummingbird Moth
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Sunset in the Rocky Mountains
Osprey with his catch of the day
Red-tailed Hawk
California Poppy
Barn Swallow
Pygmy Nuthatch
Least Chipmunk (look at the length of that tail!!)
Mountain Cottontail
September 5, 2019
Rocky Mountain National Park
to Steamboat Springs
We spent the day driving through the scenic, breathtaking Rocky Mountain National Park to reach our second Colorado destination, Steamboat Springs. Mel and I stopped several times through the mountain route to take in all the spectacular views– but I never took any scenery pictures (they tend to be disappointing compared to the real thing), preferring instead to look for the smaller things like birds and butterflies and mammals.
Clark’s Nutcracker (Clark’s Nutcrackers are mainly found in mountains at altitudes of 3,000–12,900 ft in conifer forests.)Gold-mantled Ground Squirrel in the Rocky Mountains This little critter looks a lot like a chipmunk but is much bigger– kind of like a chipmunk on steroids!
September 5-9
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
While Mel went fishing in the Yampa River, I went walking along the Yampa River Trail, a 7.5 mile multi-use trail that runs through the heart of Steamboat Springs and along the Yampa River. Along that trail, I found other points of interest like the Rotary Park Boardwalk and the Yampa Botanic Park, both of which were wonderful places for a quiet retreat as well as multiple picture opportunities.
Yampa River
Swift Moth
Two-striped Grasshopper
Black-billed Magpie along the Yampa River Trail
Cedar Waxwing
Osprey
Coronis Fritillary (I think) on coneflower
Yellow-rumped Warbler
bedraggled Robin
European Starling
Hollyhock
Yellow Warbler
Mourning Cloak butterfly
On one of the days that Mel didn’t go fishing,
we took a drive up to Fish Creek Falls
together for a picture walk and later spent hours at the Yampa Botanic Garden taking pictures of all the beautiful flowers,
birds and visiting insects.
White-lined Sphinx Moth (or Hummingbird Moth) in the Yampa Botanic Garden
Townsend’s Warbler up near Fish Creek Falls
Stunning flowers from the Yampa Botanic Garden…
Mel fishing the Yampa River
September 9-12
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado
Springs was our last destination in Colorado and we made the best of the time
we had. As soon as we arrived on the afternoon of the 9th, we went for a
picture walk in Palmer Park on a
trail that turned out to be rockier and slipperier than we expected. Not many
pictures got taken—we were too busy watching our footing!
Cassin’s Vireo (I think) One of the few pictures I took at Palmer Park because I was too busy watching my footing!
The following morning we headed out to the Garden of the Gods, which is known for its enormous, awe-inspiring geologic
formations, including tall rock spires or hoodoos, and steep cliffs. It’s a
major tourist attraction and well worth the visit.
Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs
After our visit to Garden of the Gods, Mel dropped me off at the Bear CreekNature Center to take pictures all afternoon while he explored the fishing shops, bookstores and coffee shops around Colorado Springs.
Vesper Sparrow
Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay
Rock Wren at Bear Creek Nature Center
Spotted Towhee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Scrub Jay
Lesser Goldfinch and Pine Siskin
On Wednesday, our last full day in Colorado, Mel dropped me off at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo where I spent a delightful five and a half hours taking almost 800 pictures of the zoo animals and of the native birds that were flitting about in the nearby trees!
Baby Wallaby in his mama’s pouch– one of my favorite pictures from the zoo This baby wallaby is around 7 months old and barely fits in the pouch anymore! Here you see his head and legs sticking out!Mom and baby wallaby hanging out togetherThe Wallaby baby hopped around for a few minutes before scurrying back to the safety of his mother’s pouch.
Emu
Giraffe
The meerkats were great fun to watch. They are both curious and comical!
“What’s up, buttercup??”The meerkat on the right walked into the scene, laid down and decided to strike this rather suggestive pose! Their antics were so much fun to watch!Moose I had been hoping to see a moose in the wild in Colorado, but this is the closest I got!
Peacock wandering around in the zoo
Steller’s Jay at the zoo
Parakeets in the Budgie House at the zoo.Okapi Also known as the forest giraffe, Congolese giraffe, or zebra giraffe, native to Africa.
Male Wood Duck
Female Wood Duck
A young warthog (native of Africa)
Porcupine taking a nap
White-backed Vulture (Africa)
Red River Hog– native of Africa
The best part of going on vacation, besides getting away from every day routines, is finding things I’ve never seen before (and taking pictures!), eating things I’ve never tried before and meeting new people I’ve never met before.
