Birds and Nature

On my way back from the Denver area I stopped at Ft Carson's Turkey Creek Ranch where I saw 3 Lewis's Woodpecker including the one in these pics in a remnant cottonwood gallery. I just love the unusual green and reddish coloration on these woodpeckers. SeEtta

Today I refound the pair of immature Harris's Sparrows I originally found about 6 weeks ago. I have looked for them on several occasions since first finding them but had not seen them again until today. The two immature birds fed and stayed together just as they did when I first watched them--apparently siblings that have migrated to Fremont County from their northern Canada where this species breeds. They are unusual as they are not apparently going to a feeder where most Harris's Sparrows are found in Colorado. They are in a rural area where I don't believe anyone feeds birds, but near cattle feeding. I spotted the bird in the top pic eating a seed at the side of the road where the two were feeding on weeds. I have found the Harris's Sparrows in association with White-crowned Sparrows, members of the same sparrow family. By the way, the flecks in these pics are snow flakes--the snow was coming down at a pretty good clip. SeEtta

This male American Kestral was hunting near my motel in a commercial area of Westminster, a suburb northwest of Denver. These Redhead ducks were in a small farm pond in which more than 90 Redheads were gathered. SeEtta

While in the Denver area I saw this Bald Eagle on her nest with her mate perched nearby. SeEtta

Over the week-end I took advantage of stay in the Denver area to go for the first time to the Butterfly Pavilion . What a fantastic place! Over a thousand tropical and some Colorado butterflies flying free in a tropical conservatory makes it a nature-lovers paradise. Twice a day they have a public release of recently emerged from their cocoons. A number of these 'new' butterflies landed on people including me (right on my face for a few seconds)--a really neat experience. And this non-profit organization does a lot of great conservation education. SeEtta