It was only in May of this year that I made the acquaintance of Cross Creek Regional Park in Fountain, a small town about 10 miles south of our home in Colorado Springs. The park’s main feature is a reservoir with surrounding wetlands, but it also borders on prairie. In an area where this combination of habitats is getting increasingly scarce, it acts as a magnet not only for waterfowl and shorebirds, but also for grassland birds, and a variety of additional species.
The views are lovely. Looking west, water dominates the foreground, a row of multi-hued houses reminiscent of some coastal fishing town line the middle, and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains rules the background, with Pikes Peak presiding over its neighbors. In the east, open meadows still fill the spaces between private lots.
To enlarge a photo, click on it. To read its caption, hover the cursor over it.
Even though a well-trodden trail circles the pond, a soccer field and playground occupy one boundary, and houses encroach on the park from multiple directions, it has been the site of many wildlife encounters for me, with feathered friends first and foremost, but not exclusively. As the sky brightens into day, or darkens into night, the dawn and dusk avian chorus swells, in which my favorite Western Meadowlarks not infrequently play the first violin.
There are rumors that major changes are ahead for this vibrant oasis, and while the declared goal is to enlarge the existing body of water to enhance recreation, it is not clear how this will affect the adjacent wetlands, which might be wiped out, at least in the short run. More trails will attract more people, with more dogs, that far too often run off leash and harass wild critters. If boats were allowed on the lake, it would completely change the character of this location. Where would all the animals go that call the pond, the reeds and the sedges, the nearby trees and bushes, the adjacent fields home? I am fearful that we will lose another wildlife refuge to so-called progress and unchecked population growth. I hope my fears will be proven wrong, but a part of me already mourns the possible modifications looming in the future.
Your photos are lovely Tanja! It would be an improvement if only non-motorised craft were allowed on the water like kayaks, dinghies and small yachts. Far less disruptive for humans and wildlife alike!
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Thank you, Liz.
I think any kind of craft on the lake would chase away most of the waterfowl. There is simply not enough room for both. I hope the responsible people will realize this, and leave the water to wildlife.
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Do the public get the opportunity to make submissions before the decision is made?
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That’s a very good question, Liz. I am still trying to figure out the exact details, because it is an open space, which means it’s public, but with some private organization running it, or at least parts of it.
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Sad news and one that I am afraid is mirrored the world over, people always think they must come first.
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Sadly, you are right. And we are not learning, at least not fast enough.
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Wieder eine sehr schöne Fotoserie die du hier zeigst. Gerne sehe ich mir die Bilder aus deiner Heimat an. Sie zeigen häufig Vogelarten die ich von hier nicht kenne. Dann wundere ich mich wieder, dass es dort Vögel gibt, die ich auch hier beobachten kann
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Dankeschön, lieber Werner. Ich finde es auch immer wieder faszinierend, die Vogelwelt zwischen der alten und neuen Welt zu vergleichen. Hier und dort sind es meine Lieblingswesen.
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Lovely photos that really capture the beauty of this place.
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Thank you, Mary. I hope you are well.
Best,
Tanja
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One can only hope deep investigations have been done to explore the effect changing the lake size would have on the existing wetlands and environment, including native flora and fauna.
This looks very much like our Jawbone coastal reserve and arboretum which has houses surrounding the lake system, but there is a strong local group who maintains the environment in conjunction with the local council and Parks Association. Dogs must be on a leash (as far as I know) and various parts are fenced off to allow the saltmarsh and native flora to thrive without any human footprint.
One can only hope for the best in this kind of situation.
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I am trying to hope for the best, Vicki, but am skeptical. Our society is on a trajectory away from nature, and people who do not experience it, have no reason to protect it. I hope I am wrong, and I hope that the kids growing up now will develop an appreciation, and a sense of responsibility for, the natural world.
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Sehr schöne Tier und Landschaftsaufnahmen! Der Ochsenfrosch ist schon sehr beeindruckend
LG Andrea
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Dankeschön, liebe Andrea. Der Frosch hat auch eine sehr beeindruckende Baritonstimme! 😊
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Yes, I would be concerned too! What a beautiful corner of the world…we don’t want to lose it! Thanks for the post! P.S. Avocets are one of my favorite birds also!
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You are right, Valerie. We don’t want to lose it. We only think of ourselves, without considering the impact each one of our decisions have on an entire universe.
I can’t wait for avocets to return in the spring!
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One of my favorite drawings I did was an avocet! Love them!
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Any chance you could photograph and post it? 🙂
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No, but I will send you a copy!
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I didn’t see an email address on your site…so I guess I cannot send it!
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Here it is: brittonmt@yahoo.com
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What a pity if this beautiful corner would be lost…. all in the name of progress and people always wanting more and more and more…. and the loosers are nature and its inhabitants.
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It would be very sad, Christa, and I hope that something can be done about it.
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Was für eine Vielfalt! Die muss unbedingt erhalten bleiben!
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Das wünsche ich mir auch!
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Am besten gefallen mir natürlich die Vögel und mir gefällt auch, dass ich einige wiedererkenne, auch wenn sich die Arten angepasst haben.
Sehr schöne Fotos, Tanja!
Liebe Grüße
Brigitte
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Dankeschön, liebe Brigitte. Es freut mich, daß Dir einige Arten bekannt sind. Da meine Liebe für Vögel erst in Amerika begonnen hat, muß ich noch viel über diejenigen in Europa lernen. Bei jedem Besuch etwas mehr, doch leider geht das nur sehr langsam voran.
Euch noch eine schöne Woche in Bremen.
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Humans increase and wildlife decreases, such a painful equation.
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You put the sad truth in a nutshell, Cathy.
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Years ago I saw an exhibit of photos by Robert Adams. Most I think were from unpopulated parts of the American West. He took the pictures in the 1950s to 1980s or so, I think. Anyway, one of his points was that it’s really difficult to find an area untouched by Man, even if it’s “merely” a candy wrapper in the middle of the desert. Our species’ hands are everywhere. And it sounds as if those hands will make the marshland disappear from the place you write about.
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Unfortunately you are right, Neil. We are a very expansive and often thoughtless species. I still hope the marsh will be saved, even if not in its present form.
I wish you and your wife a Happy Thanksgiving!
Tanja
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I’m sorry to hear about the changes that are likely to come to that marsh. Even if the public gets a say in the development plans, most people prefer amenities like baseball fields, bicycle paths, swimming pools, and the like, to land left in a natural or even semi-natural state. And cynical me will add that in some cases it’s not only dogs that should be kept on a leash in parks and preserves, but the dogs’ owners.
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I am afraid you are correct, Steve. Many people don’t see the value of “unused” land or water. But part of me still thinks that they might change their attitude if they realized the abundance of animal and plant life present in plain sight. We are strange creatures in that we tend to only notice what we know about. But once those eyes have been opened, we see marvels everywhere.
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By the way, it’s interesting that a Western Kingbird becomes an Arkansas Tyrant in German.
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Very interesting observation, Steve. It would be interesting to determine how that German name came about.
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Liebe Tanja, ich liebe deine Ausflüge und die schönen Vogelbilder. Immer wieder eine Freude, mal die amerikanische Flora und Fauna kennenzulernen (manche gibts hier ja auch), und die sind alle so hübsch. Was macht denn bitte schön der Arkansastyrann 😉 Ich wags mir ja gar nicht vorzustellen, haha! – Ach Mensch, ich hoffe mit dir, daß das Gelände erhalten bleibt. Gibts dort keine Umweltschutzgruppen, die sich für das Gebiet einsetzen? Das wäre tatsächlich ein Alptraum, wenn das wegfallen würde. Der Mensch breitet sich immer mehr aus, die Tiere haben das Nachsehen bzw. bald keinen Lebensraum mehr. Hoffentlich findet sich eine Lösung, daß der See soweit geschützt bleibt!!! Die Vögel sind allerliebst. Ich bin ganz begeistert ♥ Liebe Grüße, Almuth
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Deine Begeisterung beglückt mich sehr, liebe Almuth. Und was den Arkansastyrannen angeht, gehört er zu der Familie der Tyrannen. Ich habe gerade gelernt, daß das die größte Vogelfamilie mit über 400 Arten ist, von daher ist es schwer, etwas Allgemeines über deren Verhalten zu sagen. Der Arkansas Tyrann ist allerdings ziemlich, wie soll ich sagen-selbstbewußt. 😊
Ich versuche, noch mehr Informationen über die Pläne für diesen Park herauszufinden, und hoffe noch ist nicht aller Tage Abend!
Dir noch eine schöne Woche.
Herzliche Grüße,
Tanja
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Echt, von denen habe ich ja noch nie gehört?!! Man lernt nie aus. Da muß ich mal suchen. Ich glaube nicht, daß sie hier vorkommen. Die Bezeichnung Tyrannen würde auch auf so manch andere selbstbewußte Art passen 🙂 Liebe Grüße und dir auch eine gute Zeit mit viel Vogelbesuch, Almuth
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Ich hoffe das Beste für das Gebiet! Meist tut sich ja erst was, wenn sich Widerstand regt! Dieser Ochsenfrosch, Hammer! Ich habe mal ein Foto gesehen, da war der Quaker so groß wie ein kleines Rehkiz! 😀
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Danke, liebe Simone. Ich hoffe auch, daß das Gebiet erhalten bleibt. Und bin froh, daß ich noch keinem sooo großen Frosch begegnet bin…
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Such a wonderful place and great pics! Why do we often have such disregard for the value of nature? Sigh…This would be such a loss.
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Thank you! I think that so many people are far removed from what happens in the natural world and don’t even realize what they are missing. We only care about the places and creatures we know about.
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If you are not writing a book, you should. What a beautiful write. I love your intro, photos and full encompass of the share. Cheers!
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I truly appreciate your kind words.
All the best,
Tanja
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Such gorgeous pictures!
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Thank you, Diane.
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A beautiful gem of a place. Your photos are gorgeous Tanja. Human expansion is so harsh on wildlife, many don’t even think about it. And many don’t care, or maybe don’t know to care. In Maryland here, we are possibly losing Eastern Neck NWR due to lack of funds, which is another problem. ENeckNWR hosts a huge population of Tundra Swans during the winter. Where will they go when they begin to feel threatened by the humans? I know they will find another place to spend their winters. But it’ll cost them in numbers to find the place they can be safe again. So sad on human interference any way it happens. 😦
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You are so right, Donna. I really think that the main problem results from the fact that people don’t know to care, because they live so far removed from nature, and don’t even know what might be lost when certain nature preserves get developed. I think we need to get more people to get out into nature, so they see what is at stake.
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It’s sad to see how progress comes at a price to our wetlands and nature
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Yes it is. And, in the end, at a price to humans, too, because we can’t exist without nature. 😪
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So true. Sadly money is more important
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Tanja – Thank you for sharing your concerns for such a beautiful and unique place. I love your photos of the area and wildlife. I hope that it stays as it is. -Jill
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Thank you, Jill. It would be a shame to lose yet another semi-wild place.
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I see that happening here too and it makes my heart sad. I always hope that people will realize these spaces have more value long term, than the quick buck in the short term.
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