We encountered Black-tailed Prairie Dogs during a hike at our local Cheyenne Mountain State Park this past Friday. To our great delight, this year's little ones were out and about, exploring and frolicking. May I present: Precious Prairie Pups (my husband's coinage). To enlarge a photo, click on it.
When it comes to fall foliage in Colorado, Quaking Aspens (Populus tremuloides) garner most of the enthusiasm, and rightly so. But the majority of the state’s aspen grow only in the higher reaches of the montane zone between 8,000 and 10,000 feet (2,400 to 3,000 meters) and their glory is often short-lived. Fortunately for those … Continue reading An Ode to (Scrub) Oak
Unless one is into raising chickens or other poultry, the opportunity to watch a bird develop ab ovo—from the egg—doesn’t come along every day. Up until my encounter with a pair of jelly bean–shaped hummingbird eggs during a hike at our local Cheyenne Mountain State Park on July 4, which I shared with you here, … Continue reading Ab Ovo
Out of the corner of my eye I see a fluttering movement in the green of the forest and when I espy a hummingbird, I’m not surprised, as there are a number of species who bless us with their presence during the summer months. My slightly nonchalant sensation changes once I watch this female dive … Continue reading Miracles Come in Small Packages
Cheyenne Mountain State Park opened its gates in 2006. Even though this coincided with our return to Colorado Springs, it originally did not engender curiosity enough to make us pay the $7 entrance fee, when the area offers a host of alternative outdoor playgrounds, all free of charge. That changed a few years back, when … Continue reading A Stroll in our State Park
tanja britton 