As a short, squat person, I have always envied long-legged creatures. That fact alone doesn’t explain my fascination with birds who seem to walk on stilts, but it might contribute. And so it was with great joy that, in early April, I greeted the first sizeable flock of migratory shorebirds to grace the shore of … Continue reading April Brings Avocets
A continual chant pouring forth from the beaks of Western Meadowlarks. The occasional twitter of Horned Larks. Near-constant chirping of curious yet cautious Black-tailed Prairie Dogs. A sporadic appearance of Pronghorn. Last but not least, sweeping views of Pikes Peak, our local fourteener, and its lower Front Range neighbors. These are some of the delights … Continue reading Precious Prairie
At 6,000 feet, spring takes its sweet time arriving, and night frosts threaten to damage or destroy early bloomers until the middle of May. Most years, the flowers in our garden are tempted by warm March sunshine, only to be covered by April snowfall. We have been making an effort to replace water-guzzling lawn with … Continue reading Spring Has Sprung
If someone asked me to name my favorite bird, I wouldn’t be able to. How could I? There are around 10,500 known avian species worldwide and I have encountered only about 500 of them in my life thus far. When fellow birders say that their favorite bird is the one in front of them at … Continue reading Bluebirds Make Me Happy
Somewhat surprisingly, we have had a wet spring in Colorado Springs. Living in a state suffering from drought for the last decades, repeated episodes of late snow and rain have been very welcome. Of note, while the foothills of the Rockies as well as plains have benefitted, the western third of the state, also known … Continue reading Wildflowers of May
tanja britton 