Happy August my nature loving friends. Had but a couple hours of wandering time with my Sis before the heat became uncomfortable last Friday. Thought I’d take you on a slow motion step by step of what can be enjoyed in that two hours. As I’ve mentioned before, birding is but an excuse to get outdoors. Away from internet, politics, news, and the many other woes that plague human society.
Scheduled to meet my Sis at 8:30. I always arrive about an hour earlier. I love saying hello to the new day as the sun comes up. Parking by the pavilion at Prospect Park. Coffee in hand, I arm my self with my most important weapon a lower level Nikon Z50 camera, with a 28-400 lens. I check my settings, grab an extra battery, and limber myself up for a snail paced wander. At 7:45 I head over to Prospect lake. Stopping to photograph Honey Bees as they start their morning collection of nectar and pollen. If you’ve never tried photographing bees you should. It’s quite a challenge. Then on to the gorgeous sunflowers along the lakeshore. I always love how they turn to face the sunrise. As I photograph them I look up and sitting above me is a beautiful American Goldfinch. To my surprise it posed for at least a minute allowing for some wonderful photos. Moving closer to the lake the shore explodes as a spawning carp moves through the shadows. Sitting just out from it, the nose of a rather large painted turtle barely protrudes above the water. Then from the willows swims one of eleven Wood Duck babies we’ve been watching all Spring. A Snowy Egret lands near the fishing dock looking for a bit of breakfast. I love their stealth. They can stand in place not moving for an hour, but are lightening fast when a fish comes by. I decide to practice in flight shots as Swallows are out consuming blood sucking vermin, aka mosquitoes. A small shrub becomes alive as a group of tiny little Bushtits arrive. They are the cutest little birds, and really difficult to photograph. It’s now 8:25 AM, and my Sis pulls in. As I wander over to her car I must stop and snap a few more bee photos, and the baby Barn Swallows waiting for mom and dad to bring them breakfast. I have now wandered maybe 200 yards.
I greet Lin, and look forward to the vanilla something latte drink she brings with each wander. 8:45 AM we decide it best to avoid the pre-work bicyclists on the north cement path side of the creek. Best to cross over to the foot path across the creek. We prefer the route to the west always stopping on the bridge to just admire the pretty. I have short visit with a friend I’ve met while wandering exchanging top secret locations of top secret birds, then off we go at what could be described as a drunk snails pace. Drunk because we are so busy staring up into the trees, or out into the meadows, we definitely take up a good portion of the path. But most people are quite kind in avoiding a collision with our erratic movements. 9:00 AM we have seen Yellow Warblers, Redwing Blackbirds, Kingfishers, Northern Flickers, my prize Swallowtail Butterflies, and much more. Since I only have so much space allowed me I won’t list them all. 9:30 we have made it all the way, (maybe 1/4 mile), to Bass Lake. It’s getting hot. We decide to not do the catwalk circle this morning due to that heat. Instead opting to sit on the bench and chat about happy things in our lives. 10:00 AM we head back to the park, at a faster red ant pace. A tradition we have is to reward ourselves with snacks and a cold drink after completing such a laborious adventure. Find a shady spot at the pavilion, and chat of grandkids, memories, and good times. Having grown up right across 44th Ave we have many great memories to reminisce. 10:30 AM I am headed for home and back to reality.
As you can see, my tongue in cheek writing only shows Birding can be very diverse in the beauty God has put before us. It does not have to involve long travel miles, or all day planning. I carry a camera that did not break the bank, usually a pair of binoculars, some bug spray, and water. And if you are lucky like me to have a great wandering companion. It is fun, relaxing, and a wonderful gratifying way to start a day. Give it a try.
Hope to meet you on the trail.
You can follow many of my photos on Facebook, Birds of Colorado or Bird Friends of Colorado.
