Colorado
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On the Alpine Tundra
What can you possibly see on a land as barren as the alpine tundra? Sometimes it's like magic.
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My Memories of the Big Thompson Flood
My own memories of the flood, like those of many others, are intense and unforgettable.
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The Big Thompson Flood: Colorado's Worst Natural Disaster
On the weekend of Colorado's Centennial celebration, a flash flood of historic proportions raged through the Big Thompson Canyon. This article explains the elements that came together to create the disaster and describes what happened in the canyon based on survivor's accounts.
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Colorado Cactus
Yes, we do have cacti in Colorado. From the lowest, dry places you can find and well up into the mountains, you need to watch your step or you might run into one. You might also see some exotic flowers crowning their thorns. And, do you know what is the most endangered cactus in the U.S.? Take a look here and I'll tell you.
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Gifts from My Daughter
Some of the gifts Mary brings to me are unique and "interesting," so if they arrive in a plastic cup with a lid and air holes, I open them carefully.
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The Great Horned Owl
Here is a predator that glides on silent wings and most likely lives somewhere in your town. But what do you really know about the great horned owl?
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Big Birds: The Great Blue Heron
Big, beautiful, and primitive - meet the Great Blue Heron.
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Cranes in the San Luis Valley
October and March are wonderful times to see the Sandhill Cranes in the beautiful San Luis Valley. When I hear them calling overhead, I always want to follow.
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Snow: from Flakes to Avalanches
Snow is white, fluffy, cold, hard, beautiful, dangerous and much more. Learn a little about it in this article and a lot more on the excellent web sites you can link to.
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Storms on the Peaks: Winter Wind
Winter winds on the peaks of the Rocky Mountains are truly awesome. How hard can it blow? and Why? and what is it like up there when it does? Here are some answers.
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A Holiday Wish
Holiday Wishes
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Who Is That Masked Bandit?
Who is that masked bandit? Hints: it is not the Lone Ranger and it is sometimes found in my backyard.
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A Seedy Subject
When the flowers have dropped their petals and the leaves have gone brown, Colorado fields and gardens look dreary and dead. But Wait! Don't despair. This is a time when we should look around for miracles.
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My Bear Stories
I've met a couple of Black Bears. We weren't really introduced, but we did sort of get in each other's space. This is what happened.
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Operation Osprey: Flight and Farewell
It was an exciting time when we opened the box and watched our ospreys learn to fly. This was what we had been waiting for!
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Operation Osprey: Ospreys in the Tower
Part two of a three-part series covers construction of a hacking tower, acquiring young ospreys, and watching their every move.
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Operation Osprey: What a Bird!
Part one of a three-part series tells how I got involved with introducing some very interesting avian characters to Fort Collins, Colorado.
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Bison: Yesterday and Today
How could 60 or 70 million of the largest native land animals in North America disappear from the continent? And what did the U.S. Army have to do with it?
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When the Prairie Blooms
1995 was a sweet, wet, bountiful year on the prairie east of my home. It's a wonderful year when the prairie blooms, one worth telling about.
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Watching Robin
The robin is such a familiar bird it is easy to take for granted but watching one build a nest can fascinate me for most of a day. The robin's song is like a lovely thread that runs through my entire life.
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Wildfires: What we don't want to know
Wildfires are decimating huge areas of prime forest land in Colorado and other western states. We hear constantly about the cost to human beings, but rarely does anyone mention the other victims.
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Ode To a Coot
Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge in North Park was established to provide breeding habitat for water and shore birds. Here is a quick look at the Refuge and one of its most common residents, the American Coot.
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My Snakes Are Awake!
Meet Silly Snake, a Plains Garter Snake, see how we met, and why I'm trying to keep this one and it's relatives living in my yard.
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Sorting Lichens
Lichens are not easy to name, but here's a brief explanation of the four basic types of lichens with pictures to help you along.
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How I Discovered Lichens
Nature provides such rich environments that my senses can't comprehend all of the details at once. Then, I actually see something for the first time and I get this real thrill of discovery. After that my curiousity takes over. Here's what happened when I discovered lichens.
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Soon Spring
Winter is still holding on, but the signs are all pointing to Spring in Northern Colorado. According to the birds and the bravest flowers, It's Happening!
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Swainson's Hawk in the San Luis Valley
A short tour of the county roads in the San Luis Valley provided some lovely wild flowers and an up-close look at a fledgling Swainson's Hawk.
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On the Edge of the Canyon
On the edge of a beautiful little canyon in the middle of the Colorado Plateau, I met a Dasymutilla gloriosa and was blessed by the spirit of the canyon
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Molas Lake: Jewel of the San Juans
Silverton and Molas Lake provided a magic time and place, from the majestic beauty of the scenery to the details of some wonderful wildflowers.
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Riches from the Rockies: Gold, Silver, and Crystals
I got lost and found the Camp Bird Mine, but it was only later that I learned it is the site of one of the richest mines in Colorado history.
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Winter on the Cache la Poudre River
Seasons greetings from the Cache la Poudre river on a pure, white winter morning.
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Dreaming of a Lush, Mountain Meadow
There is a time between the spirit-lifting colors of October leaves and the white beauty of winter snow, when colors fade and darkness creeps up on me. To ward off the dreaded blahs, I spend some time dreaming of a lush mountain meadow.
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Ground Squirrels: a .Couple of Cute Little Critters
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels and Uinta Ground Squirrels live in very diffent habitats. Both of them hibernate, but one of them is only active about 25% of its life because it also estivates (Whatever does that mean?)
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Alluvial Fan: A Legacy of the Lawn Lake Flood
A dam broke high in the mountains and a flash flood exploded down the Roaring Fork River. It was costly and devastating, but the alluvial fan it created is one of the fascinating geologic features of Rocky Mountain National Park.
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An Orb Weaver's Tale
Halloween is a good time to meet Hermione, an orb weaver spider, and find out how she creates her fantastic web.
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A Mule Deer's Antlers
For a Mule Deer buck, removing the velvet from his antlers is something like taking off the kid gloves. But, he can only use them for a couple of months and they aren't just used to do battle.
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In the Path of Autumn
Autumn is a time for long migrations, urgent preparations, and dramatic changes as it moves from the tundra to the plains. The signs are there in the colors and the activities of animals.
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The Painted Lady: here, there, and everywhere
From a resident population in Northern Mexico, generations of this lovely butterfly spreads out over North America every summer. It's an interesting migration pattern that repeats and repeats.
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Old World Swallowtail: a butterfly reward
A lovely black swallowtail visited my garden, but it wasn't who I thought it was. A search for its identity taught me more about swallowtails than I expected. And, what in the heck is an instar?
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Show Time for Bull Elk
In September and October, the bugling call of bull elk resounds through the forests, as they compete for the attention of the cows. It's an exciting natural drama that nature has designed to determine the strongest, healthiest bulls who will sire next years calves.
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Prairie Dog Tails: Part 2
Black-tailed prairie dogs dig pretty interesting burrows, live in large towns, and are an important part of the prairie ecosystem. Their numbers have declined drastically. Are they an endangered species in Colorado? See what the Division of Wildlife has in mind.
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Prairie Dog Tails: Part 1
Prairie dogs are a key species on shortgrass prairies in Colorado. What kind of dogs are they, anyway? And what is the disadvantage of being a "key species?" All this and more in Part 1 of a two-part article on prairie dogs.
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Columbine and Wood Lily: Two Wildflower Beauties
Consider this a tribute to two of the most beautiful wildflowers in the Colorado Rockies. They are so lovely, they must be protected by law, and by the help of everyone who enjoys them.
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Moose: Now Thriving in the Colorado Rockies
Moose were introduced to Colorado in 1978 and are thriving. I feel quite privileged to have had a few peaceful encounters with the largest member of the deer family. Here is some information about these wonderful, big animals and a couple of excellent links where you can learn more.
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Setting the Colorado Stage
Over the three billion or so years of geologic history, the land that is now Colorado has experienced tumultuous changes. Continents have drifted here and there, mountains have risen and eroded away, great seas have covered the land, then drained away. Here is the short, short story of how the present landscape emerged.
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The Amazing Wilson's Phalaropes
Their eating habits may make you dizzy, and their mating habits may leave you confused, but it's their migration that is really amazing.
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