Day 4 was the day we had a timed entry pass into Rocky Mountain National Park which only meant we could enter between 10am and 2pm and also that we could access the Bear Lake area which is only allowed with an entry pass. So we decided to take advantage and do one of the most popular hikes in the park - Emerald Lake. We made it in no problem, but experienced some issues with parking due to the crowds. We finally got the shuttle up to the trailhead and the hike was relatively short but beautiful.
Emerald Lake itself was gorgeous! We saw some guys jump in so George and I stripped to our skivvies and jumped into the glacial water. BRRrrr! Invigorating.
On the way out of the park I convinced the family to let me stop at Beaver Meadows which is a nice valley with a burned out pine forest that had many recent reports of American Three-toed Woodpecker. It didn't take long before I had one!
Unfortunately it was a female so it didn't have the yellow crown, but all the other field marks lined up. Apparently the Rocky Mountain individuals have a white stripe down the back like Hairy Woodpeckers which threw me off at first but it was calling and drumming just like an American Three-toed and the flanks were barred not to mention other field marks.
Hammond's Flycatcher
Black-billed Magpie
The next day was spent with family in Colorado Springs. We took a nice hike up to some waterfalls and the park office had some feeders which were swarming with Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Dark-eyed Junco
Pygmy Nuthatch
The next day was also consumed by family stuff but we got out for a short hike on a Blue Stem Prairie in the morning while the boys slowly woke. The place was called Big Johnson Reservoir - I kid you not.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Burrowing Owl
It seems everything in Colorado is beautiful, even random reservoirs.
Melissa - always on a mission to find something up ahead. I hope she finds it.
Western Meadowlark
In the afternoon we made the obligatory drive up to Pikes Peak, one of the highest places in the US you can drive to.
14k feet up!
On our way back down we stopped in Manitou for dinner and then a short walk at Red Rocks.
Double rainbows are apparently quite common here so my in-laws said.
Spotted Towhee
Mule Deer
Garden of the Gods as photographed from Red Rocks.
Brown-headed Cowbird
I was a little confused by this Phoebe but apparently an Eastern Phoebe was being reported and flagging as rare here.
Lazuli Bunting
Early the next morning we decided to give the Manitou Incline a crack. We had done it once before a number of years ago, and the boys wanted to see if they could better their previous times. The Manitou Incline is a series of 2700 plus steps straight up the side of a mountain for an elevation gain of 2000 feet.
Straight up for almost a mile.
I made it in about an hour where the boys in half the time.
We had one more stop that afternoon at Garden of the Gods before having dinner with the in-laws and heading to the airport.
White-throated Swift
Prairie Falcon!
Great times.
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