Grand Mesa camp

The Grand Mesa takes us up over 10,000 ft...the van was straining to make it up the grade so I took my time.  This is my first visit up there this time of year so I was surprised to see a lot of unmelted snow laying about. 

I had hoped it was fully open but it wasn't the Visitors Center still closed with dirty snow banks surrounding it...but nature is never closed!  I enjoyed stopping to view the lakes that I could get to...like this overlook of Island Lake.

Looks as if lots of snowmobiles zoomed over the lake this past winter...

I stopped at Cobbett Lake above, for a lunch break and was immediately joined by this Steller's Jay, he jumped right down to let me know he wanted some of what I had, 

so I shared some chips with him...

And a little Gray Headed Dark Eyed Junco also came to see what he could scavenge from my visit. 

This drop of water got on the lens of the camera it really made an interesting orb on this photo...

There is no bad view here....

The hiking trails are still quite muddy so I didn't go far...I brought one pair of hikers with me!

 Ward Lake Campground  was not officially open, but was open with no services and FREE!.
.So I was glad to find a good spot to spend the rest of the day and night. 

Had a nice conversation with a local logger who was camped nearby, he told me about the beetle problem that is killing many of the trees here.  The mature trees fall victim to the Pine Beetle and the Spruce Beetle along with Bark Beetle, the first infestations occurred in 1996, now more than 1.1 Million acres are infested. 

We got the attention of a Gray Jay...not just one but 3 of them! (now they call them Canada Jay)

nicknamed the "camp robber" one jumped right in my frying pan when I was camped up in the Olympic National Forest in Washington.  

and more Stellers' to challenge them, but guess who won the big battle??

American Robins!!  I have never seen Robins be aggressive but they sure were!

It was cool and later after a walk Casey and I went into out cozy home away from home for an afternoon siesta and right about that time I saw a flash of gold...and low and behold 

The female Pine Grosbeak! Lifer and that's about the time a flash of red smacked me...the bright beautiful male Pine Grosbeak!

#440

I have been wishing for this bird on every trip to high country.  And they came right to me, poked around a while; the female looks to be gathering some nesting material. 

A text book example of this species...

Later some nice light hit the trees across the lake...

and not much later the sun began to go down...we had a meal and called it a day...

And it got COLD we had frost on our tub of camp "stuff" when we got up...while I made coffee Casey tried to warm up...

the face of bliss...

...and another visitor eyed our camp...

he tries to look nonchalant, but I see what he is up to...

Ok little buddy time for your  breakfast...or someone else may get it...

A Mohawk sporting  White Crowned Sparrow (dark lored) gave us a backwards glance...

And when we packed up we drove over to Land's End road it is still closed, so I took a short walk it was too muddy to enjoy but I saw about 12 American Pipits

I saw my first Pipit right here in this area last year....so I'd saw this is a reliable spot to find them.  

Before you know it it was time to drive down off the Mesa and we exited to the South, at Cedaredge.  

 And another visit to the Fruitgrower's  Reservoir North Causeway in Orchard City...I'm going to split this day up

so that will be next!

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Vega...

With my library pass hanging on the rear view I made my way toward Vega State Park, ( A Spanish word meaning....a large plain or valley, typically a fertile and grassy one) I went there last year for a look around and really wanted to camp there.  My sis made the suggestion I take the lesser traveled Collbran/Silt road and so happy that she did that it was such a highlight!! 

On the way there CR 331 takes me through some pretty ranch and farm lands and that means (my favorite) fence post birding and that is never disappointing!  

rare to get a snipe right out in the open like this

And just 4 posts down...

                                                     a tail fanning western meadowlark

Then I take the turn onto 330 East.  It's a dirt road that travels 40 miles through the White River National Forest, I saw quite a few wildflowers finally starting to show...I love dandelions and so do bees.  

FS 330 East Gulch Road

                         had a warbling vireo singing and hiding in one of these white blossom shrubs

                                              Big Chiming Bells,,,,so appropriately named.

And  Tall Larkspur 

Which is said to be poisonous to cattle...

And this unlucky soul is memorialized here...follow the link on her name to read the sad story. 

Courtni Bieser 1986-2010

Stopped here at the almost halfway point to let Casey out for a stretch and had one myself...

A who knows the name of this lovely yellow flower, some kind of sunflower?

  I arrive at Vega State Park to find the lake level is down compared to my visit here last year. 

...and not as many birds around either...saw a few tho and enjoyed every single one...like this what I originally called a Mottled duck I just stopped looking once I saw the black at the gape of the bill, I should have not taken that for granted as the reviewer on ebird pointed me to the rear of the bird and the white and black which makes this a Mallard/Mexican Hybrid...okay even better! 

And a fine looking duck he is too!  Had him a summer fling going on...

There was plenty of open sites in all except the Electric Loop so I tried out a few and settled on this spot on up on the hill where the wind was not hitting directly it had picked up considerably...white caps even.  When I took my afternoon siesta it was so relaxing with the awesome lake view and the peace and quiet. 

Across the lake the Aspen Trees are really leafing out..and it sure makes the hillside nice...

That Osprey nest is occupied, glad to say.  

Before we called it a day we took a few more photos of the lake..and a little drive around...

I picked up the Dusky Flycatcher here a horrid record shot didn't matter!  Why does my camera always not focus when it's so important?

  That was my 2nd lifer since my arrival in CO this spring, (with the 3 Baird's Sandpipers a couple weeks ago)...had lots of Mountain Bluebird and White Crowned Sparrows in the trees.  (a quick edit here...this is the dark lore sub species of the white crowned, and the beak is a more maroon color than yellow I have only recently learned this as I am not so much into the "science" of birds but since I came west more and more on the Colorado Ebird Rare list this one makes the list.  So I guess it matters)   

in the woods edge, some mule eared deer...

one in a hurry crosses the road...while this Marmot has taken up an outpost position on the top of an abandoned and collapsed shack... 

How's the view from there?

Red-Tailed Hawk

Then this stream ran right across the road so I turned back....a 4 x 4 like my old 1984 Bronco II would have come in handy here...if I had't traded it back in 1997.  Somethings we really should hold onto never know when you will wish you had it!

We rolled into our spot  for good, we had a great view.. 

 That was about the end of our day....

In the morning we had a really pretty sunrise

Breakfast done and we were ready to explore...Casey is getting old he can't go on hikes any more... so after his walk I put him in the cool shade, and he took his after breakfast nap while I took a hike on the lake trail.   

SO many Yellow Warblers, Yellow-Rumped Warblers of Audubon and Myrtle subs and more White Crowned Sparrows and lots of Broad Tailed Hummers trrrrrrrrrillllling and zooming around.  Had one trying to feed off my red plaid shirt too close for a photo...then looking up at this wire I spotted a Black Chinned.

Puffed up against the morning chill...

the filtered light was so pretty...

HELLO...I think he was warming up 

 a woods serenade...

 a solo performed by the Green Tailed Towhee! Enjoy.

after lunch we headed to The Grand Mesa over 10,000 ft...up next. 

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.