Memorial Field Day

Some of the change I eluded to is my Mom is on her way back to SC as I type this...my sister M who lives in Greenville flew over rented an SUV that we filled to the max with all mom's things, we have made the decision to move her back to SC for now.  Sure do miss her but I'll be seeing her again soon! Meanwhile I spent my Memorial Day creating memories. 

I figured I'd hit...all of what I consider my local patches here,  Like Harvey Gap.  Right off the bat Clark's Grebe!! Yessir!  The photo is a little fuzzy but they were pretty far out on the water he/she was with a couple Western Grebes. 

#442 Clark's Grebe.

It's one of those things like the first time you see the Empire State Building you don't realize the difference between it and other sky scrapers till your eyes see it. Now I see the difference the bright orange bill the brighter white face, the duller back it's all there.   Of course this bird is rare for here but not unheard of...I saw reports from previous years and one on the Colorado list over at Rifle Gap last week so I checked there next....

BINGO! 

Another one!  Swimming with Westerns...(Clark's in the background) 

I did my little celebratory sound ca-ching, also around lots of Violet Green Swallows, 2 Eared Grebes too far for decent photos, I didn't stay long because I didn't want to have to buy a day pass...I had to return my library pass last Monday.  I wanted to check Fravert Reservoir next. 

Most of the ducks have moved on, had one mallard pair, one cinnamon teal maybe a mate in the reeds and one Gadwall also maybe a mate in the reeds...

There were more Bullock's Oriole's than ducks...

Also had lots of Western Kingbird, Red-winged Blackbird, European Starlings, Yellow Warblers, and tons of Barn Swallows around. 

PHOTO MISSING

Red-winged blackbird Female

E. Starlings 

with the long primaries, Western Wood Pewee

I moved over to Lions Park at the Rest Area to check on the birds there...

Black Headed Grosbeak

The 2 pairs of nesting Osprey are doing good.  One is feeding young and the other was still on her eggs when I went there on Memorial day I will check her again before I leave.  This nest is across the river and pretty far away but she is clearly feeding young. 

The cactus are all in Bloom....some yellow and some pink...

Had a spotted sandpiper down by the Colorado river that runs right behind the rest area....

And walking back to my van had this Wild Turkey in a tree...

I've got one more post I hope to get prepared and schedule to post sine I'm leaving on Thursday.  My letter C has been sticking lately so I hope I found all of the missing ones. 

I left my sister's on Thursday 5/31 So as you read this I am out there somewhere... my plan is to stay in Colorado for about 14 days, and drift from county to county mostly in the northern and eastern counties,  hoping to fulfill some of the gaps in my bird goal before heading east...I will update if I can make that happen...I have one more scheduled post to share with you...

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

399 @ Vega State Park

Sister had mom for the day so I was free to ramble off somewhere! I had a list of places I wanted to explore and Vega State Park made the top of the list as it is pretty close.  Only about 68 miles away and at 8,000 ft elevation I hoped for and got cooler temps.  The drive is really pretty and one passes through varied terrain of all kinds, from canyons with rock formations to thick stands of fir and aspen.  

DeBeque Cut Off

along hwy 330 east near Collbran, CO

                 the electric hook up area is not my idea of fun they are lined up like parked cars...

Vega is 1,830 acres and includes a 900 acre reservoir build in 1957.  There's 4 campgrounds in the park.  I really hope I can camp in the Aspen Grove campground at some point.   There is a visitors center, and the park is well staffed as far as I could tell. 

The lake is really picturesque...

My interest is in the natural beauty, the birds, animals and plants in the park!  The main campground is early Settlers it has water and electric so it was pretty full it has 34 sites some were still available.  Aspen Grove has 28 sites with water pumps and vault toilet.  So only one camper was there.   I hiked down along the edge of the lake and had some mosquitoes but away from the high grass they didn't bother me.  

The wildflowers were fabulous...even though clouds were 
hanging low the colors still popped. 

I need to pick up a wildflower book to help me ID all these awesome flowers...some are sunflowers but I don't the others...

There is a $7 fee for Day Pass...and it's good in all the parks for 24 hrs! I had one left over from Rifle Falls, but it expired in exactly 1/2 an hr so I had to get a new one.   I parked in one of the day use lots and headed off to hike one short trail down to the water...that's where the skeeters got me.  So back at the van I got my spray and hat and didn't have any more problems.  I was so happy to hear birdsong..so I immediately starting looking around for birds...All around me were Mountains Bluebirds teaching the young how to hunt...

Check out this lazy Marmot!!  Now that's what I call chillin'

It's nice to be under these Aspens, 

Always did love the eyes...

Back to the Flower fields, I saw Pine Siskin, 

Lesser goldfinch male and female

Larkspur or Lupine?

Brewers Blackbird  Female slimmer bill than cowbird, larger in size and throat darker...

flowers attract flies, and worms...and so that means worm eaters...like the yellow rumped warbler, this one is of the Audubon variety...he blends quite well with this flower patch!

I moved up into the Aspen Grove Campground area  up this road, 

and in the aspens I spotted several house wrens.  

the lake is even more beautiful on this side...

I almost missed this bird, so I didn't get a good shot but I kept it anyway, the Black Headed Grosbeak.

...not new for me but always a pleasure, there is never a bird that I  am not happy to see no matter if I've seen it a million times.  Also ran into this cute Yellow Warbler...

up close to the campground the trees withdraw and it opens into a nice valley...

and even more wildflowers...

Indian Paintbrush

then BINGO, my 399th bird popped up in an Aspen tree...the Lazuli Bunting! I didn't get the beautiful wing bars in my photo...but no matter, it was an exciting sighting!!

Really a thrill!! 

and then several beautiful cedar waxwings flew around 

See Ya  later! 

SOOOO happy I chose Vega it IS such a gorgeous park to visit!!

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.