August mid-season

My first living place in Denver did not work out at all, and I was out in a few weeks.  I moved a bit west to the city-suburb of Lakewood, and its much better.  Barn Swallows were nesting in the carport when I moved in.
        I joined Denver Field Ornithologists and met some nice people on field trips.  Earlier in the summer I saw Western Grebes at Barr Lake.  During a recent field trip at Barr Lake we watched Western Grebes with fuzzy gray greblings who were very interested in the minnows offered by the parent.

       Yellow-headed Blackbirds were enjoying the sunshine and preening.  
     Next weekend I will join the group for a trip to a few good shorebird places to the NE.  It seems like shorebird migration is half-over. 

Penstemon is a favorite flower.  They grow in dry, rocky, inhospitable places with beautiful flowers.

Mid-summer

Mornings dawn clear and blue, most of the time.  By lunch time there are a few clouds to the west and by mid-afternoon big cumulus clouds are growing over the mountains.  Rain falls sometimes, in random parts of the city.  When I lived in central valley California I was used to the Mediterranean-type climate where you could leave a car window open until October and not see any rain.  Not so here !!
     Last Saturday I joined a small group of birders for a walk around Echo Lake.  At 10,600 ft we walked slowly !  The restaurant is popular for breakfast and lunch.  Birders come to watch the hummingbird feeders.

     A Rufous hummingbird busy chasing away the Broad-tailed hummer males.

This Yellow-breasted Chat surprised me during a walk at White Ranch Open Space park.  even more surprising that I could snap a picture of it !!

A young Robin standing on the trail, perhaps the parents have stopped feeding it.

Anthem

     I am doing training with a roomful of people, and an enthusiastic young woman who is the instructor.  There is no thick paper manual or binder, its all on computer now.  Each new employee has their own computer.  We have adequate breaks from our chairs, and the cafeteria is at the other end of the hallway.  Considering this is an 11-story building we are lucky to have the lunch room so close.
     Dress code ?   Everyone is wearing pants, except for the obese ladies wearing dresses. 
There is a bike rack in the front of the parking garage.  Maybe Thursday I can start riding Fuji-bike to work, when the rain storms clear away.
     I spent the Fourth of July holiday weekend with my friend Sandy at her house in the forest.  We went hiking at 2 nice places to the west of her place.  This Eastern Kingbird, above, was most cooperative.


Paintbrush,  and Penstemon.  2 beautiful wildflowers of the open meadows.









Western Wallflower at Tarryall Reservoir off Highway  24                                                   

Denver

The mile high city.  I accepted the job on Friday, and confirmed renting a room in an apartment in the southeast corner of Denver.  Hurray !!  It is true I am not a city person, I am glad to end this bout of unemployment.  Bus routes look good between the apartment and the office location.
     Early morning Saturday I went walking at Bobcat Ridge.  Birds were singing in the cool morning air.  A Yellow Warbler, Western Kingbirds near a nest site, a beautiful Lazuli Bunting male, and an Eastern Kingbird.  That surprised me.  An Eastern Kingbird in the same morning on the same trail as a group of Western Kingbirds.
     I have no photos of any of those birds, so I will close with the Red Crossbill family on the railing at my friend's house.  Top photo is Dad and Mom Red Crossbil, below is their recently fledged young one.  A few times I watched it begging Dad for food.

June

I have been looking in and around Denver, and will let everyone know when the good news happens.  In between phone calls, interviews, and internet sessions I have been walking in good bird places.  One morning I heard the calls of what sounded like a Blue Jay.  Not believing that Blue Jays came this far west I kept walking.  Later on I met a local birder who told me, Yes, there are Blue Jays here and they are successful.
     Other nice birds I have seen this Spring include Bullock's Orioles, Black-headed Grosbeaks, and Red Crossbills.  My one new Life Bird for this year was the Gunnison Sage-Grouse.
     3 years ago I spent the winter in Greeley, CO.  We traveled a few times to a marsh to see Owls and Harriers.  Another big surprise this year was in the Spring, when shallow ponds melt, many ducks and wading birds come to this marsh.  Photographs taken at Latham Marsh.  Above is a Black-necked Stilt calling.  Below a Cinnamon Teal looking beautiful.

Staying around

Hello blog readers.  No, I was not eaten by a bear, nor did I become lost in the forest.  I will say, bluntly, this winter was a difficult experience and I may never work for Vail again. (my choice).  Vail put the employees in a bad situation, and then made things worse.  I have been working for awhile on recovering my sanity.
     I have some good leads on real jobs that pay twice as much as working at the parks.  As much as I love Grand Tetons Park, the next time I go there I will be a visitor.
     A photo of the Evening Grosbeaks that come to my friend's feeders.

Snowboarding event

The 2015 US Open for Snowboarding was held at Vail this year.  As in February, being a spectator is free.  There much less formal structure to this event;  no stadium, no security for all spectators, and no presentation of flags for each country participating.  Spectators walked up the sleep slopes along a fence protecting the half-pipe.  I stood at a good vantage point to be able to see the half-pipe competition and the slope-style riders.

 The women were competing the day I went to see the event.  Participants are judged on style, technique, and the  "tricks"  performed.  Judges use the tall posts in the background to determine the height of each rider's acrobatic tricks.  "Getting good air"  is a goal.

This is slope style.  A rider achieves  "good air" coming up a steep slope and launches a trick at the top.

I wonder how many times he fell while learning this trick.

A rider with good form in the air.