I am back from my wonderful, but wintry, trip to Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and surrounding areas this past weekend. It was great to spend time with my family in beautiful country - and the birds weren't bad either.
For much of the trip the mornings were cold and snowy, with temperatures climbing throughout the day - only to be replaced by afternoon and overnight snow showers that would start the process over again.
The shots here were all taken within the park on Friday morning, as I drove along the entrance and Fern Lake roads before meeting with a group to participate in a ranger led birdwalk. As I arrived an inversion was holding cloud along the floor of the valley, creating an environment of 'ghost elk' (above middle), and bluebird calls from the gloom. By the time I had made it to the end of the road at the Fern Lake trailhead the sun was burning through and the branches were beginning to shed their wintry loads.
The shots here were all taken within the park on Friday morning, as I drove along the entrance and Fern Lake roads before meeting with a group to participate in a ranger led birdwalk. As I arrived an inversion was holding cloud along the floor of the valley, creating an environment of 'ghost elk' (above middle), and bluebird calls from the gloom. By the time I had made it to the end of the road at the Fern Lake trailhead the sun was burning through and the branches were beginning to shed their wintry loads.
As the walk began the skies had cleared and the views west to the Continental Divide were spectacular. I hope to have many picture posts in the coming days, so that I can get turned around and ready for the Colorado Field Ornithologists convention next weekend. My totals after this trip to the high country:
2010 Count: 141
Lifetime: 218
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