Rocky Mountain National Park area, Colorado
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Even before we left Denver, in fact not even
outside of the perimeter of the overnight stop at the Embassy Suites Hotel near
to the airport, there were some Stateside birds to be munched on, even if they
were all fairly common. The new airport has also spawned a new hatchling clutch
of servicing hotels nearby, so they look potentially stale from a birding point
of view. Yet a short pre breakfast walk around the perimeter found a batch of
Western Kingbirds, both noisy and approachable. Brewer's Blackbirds were in
only slightly lower numbers, but were just as brash, and held the morning light
well in the glossy sheen on the plumage. American Robins were a little more
shy, but a couple of singing Western Meadowlarks were easily located in the low
stubble.
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Open fields behind the Embassy Suites, Denver airport |
Western Kingbird |
Mourning Dove |
The real holidaying began on arrival at Estes Park,our base of the Rocky Mountain National Park. Or to be exact, just before
arriving here. Only a couple of miles short of the town, we pulled into a
popular roadside stop. The main attraction for the populace was the performance
by Least Chipmunks and Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels. A Red Squirrel skulked
in the background. Mingling with these was a Steller's Jay, and a slightly more
evasive Clark's Nutcracker.

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Steller's Jay
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Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
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Least Chipmunk
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Red Squirrell
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From our accommodation at Discovery Lodge on Big Thomson Avenue, which seems to be the main "strip" of hotels in the
town, the common residents of the area could be seen well even in the back yard
- House Finch, Violet Green Swallow, and Broad-tailed Hummingbird were all
noisy, boisterous, and easy to see. The 4 miles walk around Lake Estes is also
on the doorstep from here, with most of the birds seen again being the expected
ones - Common Grackles and Turkey Vultures in particular. The walk is pleasant
and flat, although the herd of calving
Elk presented something of a barrier at the time of our visit, with a portion
of the walk cordoned off. Even more common than the Elk are numerous Wyoming
Ground Squirrels, which are very hard to miss. The lake itself offered no more
than common Mallard and Canada Goose, and these in low numbers. A sit down on
the northern shore did turn up a pair of Spotted Sandpipers and lone Mountain
Chickadee. Overhead was productive, with three different raptors in the form of
Ferruginous Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, and Prairie Falcon.

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Lake Estes
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Lake Estes - a few miles South of Estes Park
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House Finch |
Mountain Chickadee |
Turkey Vulture |
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Violet-green Swallow |
American Coot |
Brewer's Blackbird |
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Ring-necked Duck |
Red-winged Blackbird |
Raven |
Pride of place in the Estes locale is the RockyMountain National Park. Even without the addition of wildlife it contains, this
is worthy of a visit due to the stunning scenery throughout. Costing only $20
for a week long pass, this peach of a park has glades and loose forest at its
lower end, which thins out to surround brilliant vistas from many lookouts and
short trails, to the still snow-covered tops of the spartan alpine peaks. The
Elk take pride place in the lower altitudes, and you must be extremely unlucky
not to come across these on any given visit. Taking the route 34 first along
the Trail Ridge Road means skirting the meadows of Horseshoe Park, where these
beasts are more or less guaranteed. A closer inspection is also worthwhile,
since Wyoming Ground Squirrels are also here. In one of the trees adjacent to
the road, a male Mountain Bluebird shared a branch with an American Robin, and
a Broad-tailed Hummingbird was busy feeding and occasionally resting, picked up
by its high pitched trilling. The conifers are also the home of Pygmy Nuthatch.
One of the best stops was 3 miles short of the
Alpine visitor centre, where a trail led to some impressive rocks.
Yellow-bellied Marmots seem to be almost touchable here, with one sunning
itself next to the toilets. Buff-bellied Pipits were performing song flights,
with Shorelarks visible when their song was followed. Most impressive was a
pair of Mountain Bluebirds building a nest - amongst the woodwork of the
visitor centre itself! They were even watched and photographed through the
window of the coffee shop.

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Horseshoe Park, Rocky Mountain NP
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View from the Alpine Visitor Centre, Rocky Mountain NP
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Mountain Bluebird |
Female Mountain Bluebird |
Buff-bellied Pipit |

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Broad-tailed Hummingbird
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Wyoming Ground Squirrel
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Elk
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Yellow-bellied Marmot
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