Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge

Scott was going to Memphis, the weather forecast for the next week looked good, I wanted some more bird photos and I didn't want to spend a lot of money. So, I decided to take a day trip south to where migratory birds could be found. And, I packed a bag in case I decided to stay a little longer.

My first stop was Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern New Mexico.

Just two and half hours away

Maxwell encompasses 3,699 acres of short-grass prairie, lakes, woodlots, wetlands and crop fields surrounded by high mesas to the northeast and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the west. The area has been managed as a refuge since 1965. More than 60 Bald Eagles winter there every year.

When I arrived, the area looked completely desolate. Even though the website said that visitor center should have been open, the gate was closed and padlocked shut. So, I drove just a little past to a stand of bare trees. As I approached, four or five immature Bald Eagles took off from the tree, leaving just one behind. I quietly exited my car and got a few shots of that one taking off as I approached.

Bald Eagle!

That was as close as I got to the many Eagles I saw the rest of the morning. But, this one circled around quite a bit before alighting on a distant tree.

I was glad I checked it out

And, as it landed, another Eagle soared around for awhile, as well.

This one looks a year older (maybe 3rd?)

After watching the Eagles head off to distant trees, I drove around the dirt roads looking for more birds. The flat landscape is ringed by mountains and the lake was still frozen, which is probably why there weren't many different birds.

The area is surrounded by ranches

There were lots and lots of Eagles -- most of them immature. I must have seen 15 or 20. Most flew off when I tried to get out of the car. The almost-mature one below was fairly far away at the top of a pine tree. And, it even flew off as I crossed the road. When I first saw it, I thought it was an adult, but as it flew, I could see it still had white on its wings and its tail hadn't turned pure white yet. On second inspection, I could see that its dirty-looking head was still sporting some brown feathers.

Fourth year Baldie

As I criss-crossed the refuge, I re-checked the Visitor Center twice. The gate was unlocked and open, so I thought the center might be open, but the door was locked and the inside dark. I suspect that there is a small staff in the winter and that they lock up when they have to go out and patrol. They whole time I was driving around, I saw only two other cars. So, it probably doesn't make sense to have a big staff.

Mule Deer

And, I saw a fair number of Mule Deer as well. Like the Eagles, they seemed skittish -- watching me like a Hawk every time I stopped to take a picture (of, course, I am used to neighborhood deer that are a bit more accustomed to people). And, speaking of Hawks ...

This one was very rufous

Maxwell has its fair share. I saw a number of Red-tailed Hawks, all with varying coloration.

More typical dark head, pronounced belly band

I kept thinking that I had come across some other types of Hawk. I still struggle to differentiate among Red-tailed, Cooper's and Ferruginous Hawks (not mention Sharp-shinned or Rough-legged), but I am not sure I have ever seen the latter ones. But, I am working on it.

The striped tail and light eyes say juvenile

As one would expect, there were also a number of smaller birds. The stand-outs were meadowlarks with their beautiful voices and bright yellow breasts. I saw trees full of them, but like the raptors, they also flew as I approached.

Pretty bird with a pretty song

I suspect springtime brings many more varieties of birds, so I was probably early. After driving a couple of hours to get there and seeing only (OK, I may be spoiled) Eagles and Hawks, I still wanted more.

Watching me

So, I decided to head south to warmer weather and some guaranteed Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese. I'll cover that in my next post.

Trip date: January 27-29, 2016

Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Barr Lake State Park and More

Here's some information on a few more Colorado spots that I have visited recently.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal
Ok, you see it on a map: "Rocky Mountain Arsenal" and the first thing you think of is ... wildlife?  Probably not.

A surprising place for wildlife

It's an interesting story: The site, located on the east side of Denver in a decidedly industrial area, housed a chemical weapons manufacturing and storage center for the U.S. military from 1942-1969. Products included napalm, mustard gas, lewisite, chlorine gas, Sarin gas, rocket fuel and even some commercial pesticides. From 1970-1985, RMA was used as a demilitarization site to destroy munitions and related items. SuperFund remediation began in 1985. 

Photo: U.S. Army

Because there were so few people on the site during remediation, it became an "accidental refuge" for animals escaping Denver city sprawl. And, then eagles started to spend the winter there. So, the government decided to make it a wildlife refuge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that more than 330 species of wildlife, including deer, coyotes, white pelicans and owls, live in or pass through RMA. In 1992, RMA became a National Wildlife Refuge and, in 2007, a small herd of wild bison was introduced.  A visitor center opened in 2011.

Photo: Rocky Mountain Arsenal

Oddly, I haven't many pictures from RMA. The first time I went, I must not have seen anything interesting - or I lost the shots. The second time, I saw a Bald Eagle overhead as I was driving in and one very far away on a lake surface, plus the Red-tailed Hawk I have posted here. I have yet to get good photos of the Bison herd. 

Barr Lake State Park
I have only been to Barr Lake State Park, northeast of Denver in Brighton, one time -- on a very cold and windy day. But, I will go back.

Magnificent view

The setting is beautiful and there are great accommodations for viewing the resident pair of Bald Eagles and the many additional ones that visit for winter. There is an 8.8. mile flat trail around the lake with a blind and several viewing gazebos -- one that allegedly looks right on the Eagle nest. I didn't walk that far on the day I went because of the snow, ice and wind. The park also has a shooting range -- seems to be a popular sport at state parks -- and boating and fishing when the lake isn't solid ice.

Frozen lake

The lake is large and, like Cherry Creek State Park, frozen over in January -- inviting eagles to roost very far from camera lenses. This one apparently didn't want to be photographed.

On the ice

I understand that when the lake thaws, there will be lots of birds to photograph -- their website says 350 varieties. As it was on that January day, I had to be content with Canada Geese, which seem to enjoy all kinds of weather ...

A flock flies by

... and a variety of small birds, including this little House Finch ...

House Finch

The website also says there are Elk at Barr Lake. I didn't see any. I'll report back after I visit in the spring.

Paint Mines Interpretive Park
Out near Calhan, east of Colorado Springs, is a very unusual spot -- Paint Mines Interpretive Park.

Paint Mines

The approximately 750 acres of colorful geological formations including gullies, spires, hoodoos and exposed layers of clay and jasper that were formed through erosion. 

There's an overlook and four miles of trails with interpretive signs. The area is unusual because it sits in the middle of a prairie surrounded by farms. It must have been quite a surprise to anyone who stumbled upon it.

Bright colors

And people did. There is evidence of human life as far back as 9,000 years ago. Native American artifacts, including arrow heads and stone dart tips, have been found in the Mines. In addition, there is evidence that clay was used in prehistoric and historic times to create and paint pottery and for ceremonial purposes (it makes sense -- there is brown, white and a beautiful red). The early peoples also used the deep impressions in the land to herd buffalo into a gulch where they could be easily hunted with bows and arrows. 

Just up the road from my house ... pretty cool, huh?

And, on the way there, I got a wonderful prairie perspective of Pikes Peak -- complete with some Pronghorn.

Distant Pronghorn

Bluestem Prairie Open Space/Johnson Reservoir
Even closer to my house is the Bluestem Prairie Open Space and the Big Johnson Reservoir near Security-Widefield (great town names, huh?), which I hear is a great place for bird watching. I have been twice and plan to visit more frequently next spring.

American Kestrel

The area is a natural bowl holding El Paso County's largest body of water, the Big Johnson Reservoir. There is a trail around the lake, open prairies and bird nesting platforms. I have seen American Kestrels, a Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawks, Western Meadowlarks and Horned Larks.

Meadowlark, left, and Horned Lark, right

My Backyard
In the future, I plan to blog about some other local areas, including Castlewood Canyon and Cheyenne Mountain State Parks, but I can't go any further without a little plug for another great wildlife viewing area: my back yard. Well, actually, my neighborhood.

A 24-hour spread as fall turns to winter; taken from a back upstairs window

We live on Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, tucked just under NORAD. Our house sits at 6,640 ft.; Cheyenne Mountain summits at 9,570 ft. Most of the east side of the mountain is restricted because of NORAD, but The Broadmoor does have a luxury rustic hotel -- Cloud Camp -- at the top. It also has an impressive antenna farm.

Cheyenne Mountain with fresh snow from an upstairs front window

The two most common -- and adorable -- animals in our yard are Hummingbirds ...

Female Broad-tailed, left; male Broad-tailed, upper right; male Rufous, lower right

I was lucky to get some video of male Hummingbirds taken at our feeder (if video doesn't appear, click here).

... and Mule Deer ...

Deer in the yard

                            

But, of course, we have squirrels ...

Black Squirrel

... Red Foxes (although not as often as when we first moved in) ...

Red Fox sleeping in my front yard

... birds ...

Male Black-headed Grosbeak

... bunnies ...

                                      

... and, an occasional Bear ...

Black Bear in the neighborhood

Black bear in our backdoor neighbor's garbage; taken from our kitchen window

It's a great place to live.

Rainbow from our upstairs window

Brainard Lake/Indian Peaks

Yesterday I blogged about Cherry Creek State Park and then, to my horror, I discovered that I never blogged about Brainard Lake Recreation Area, one of my favorite spots in Colorado. Caty and I learned about it from the Front Range Wildlife Photographers. It is very popular among photographers (we've actually met some of the folks whose work we admire there).

Brainard Lake

So, I will make amends with a quick overview of the multiple times I have been to Brainard Lake -- including camping for a long weekend. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Brainard Lake Recreation Area is a subalpine forest in a glacially carved valley located south of Rocky Mountain National Park near the town of Ward. Besides the gorgeous Rocky Mountain scenery, it is a draw because it is a great place to see big boy Moose.

Male Shiras Moose

At 10,500 ft. at the lake and much higher on some of the hikes, it has a very short season -- mid-June through mid-October. And, even in summer, it can be very chilly at night.

Mountain peaks

The scenery is what you typically think of when you think of the Rockies: lakes, wildflowers, rock formations, marshes, pine trees. The elevation and remoteness combine to create very clear skies -- great for viewing and photographing the Milky Way.

Milky Way

Pretty all day long, Brainard Lake is especially beautiful at sunrise, where the sun is at the correct angle for nice reflections (if you are lucky enough to get a windless morning).

Early, early morning reflection

The lakes often have Moose in them ...

Water Moose

... plus, Moose often graze along the road that partially skirts the lake. The road goes all the way around the lake and was obviously previously open to cars because it has parking spaces all the way around.  But, now, half or more of it is closed to auto traffic. 

Road Moose

We have witnessed quite a few frightening scenes where people get very, very close to the moose. I think a lot of people don't really have an idea of how dangerous these giant animals can be. Yes, they are herbivores, so they don't attack as a Mountain Lion or even Bear would with claws and teeth. But, if they are frightened or feel trapped, they can charge and trample people to death. 

Adult Shiras Moose (which is what we have in Colorado, as opposed to Alaska, Northwestern or Eastern Moose), can weigh between 500 and 1,400 lbs. and they have hooves. We always plan an escape route, standing close to our car or trees, so that we can at least have something to put between us and the Moose if it decides to run. When moose have antlers, they cannot easier run in narrow spaces between trees.

Be careful!

Moose are particularly sensitive to dogs and, yet, many people walk their dogs right past a grazing Moose. Once, we witnessed a moose that was seemingly oblivious to dogs until one specific dog walked by ...

"Get that mutt away from me!"

... that stare was directed at the dog (for a very very very long time). That Moose, by the way, is Brainard's famous "Scarface," so named because of prominent scars on his face.

Scars from who know what

The actual recreation area is relatively small, but it leads into the Indian Peaks Wilderness  ...  

Two areas come together

.... around Long Lake ... 

Long Lake is close

... and Lake Isabelle ...

A longer walk

... up to Isabelle glacier. You can hike to the glacier, but I haven't done that.

Isabelle Glacier

In the summertime, the Moose tend to frequent the Brainard Lake area.

Grazing

But, as fall approaches, they move up toward Long Lake. A word of caution here: the volunteers at the park sometimes give incorrect information about Moose. We were once told that the Moose were "gone for the season," when, actually no moose had been seen for just a few hours. We ignored her and saw a Moose almost immediately after talking with her.

There are a number of nice trails.

Lots of options

There is a very pleasant hiking trail around Long Lake that then continues on to Lake Isabelle. The Long Lake trail has only a slight elevation gain, so it is not very strenuous (except, for those who are not used to high altitude). The loop is only 2.8 miles round trip. You can access the trail from both the Long lake trailhead and the Niwot Cutoff Trail, which is a pleasant stroll through the woods and offers a solution to parking restrictions at Long Lake 

Nice trail

We have seen quite a few Moose along the hike, mainly on the south side ...

Bulls

... and, Long Lake is the place we have seen cows and calves as well as bulls ...

Calf and cow

In addition to moose, there are many other animals, including squirrels ...

Pine Squirrel

... birds ...

CW: Wilson's Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, juvenile Dark-eyed Junco, Clark's Nutcracker, Pine Grosbeak, Gray Jay

... Trout (of course, this one wasn't posing voluntarily) ...

Recent catch

... and Snowshoe Hares, which live only at higher elevations (this was in the summer, so it didn't have its white fur yet).

Snowshoe Hare

And, the wildflowers are the most magnificent I have seen in Colorado.

Purple and yellow are my favorite

When you hike up to Lake Isabelle, the scenery changes a bit, becoming rockier and less forested. While not a difficult hike, it does have some elevation gain and could be a little challenging for anyone who hasn't hiked at altitude. It's a 4.2 mile round trip hike with a gain of about 350 ft. If you hike to the glacier (which we didn't), its 8.75 miles round trip with a 1,500 ft. elevation gain.

Sometimes the trail may be muddy as well and you do traverse a small log across a steam. This is a bit of challenge for me because I have a small phobia about rocks or logs across streams. But, I did it!

The hike

The lake itself is in a big glacier bowl. When Caty and I did the hike, the lake was very low although there was ample muddy evidence that it had recently been much higher. 

The destination

I'd like to go back some time to see it when the lake is full (and when it is less breezy). I have seen pictures with a gorgeous reflection. But, I certainly can't complain about the blue sky and puffy clouds we had on the day of our hike. 

Lake Isabelle

As I mentioned, there is camping at Brainard Lake, as well as a beautiful picnic area. Some of the camping spots can be reserved via www.recreation.gov and some are on a first-come, first-served basis. Brainard Lake is very popular, so the odds of getting a spot for a weekend are very slim unless you plan well in advance. We went on a Thursday and got a gorgeous site. 

The Moose Loop sites are spacious and have enough trees and foliage to make then very private and beautiful. Parts of the Elk Loop look as though a storm or disease has killed many of the trees, so there is limited shade or privacy. Go for the Moose!

Campsite

There was ample room for two cars, for our screen tent over the picnic table (which we really didn't need because there was plenty of shade and no bugs) ...

Set-up

... and our Little Guy camper. Scott and I camped on Thursday and then Caty came up for the weekend (Scott went home so we didn't have to set up a tent as well). The Snowshoe Hare hung around our site for quite a bit of the time we were there ...

Our buddy

... but he was shy about showing us his namesake feet ...

Feets!

The camping trip was great for Scott because at the time, unlike Caty and me, he had seen very few Moose in Colorado. He got to see one of the big guys (see him lurking there in the background).

Scott

Also, a word about traffic. As I said, Brainard Lake is very popular. When parking spaces fill up, they hold up cars at the entrance gate. The first time I went, I had to wait for over an hour to get in. Plus, once in the park, volunteers are parked at several loops, further restricting traffic, especially to the Indian Peaks Trailhead parking lots. Since they don't allow you to wait in a line for access, it is possible (well, probable) that someone who arrived after you will get in before you for a parking space. And, if you just want to drive the roads to scout for Moose, some volunteers will let you through and some won't. Although I am not sure, it feels like parking control is a power trip for some of the volunteers and some seem annoyed that people are there. Others are delightful.

Oh, and there is no cell service -- and spotty service on the drive there.

Even with the trials and tribulations associated with popularity, Brainard Lake Recreation Area is gorgeous ...

We were lucky to have a windless morning

...and a great spot for Moose watching. It's definitely a favorite place.

A big boy