Colorado Nature Narratives

When I first moved to Colorado Springs, I was an 18-year-old college student. More than anything else about that first year, I remember the thrill of waking up every morning and looking out at Pikes Peak. My parents saved the letters I wrote that fall, letters full of long descriptions about the clear, crisp weather, the sky that always seemed to be blue, and the new snowfall on the tops of the mountains.

Having grown up comfortably enveloped in the hardwood and pine forests of Louisiana, I simply felt different in Colorado. I felt as tall as any tree as I gazed out at the expansive horizon. Views of horizons were new to me.

Here in this place, I could see where I wanted to go. I wanted to go around Cheyenne Mountain to see what was on the other side. I wanted to explore the upended rocks of Garden of the Gods. I wanted to climb Pikes Peak.

Then, I found that wherever I went in the Pikes Peak Region, I could see where I had been. On top of Mt. Cutler, I could see my dorm back on campus. On top of Pikes Peak, I could see the cottonwood trees marking Fountain Creek’s path to the Arkansas River—a river that eventually met the Mississippi and flowed through my home state. Like so many before me, I was captivated by this place. Now it is my home.

In the ensuing years, I have discovered that alongside this Region’s stunning beauty are unforgettable stories of its people; inseparable from its beauty are its native plants and wildlife; and the foundations of its beauty are its rocks, canyons, mountains and horizons.

Pikes Peak on the Horizon & Indian Paintbrush

Photo by Author Melissa Walker

Dry, dry, dry and windy sums up the weather in Colorado Springs for the last two months. During March and April, we usually have over a foot of snow. This year, we have had only a dusting. I went on a short hike last week at Bear Creek Nature Center to look for my favorite spring wildflower – the Pasque flower. The trails showed few signs of spring – it has been so dry. Finally, I found two pale Pasque flowers beginning to bloom on a shady slope. They had pushed through a brittle layer of last year’s scrub oak leaves.

Pasque Flowers and Oak Leaves

Later that day, my brother called from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to describe how migrating birds are beginning to arrive in his snow-filled part of the state. He sent a photo of a Sandhill Crane struggling to walk on snow and of a Mountain Bluebird perched on snow. The birds are having a difficult time finding any bare ground. He described Steamboat Springs’ weather for the last two months as “snow, snow, snow and more snow.” This week, the Steamboat Springs Pilot newspaper reports that the area still has 15 feet of snow on nearby Buffalo Pass and over 9 feet on Rabbit Ears Pass. My brother reports that he has over two feet of snow in his yard in town.

Sandhill Crane Walking through Snow

Mountain Bluebird Perched in Snow

How could our weather be so different? Colorado Springs is in a rain shadow, a phenomenon of mountain weather patterns. Colorado Springs is on the east slope of Colorado’s mountains, and Steamboat Springs is nestled against the northwest side of the mountains. When the moisture-laden Pacific storms reach Colorado’s northwestern mountains, the winds push the storms up the crest of the mountains, where the moisture condenses in the cold air and falls as snow.

By the time the storms blow to the east side of the mountains 100 miles away, the clouds have often released all their moisture, leaving Colorado’s Front Range cities and eastern prairies “high and dry.” Also, this spring’s weather is a continuation of the La Niña pattern where most of the snowstorms are tracking across Colorado’s northern mountains (according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service).

Fortunately, as of this week, rain showers are finally bringing some moisture to Colorado Springs. And eventually, warmer days will bring an end to Steamboat Springs’ snow – at least for this year.

Photo Credits:

Thanks to my brother Winston Walker for his photos of the Sandhill Crane and Mountain Bluebird

Pasque Flowers by author Melissa Walker

Late this afternoon I took a short walk through our neighborhood park. Except for the sound of the brisk March wind, it was very quiet. As I headed south into the stiff breeze, I zipped up my hooded jacket and cinched the hood tighter. I noted very little bird activity. Perhaps they had sought shelter from the wind, just as I had for most of the day.

When I turned northward, with the wind at my back, I pushed back my hood just in time to catch sight of a majestic bird that seemed to revel in the wind. A Red-tailed Hawk was soaring about 200 yards above me. With its wingtips outstretched, it faced directly into the rushing wind, buoyed by the moving air with no need to flap its wings. The motionless hawk seemed suspended from the blue sky by an invisible thread. Then, with a slight turn, it became an untethered kite and flew out of sight.

A Few Facts about Red-tailed Hawks:

Red-tailed Hawks have broad wings, 4-foot wingspans and rounded tails that enable them to catch rising currents of warm air. They ride these air currents, called thermals, to soar high in the sky on the lookout for prey.

From its “perch” in the sky, the hawk uses its phenomenal eyesight – eight times better than human sight—to spot a mouse scurrying on the ground one-half mile away. The red-tail then swoops down and grasps the mouse in its powerful talons. Other favorite foods of this bird-of-prey are squirrels, rabbits, large grasshoppers, and even an occasional snake.

Red-tailed Hawk

A mature Red-tailed Hawk is fairly easy to identify with its reddish tail feathers, and is one of the most common hawks in the Pikes Peak Region. Pairs of red-tails use the same territory and nesting area year after year, and usually mate for life.

In most areas of Colorado, you can see this impressive bird almost daily, year-round. In our cities’ open spaces, in the mountains and on the eastern prairies, Red-tailed Hawks are either soaring on the thermals and winds, or perching in tall trees and on fence posts, to survey the landscape for any movement by their unsuspecting prey.

Photo Credit: Thanks to my brother Winston Walker for his photo of the Red-tailed Hawk.

Ten months ago in one of my first blogs, I used a quote from my favorite nature writer Ann Zwinger. The year 2010 marked the 40th anniversary of her classic natural history book, Beyond the Aspen Grove, still my favorite. I chose my nature blog’s tagline “always something new to discover” from Ann’s words:

Beginning to know these mountain acres has been to discover a puzzle with a million pieces already set out on a table. Occasionally a few pieces fit together and we gain another awareness of the land’s total pattern of existence, of its intricate interdependencies, enhanced by knowing that the puzzle will never be completed. There will always be something new to discover… (From Chapter 1, Beyond the Aspen Grove)

As I write today, a snowstorm has settled over Colorado Springs and every shape outside my window is now etched in white. With 2010 drawing to a close, I am reflecting on the turning seasons of this year and thought I’d share a few of my favorite Colorado discoveries with you, with homage to Ann Zwinger.

Sandhill Cranes and Sunset, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, late winter

Northern Flicker, late winter

Bobcat with two of her four kittens, late spring

Alpine Tundra Wildflowers: Alpine Forget-Me-Nots and Dwarf Clover on the west slope of Pikes Peak, mid-summer

Golden aspen leaves paint the mountainsides in autumn

Snow-covered Backyard with pond, aspen trees and tall stalks of teasel, early winter

Happy New Year!

Photo Credits: Cranes, Bobcats, Wildflowers, Aspen and Pond by Melissa Walker; Flicker by Les Goss

Morning rays of sunlight filter through our backyard aspen trees and the woodbine vine that decorates my window. The backlit red and gold leaves of the woodbine transform the window into stained glass. The woodbine (also called Virginia creeper) is at the peak of its autumn glory.

Autumn Window View

The brilliant fall colors lure me outside for a short walk. The air is brisk and I zip up my jacket. Almost everywhere I look, garlands of red woodbine encircle the trees and shrubs of the neighborhood.

During this year’s warm summer, the sun-seeking woodbine vine used our house as a trellis and quickly grew toward the light. The vine’s tendrils attached to vertical walls and window glass and soon the east side of our house looked like an arbor, covered with green leaves and tiny green berries. One afternoon I discovered a tenacious vine that had crept toward the south side of the house and had clasped our windchime with its tendrils. I quickly released the “captured” chime.

Red Garlands of Woodbine

Although woodbine isn’t native to Colorado, it has adapted well to the forested and irrigated urban landscapes of the Front Range. Many native birds now use woodbine for food and shelter. Robins build nests in the vine’s leafy bower and Northern Flicker woodpeckers devour the ripe blue berries.

Returning home from my autumn walk with the day now warming up, I open the vine-covered window. I hear the staccato drums of the Coronado High School Marching Band practicing on the football field about a half-mile away. Now my window sounds like autumn, too.

Ripe blue berries

Photo Credits: All three photos by Melissa Walker

Visitors to Colorado Springs may be surprised to see new snow on Pikes Peak in July, but longtime residents know that it may snow on our “Fourteener” any day of the year. Still, there is an element of surprise when afternoon rain clouds clear, revealing new snow on the Peak. Such was the case yesterday, July 8.

New Snow on Pikes Peak - July 8, 2010

It doesn’t seem that summer snows and freezing temperatures would be compatible with wildflowers. Yet, many species of wildflowers thrive above 10,500′ in the subalpine and alpine elevations of Pikes Peak. Every summer, I journey to Elk Park on the north slope of the Peak to seek out the beautiful bright flowers. Especially adapted to high altitudes, these hardy perennial plants bloom and form seeds quickly during their short growing season. Sometimes, I will find “bouquets” of wildflowers nestled against the pink granite rocks that provide some shelter from the wind and intense sunlight. This is where I found two of my favorite subalpine wildflowers, the purple Dusky Penstamon and blue Chiming Bells.

Dusky Penstamon and Chiming Bells

The Alpine Sunflower is so bright and showy that it is easy to find. Its large 3″ blossom tops its short stem, making it look top-heavy. The plant’s stem and leaves are covered with wooly-looking hairs that have led to the wildflower’s nickname “Old Man of the Mountains.” The white hairs serve as insulation, an adaptation that helps protect the sunflower from the frosts, summer snows and drying winds of the subalpine and alpine climate. The “Old Man of the Mountains” flowers always face the rising sun, receiving the sun’s warming rays after cold summer nights on Pikes Peak.

Alpine Sunflowers on Pikes Peak

Photo Credits: All three photos by Melissa Walker

I was leading a bird walk in Garden of the Gods Park this morning, but the bright wildflowers were so beautifully “distracting” that the focus of the walk quickly widened. Light blue Penstamon, creamy white Yucca, light pink Wild Roses and orange-red Indian Paintbrush competed with the birds for my attention.

The rains and late snows of this year’s spring season brought adequate moisture to nurture this year’s healthy bloom of the Plains Yucca. The tall stalks of white flowers cover many of the hills and mesas in the Pikes Peak Region almost every year. The pale blossoms attract night-flying moths that pollinate the yucca. Then, within a few weeks, the flowers become bulky, 2 – 4 inch seedpods. The seeds are a good source of food for wildlife. Even after a deep snowfall, birds can fly to the tall yucca stalks and feast on the seeds.

Plains Yucca with needle-sharp leaves

Always a favorite, the orange-red Indian Paintbrush flowers really do look like paintbrushes dipped into bright paint, then set out in the foothills to dry. Indian Paintbrushes at lower elevations are usually red or orange in color. Higher in the mountain, paintbrushes of rose and light yellow are more common.

Indian Paintbrush

Adding to the beauty of the wildflowers is the sweet fragrance of the Chokecherry shrub. This member of the Rose Family has tiny white flowers arranged singly on a dangling 4 – inch flower stalk, called a raceme. After the flowers are pollinated, they change into green seeds. By late summer, the ripe seeds, now red, are called chokecherries and are a favorite food of birds, bears and other mammals.

Chokecherries in full bloom

After seeing a bobcat in our backyard, the next morning I watched the aspen grove outside our window, hoping to see the elusive cat again. Clouds obscured the sun and blustery winds still held winter’s chill. Our rain gauge measured a quarter-inch of rain from overnight showers. Observing the backyard from the comfort of my house was a luxury. At midday, my vigilance was rewarded – but not with a bobcat. Instead, a Great Blue Heron graced our landscape.

Great Blue Heron in backyard pond

Standing knee-deep at the edge of the pond, the regal bird cautiously surveyed its surroundings but never seemed secure enough to strike at one of the fish. At times when the heron was motionless, it seemed to disappear behind the dried flower stalks. After a few minutes, the stately visitor gathered up its wings and flew away.

Fortunately, the heron stayed long enough for my husband Les Goss to capture it on video. To watch a two-minute video of “our” heron surveying the area, then flying away, visit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCUzLDAYFHQ.

Heron wading in backyard pond

According to Ken Pals, park naturalist at Fountain Creek Nature Center, there are at least four heron rookeries in El Paso County, Colorado. The closest rookery (collection of nests) to our backyard pond is located six miles away. The nests are in tall cottonwood trees along Fountain Creek, near the intersection of Interstate 25 and South Nevada Avenue. The herons must not be too bothered by the traffic as they have successfully nested near the Interstate for several years. They usually return to the same trees every spring. Perhaps the heron will return to our backyard pond this spring or summer for a more successful “fishing trip.”
Continue Reading »

On the afternoon of April 16, the clouds were darkening. Even though it was only four o’clock, it seemed much later. Anticipating rain, I glanced out the window to see if any raindrops were puncturing the smooth surface of our backyard pond. No, not yet.

Just as I was turning away, a movement caught my eye. Suddenly, a furry leg stretched up out of the pond’s filter tank. Then two triangle-shaped ears appeared – ears with pointed tufts. A bobcat was in our backyard!

Backyard Bobcat

My heart began to race. I watched the wildcat stand up and slowly stretch just like a house cat. When it climbed out of the tank I rushed to get my camera. Luckily, the bobcat was still in view, warily weaving a path through the edge of our small aspen grove. Then it disappeared into the thicket.

Bobcat blends into its surroundings

I’ve occasionally heard of bobcats being sighted in the Pikes Peak foothills. Yet, for the many years that I have been hiking, backpacking and watching wildlife in Colorado, this was the first time I’d ever seen a bobcat. I hope it won’t be the last. Continue Reading »

Each new day in April brings another sign that Winter is giving way to Spring. Part of the joy of Springtime is anticipating these signs, yet being surprised when they actually appear. That happened to me today when I took some friends to see the Pasque flowers at Bear Creek Nature Center. Dozens of the fragile purple flowers were blooming along the trails this afternoon compared to only two flowers (that I could find) ten days ago. What I didn’t expect today was the unmistakable sound of the Broad-tailed Hummingbird. But that’s exactly what my friends and I heard as we crossed the creek.

These tiny birds are bundles of energy that ricochet through the air with iridescent feathers glinting in the sun. It is the male Broad-tailed Hummingbird that makes the high-pitched humming sound with its wings. Hummingbirds are the only birds in the world that can fly backward or beat their wings more than 50 times per second! And, hummingbirds are a phenomena of the Western Hemisphere, found only in North and South America.

The Broad-tailed Hummingbird is sometimes mistaken for the Ruby-throated Hummingbird because of its metallic green back and red throat. However, the Ruby-throated is found in the eastern United States, while the Broad-tailed is common in Colorado and the Southwest in the summer.

One of the best places to observe hummingbirds in action is Starsmore Discovery Center in Colorado Springs’ North Cheyenne Cañon Park. From May through mid-August, the birds are so intent on feeding that you can observe the “hummers” from only a few feet away. You can see the bird’s thin tongue reaching in and out to gather nectar, and can sometimes feel the air moving from the bird’s incessantly beating wings.

The season of the hummingbirds in Colorado is short-lived. In late summer, they migrate back to Mexico and Central America on their endless search for blooming flowers that provide life-sustaining nectar.