COLORADO!

 I will be presenting this short (under 10 minutes), slide show of our October trip to Aspen, Colorado to my camera club, The Capital Area Camera Club. Click on that link for the club's web site and information about us. We've got a really snazzy web site thanks to our Webmaster and club member, Tim True. My presentation is Tuesday, December 15th at about 7Pm at the Pine Tree State Arboretum in Augusta, Maine. It's free and non fattening! I hope you enjoy the slide show. It's full of scenic landscapes, wildlife and birds. For the full screen viewing option, click on the little rectangle between the speaker icon and the triangle icon on the bottom of the video screen. Remember to give it a minute to load (buffer) so it will play smoothly. Let me know what you think, too!  

Are You A Prairie Dogger?

This is a Gunnison's Prairie Dog. I took this photograph on Route 70 just across the Colorado/Utah border. There are five kinds of Prairie Dogs, White-tailed, Black-tailed, Mexican, Utah and Gunnison's. I'm pretty sure this one is Gunnison's because of where I took the photograph. Prairie Dogs are burrowing rodents, a kind of squirrel, actually. They are called Prairie Dogs because they bark. They dig tunnels up to sixteen feet deep and as much as one hundred feet long! They live in enormous colonies called towns, numbering in the thousands and spanning hundreds of acres. Outside of Denver, between the airport and the city, is a colossal Prairie Dog town. Prairie Dogs are very social and kiss when they greet one another. Family groups consist of one male and two to four females. The Mormons in Utah did not invent the polygamy model! Prairie Dogs eat grasses and some insects. As a major prey species for coyotes, foxes and birds of prey, they are an ecological keystone species. Their digging activity turns over soil changing the composition. The grasses that grow there are favored by antelope, deer and bison. The brush that would grow over an area left unchurned by Prairie Dogs is not suitable for grazing. And, the tunnels channel rain to the ground table rather than being lost to runoff and erosion. Without the Prairie Dog, the ecology of many other species would collapse. In corporate America, office buildings filled with cubicles resemble Prairie Dog towns. When a noise or commotion gets the attention of the office workers they pop their heads above the cubicle tops like startled Prairie Dogs. "Prairie Dogging," they pop out of their burrows to see what's going on. Man is the biggest threat to Prairie Dogs due to urban encroachment of habitat and direct removal or poisoning. Perceived competition for livestock grazing land and the mistaken belief that horses step into the burrows have been the motivators. Prairie Dogs are also susceptible to Bubonic plague, Tularemia and Monkey Pox, all transmittable to humans. Before 2003, there was a thriving exotic pet trade in Prairie Dogs which were vacuum sucked out of their burrows. One human case of Monkey Pox was traced back to a Prairie Dog sold at a trade show. Though the Prairie Dog had been infected by an un-quarantined rat imported from Gambia, that was the end of the Prairie Dog pet craze. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) still considers that a major coup in their control of zoonosis. I bet there are a lot of Prairie Doggers at the CDC startled by the sound of imagined threat, something rediculous or perhaps, a vacuum cleaner.



Thanks, in part, to Wikipedia for this information.

Don't Mind Me, I'm Just A Magpie

BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES are ultra common in Colorado. They are as everywhere there as Sea Gulls or crows, to whom they are related, are on the east coast. Though they are protected in the United States, they are regarded by most Westerners as a nuisance bird. I couldn't get enough of them! Their sharply contrasting feathers are visually appealing and they are quite gregarious. They are also very interesting. A University Of Colorado scientist, Dr. Marc Bekoff maintains that Magpies hold funerals for their dead. He saw four magpies by a dead magpie and recounted: "One approached the corpse, gently pecked at it, just as an elephant would nose the carcass of another elephant, and stepped back. Another magpie did the same thing. Next, one of the magpies flew off, brought back some grass and laid it by the corpse. Another magpie did the same. Then all four stood vigil for a few seconds and one by one flew off." In the journal, Emotion, Space and Society , he says "We can't know what they were actually thinking or feeling, but reading their action there's no reason not to believe these birds were saying a magpie farewell to their friend." Indeed. Magpies are also the only known non-mammal to recognize itself in a mirror, so why couldn't they have emotions? They are highly intelligent, adaptive birds that eat anything and will turn things over to look for food underneath. Their resourceful omnivorousness is why some people think they are a pain. They will eat the eggs of other birds, tear open trash bags and rob dumpsters. I like to think of myself as a kind of magpie, a flashy dumpster diver of the writing kind. It would be fitting if when I'm reincarnated that I come back as a magpie.

The most well known magpies in the east are Heckle And Jeckle of cartoon fame.

I could not have said it better myself!

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Gruesome Golden Eagles

I shot, photographically, of course, these Golden Eagles on October 9th, 2009 in Colorado. I was off Route 50 south of Hotchkiss headed toward The Black Canyon Of The Gunnison. David and I were following my son whom we were were going to watch climb the walls of the canyon. We had driven many miles on a nameless dirt road toward some place only the inner climber's circles would have known. The eagles were scavenging a Mule deer carcass. When we went by them the first time, zooming along the dirt road agitating choking clouds of red dust, there were only two. I leaped from the car, shielding my camera as best as I could from the dust, shooting quickly as we were following another car and had no idea where we were. It would have been a tedious complexity had we become leaderless out there! The eagles were spooked and took off before I was able to get off many shots. I wasn't sure what I got for images as I raced ahead to catch up to our little convoy of cars. When we dropped my son and his girlfriend off to climb, they ran into two friends who were there for the same purpose. Introductions were made and gear collected. The group had to hike in to the start point of their climb which was going to take an hour or so. We would have time to kill before we could see the climbers ascending the rock walls. In the mean time, I could not get those eagles off my mind. They were the first Golden eagles I had ever seen. I was every bit as excited about that as my son and his friends were to climb. As soon as we got rid of them, I told David we had to go back to the eagles. Hours had passed by then, but I told David "Maybe they came back! That was a big carcass for them to ignore......." I was already patting my pants pocket for the car keys. He knew to resist was futile. And sure enough, when we got back to the field, which was seven miles back, there they were, not two, but three! This time, the Magpies had joined them.
Golden eagles are common in the Western half of the United States, but rare in our Eastern parts. So, the sighting was a big deal to me. I would have been thrilled to see just one, and here were three! I'm quite sure that at least two of them are sub-adults because of the white ankle socks and scattered white feathers. Also, when they took off, I could see white bums. Goldens do not acquire their definitive golden plumage until they are at least four years old. These eagles vary in size, the females being bigger than the males. Only Bald eagles and California Condors are bigger. Though not endangered, the Golden eagle is protected by the Bald Eagle And Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 (see http://www.animallaw.info/ for the statute). So, think again if you were going to pull out some of those golden feathers to line your own nest! To mess with one is a felony which can result in a year in jail, $100,000 fine or both. These eagles are scavengers like other eagles. They frequent open grasslands like this site, partly because they like a good snack of Prairie Dog. They will hunt almost anything under the size of a Mule deer, though there have been reported attacks on adult deer. When we drove through this area, we saw easily 150 Mule deer. I did not realize it when I took the photos, but later on zooming in on the eagles, I could see in the distance a herd of Muleys in the background (see photo #2 beyond the irrigation wheels). When locked onto a prey target, they can fly at speeds of 150 miles per hour! The Golden eagle is hunted by Coyotes, Bobcats, and the usual big predators.                                                                                                                                                

Double click on this image for full screen and you can see the deer grazing in background.

The buffy-gold feathers of a mature Golden eagle are obvious on the nape of this handsome bird.

Gruesome! Double click to see the eye of the eagle on the left.

A Day At The Office

MY SON'S OFFICE
  My son is the executive chef of SAM'S SMOKEHOUSE on Sam's Knob - Aspen, Snowmass. He took David and I on a tour of the facility when we first got to Aspen. The restaurant was closed for the season at the time, so we were able to tour freely and see the magnificent, commercial kitchen. He took us right away because he's very proud of what he does and where he works and also, within two days of the tour, it snowed enough to make it impassible by car! From now until spring, the only way to get to the restaurant is by ski lift or snow machine. Snowmass is one of the most famous ski resort destinations in the world at 12,500 feet elevation. A six person chair lift empties out an average of 3,000 thirsty, hungry skiers every hour, right into the front doors of the only restaurant on the mountain.

The Chef posing in his office and the trail map of Snowmass slopes outside of the restaurant

 Sam's Smokehouse, Aspen Snowmass, our rental Jeep between two snow guns. I took the photo from the chair lift                                                           

This newsletter is posted on the employee bulletin board. 'Our boy,' is proud of the organic menu selections and the 'green' philosophy of the restaurant.

A view from the restaurant

Inside the restaurant, closed when the photo was taken.

These are my guys! Hayden is in love with this smoker. Notice his flip flops and snow? Goofball!

This is a detail of Hayden's office. I think the cow head is so funny! He would tell you that his office is really the mountains, though - not this little room. David and I are so proud of him we could just squeal. Do I sound like I'm gushing? That's because I am. Wait until you see my upcoming posts about his rock climbing and paragliding escapades! After all, the restaurant business is how he makes money to buy rope.

 On the job when "the shop" is open for business

Lewis's Woodpecker

 

LEWIS'S WOODPECKER  was named for Merriweather Lewis whom you all probably remember from fifth grade social studies and 'Lewis' of Lewis and Clark fame. He surveyed much of the western part of the United States which was later bought as part of the Louisiana Purchase. This woodpecker was sitting atop a utility pole, drilling happily away for insects. The pole was next to a railroad track where I was walking as I waited for my son and husband to jump from a 7,650 foot cliff. Yes, you read that right. They were going paragliding (more on that later) while in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

I had never seen one of these birds before. In fact, I'd never even heard of them! They are a strictly western bird ranging from Canada into Mexico at the farthest ends of their range. With our common, Northern Flicker they share the feeding habit of hawking insects from the air while in flight. They are not endangered, but their habitats are dwindling because the areas they inhabit are being broken up by development into islands rather than a long, north to south corridors. They are quite large, about 10 inches long or tall, if you will. This one provided an effective diversion for me as I waited for my son and husband to leap to their possible deaths.

If you want to go really nuts and look up more information about them, try these links. Thanks to Wikipedia for the information I provided above.

• Lewis's Woodpecker - Melanerpes lewis - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
• Lewis's Woodpecker Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Lewis's Woodpecker Information - South Dakota Birds and Birding
• Photo-Medium Res; Article w/species analysis dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov–Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
• Photo-High Res; Article pbase

Aspens

ASPENS are as beautiful as everyone told me that they would be. And what greater place to see them in their classic loveliness than in Aspen, Colorado? Magnificent swaths of ‘Colorado Gold’ spill into every valley offset by dark spruce and snow. The most wind sensitive broadleaf in the plant kingdom, they whisper, rustle and quake just as legend has it. The leaves begin to turn from green to shades of amber in September. By October, they are drifting through the air and piling on the ground like sparkling coins. The massive clonal colonies get their starts from single seedlings. The trees above the ground live 40-50 years, but the roots below live for thousands. Each tree is a clone of the rootstock below. For this reason, it's rare to see pink or orange Aspens in the natural world. In Utah, the Pando (‘Trembling Giant‘) Colony is believed to be 80,000 years old, the oldest known living organism on earth. Aspens are indicators of ancient woodlands; they are also climax trees. In forestry, this means the trees that naturally dominate after other trees have died off. Where avalanches plow down mammoth stands of spruce aspens take over. I almost climaxed myself seeing wave after wave of the divine trees. If I had gasped “WOW!” one more time, my jaw might have dislocated.

This is the best part of the road on Hagerman Pass which runs between Leadville and Basalt. It quickly turned to serious off-road ruts and dips. Thank God for the rental Jeep!

Every bend in the road where there was a creek revealed beaver activity. I've never seen so much beaver action in my life! They love the soft wood of the Aspens.

A rare stand of pink Aspens, photo taken on Hagerman Pass looking south 

A Cedar Waxwing in a field of gold

Lonely in Leadville

David and I just came back from two weeks in Colorado and Utah where we were visiting my son. He was a fantastic tour guide and showed us places that a casual tourist would never see. Leadville was one of those places. We flew to Denver and then drove to Aspen (where my son lives) by way of Independence Pass. Independence Pass is a grueling, white-knuckled drive if you don't like heights. The road is miles of treacherous switchbacks through the Elk Range of the Rocky Mountains. 'The Pass' crosses the Continental Divide and by Halloween is impassible due to snow. Aspen is at the west end, and Leadville at the east end. Aspen is a glamorous, moneyed ski town (I'll post more on the wonders of Aspen later). Leadville is a depressing, dying mining town. Each end of the economic spectrum lies at either end of Independence Pass. From Leadville, it's a grinding climb to Aspen. Mount Elber and Mount Massive loom over Leadville bearing down with clouds full of cold snow. Ironically, in the late 1800's, Leadville was the second largest city in Colorado. With a population around 30,000, it was the most famous silver mining, boom town in the world. Mining and some vague tourism are the current primary income sources. Zinc and lead are mined there now, and they  still call themselves a 'boom town.' Several times a year, the mining company blows up parts of the hillsides so that ore can be extracted from the rock rubble during the rest of the year. The days that the blasting takes place are celebrated as 'Boomdays' with a parade, street fair, burro race and motorcycle rodeo. I'm sure that what little china lines the walls of the ramshackle homes of Leadville, chatters and shakes along with old laddie's knees when the explosions commence. Sunday morning breakfast is served on the courthouse lawn. I would find that small consolation to the terrifying industrial thunder. The Boomdays are commemorated with boulders painted with the dates of the blasts and drilled with detonation holes. The population is down to about 2,000 now, though at 10,200 feet elevation, it's the highest incorporated city in the country. The dismal town has fake storefronts to look like old time saloons and cheap, modular homes with 4-wheelers and wrecked cars in the front yards and on the way out of town, a long row of dated, gaily painted rocks. When Doc Holiday, an early resident died and the silver went, so did Leadville's glamor. The mountains of Colorado are magnificent beyond imagination. But repeatedly, I was struck by how impossibly difficult it must have been for early settlers to live there. I could hear the sounds of grief still in the mountains. On the outskirts of Leadville, in the woods, is this peculiar 'Valley Of The Dolls.' My son stumbled on it a few years ago when he got out of his car to take a leak. It is on private property posted with a menacing "No Trespassing" sign. Next to the Baby Doll Ranch was this odd chair in the trees. Chilling and disturbing, this was not an outdoor art gallery nor was it the least bit public, though I did venture past the No Trespassing sign to take pictures. I jumped back into the car saying "Let's get out of here," while checking my photos on my camera. As we sped away, David asked, "Did you get good shots of it?" "Oh yes, I did," I answered. "And did I mention that was where I was kidnapped and held as a sex slave in an underground bunker for 18 years?"  That's how creepy it was. Maybe the dolls were company for a lonely person, outside of Leadville, in the woods, a person driven mad by the crushing mountains.