Observations by biologistdave3

All kinds of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds are coming through now. Lagerman is home to several nesting pairs of avocets each summer, usually on the closed western shoreline area.

If you are out there, maybe you can be lucky enough to grab a peek through a spotting scope of one of the many birders that visit this park.

Pelicans are relatively common at Walden Ponds in the spring. They prefer the space and unfished waters of Cottonwood Marsh. But they occasionally visit the Wally Toevs Pond and feast on stocked trout and other fish. This one was only missing the proverbial lobster bib - eyeing us with the stocking truck, from the island.

We had just had a load of trout delivered to the Wally Toevs Pond and I was sitting in the car in the lot, returning a phone call before I left... and from the left, looking through the windshield, swoops one of the local bald eagles, and snags one of the newly-stocked trout. It lands on the shoreline and has a late breakfast!

I was out on an elk count for the E-38 unit - one of many observers in the region. I had scoured the homestead meadow, surrounding areas, meadows along the Flagstaff Road... and this group was right next to the road near the junction with the Gross Dam Road. This area was near the start of the Walker Fire (2000).

The group also contained a new radio collar that we had added a few weeks earlier - but up on Reynolds Ranch.

Friend and fellow biologist Janet George shared a photo of these 3 bighorn rams at Hall Ranch.

Rams/sheep are a common site in winter in St. Vrain Canyon along Hwy 7 - enjoying the snow-free south-facing slopes and the protection of the cliffy habitats.

Drivers are also sometimes surprised around corners by sheep licking the sand/road salt on the highway!

We had an organized elk count this Saturday morning to assess where elk from the Red Hill herd were hanging out. I saw this group emerging from fields east of Hwy36. They eventually crossed the road (safely, when it was light) to the open space.

We also found this individual who was not so lucky crossing some earlier date.

Slow down on this stretch when it is dark. Save your life, save an elk's life.

probably roadkill/injury coyote on OSMP Waldorf Property.

I saw a live coyote on June 25th doing our morning elk count on the county open space just west of there. They are hunting/living in great habitat with abundant prairie dogs, small mammals, and cover.

We saw 1 cow moose browsing on willows at the Caribou Ranch beaver ponds. Not that easy to see in today's low light and all the intervening vegetation.

No sign of calves, so they may have already dispersed. Always be wary around moose, especially cows in summer - who will defend their calves.

Driving down with the caretaker and came across this 'mating ball' of bullsnakes. Also encountered a single bullsnake the next day on the road. They are a reminder to keep to the speed limit on our roads - it keeps the dust down, is safer for those on bikes, and gives you time to stop or brake for wildlife on/adjacent to the roads.

I should also post the swallowtail that is in the upper part of the photograph!

I was opening the gate to get back to the back ponds at Walden Pond and saw this owl. Look how wide the wings are - that contributes to the maneuverability and quiet that makes them such stealthy hunters.

We were doing an official count of the North Boulder Elk Herd with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. We knew there were elk up in this vicinity but we couldn't see them from the highway. I drove up toward Rabbit Mtn and glassed back to this slope - and saw 60.

An hour later we were counting 260 basking in the sunshine above the busy Foothills Hwy. This area is part of the Red Hill Conservation Area and closed to the public. It is a diverse, high quality habitat with rare combinations of plains, foothills, and montane species.

These animals are why the speed limit is lower - be careful driving US36 north of Boulder at night/bad light. Lots of deer and elk cross the road. Please slow down and be safe.

We had to 'rescue' a kestrel from inside our shop at Parks HQ. It ended up bumping into a window and getting stunned. We released it in the adjacent field where we see them hunt all year. The male of the pair even did a fly-by. After about 30 minutes the bird was able to fly away.

We flushed what I think would have been a Common Nighthawk off her nest at Rabbit Mountain. We stopped immediately so as to not step on her cryptic eggs. Did you find them (2) left of the knife? There are but a few birds that nest in the open on bare ground as it is a very risky strategy 'hiding in plain sight.'

One little dipper darting along Fourmile Canyon Creek at Anne White open space. This property is still closed, as there is no parking lot and heavy construction along the access roads (Lee Hill & Wagonwheel Gap). We were in there with Boulder County Youth Corps working on removing noxious weeds.

Difficult to see in some of the photos. That is nature's design. Cryptic to predators and cryptic to prey in the water.

nice big snapping turtle on the trail between Wally Toevs Pond and Cottonwood Marsh. It had just come up the bank from Wally T and was heading into CW Marsh. It's head was the size of my fist. Something primeval about seeing it trudge across the trail. very cool!

We went to work on building our exclosure on Rabbit Mtn and walked up to a week-old elk calf! Their defense mechanism for this time of life is to hold, hold, hold. We moved away and it never got up.

We didn't see it for at least 30 seconds - 5 of us! I only took the 1 photo and edited a zoomed in version. The elk is laying down, facing us, head turned to the right. Spots visible. Note the tiny onion in the sun left of the elk.