This morning a friend and I hiked six miles at Mt. Falcon. In addition to joggers, hikers, and mountain bikers, we saw mule deer, Dark-eyed Juncos, Black-billed Magpies, Black-capped Chickadees, American Crows, Steller’s Jays, a Broad-tailed Hummingbird, and these birds:

There were lots of mule deer out, including this one:

And on the descent back on Castle Trail, we walked by these wild plums, which gave off the most intoxicating scent:

To Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge this morning:

Speaking of prairie dogs, we were hoping to spot a Burrowing Owl that had taken over a prairie dog burrow. No such luck, but we did spot one interloper:

Many, many birds were present, including Red-tailed Hawks soaring overhead, as well as another type of hawk–possibly Swainson’s Hawk. We spotted an American Kestrel high in a tree. Red-winged Blackbirds were ubiquitous. Closer to the ground we saw these (as well as a Vesper Sparrow, of which I got no good shot):

After work, my better half and I wandered west on the Bear Creek Greenbelt.

After work my better half–now using an all-terrain knee scooter–and I headed west on the Bear Creek Greenbelt. First we checked on the Cooper’s Hawk nest:

Then we checked on the Great Horned Owl nest:

Today a friend and I hiked ten miles at Deer Creek Canyon Park, a mere twenty-minute drive from my house. On the hike toward Golden Eagle Trail, we saw (and heard!) a few creatures:

And the view:

Late this afternoon I took the dog for a walk in the Bear Creek Greenbelt. We had hardly left our neighborhood when I spotted our first bird:

Just a short distance away I saw this collection of Prairie Dogs in a field of several dozen:

And then we walked west on the Bear Creek Greenbelt, where I spotted a Cooper’s Hawk sitting in a nest that my better half and I had happened upon a couple of weeks ago, when construction was still underway:

We checked on the Great Horned Owl nest on the greenbelt west of us:

Then we checked on the Great Horned Owl nest on the greenbelt east of us. I saw two chicks stirring in the nest, and I saw Mama, presumably, snoozing away in a nearby tree:

Yesterday a friend and I went to Staunton State Park and hiked 12 miles roundtrip to see Elk Falls. It was just below freezing at the start, but sunny and in the 60s when we finished.

Back to the Bear Creek Greenbelt to check on the Great Horned Owl nest east of our house. One of the chicks was gingerly making its way back into the nest after taking some air:

This afternoon I went back to the Great Horned Owl nest east of us on the Bear Creek Greenbelt, where I could see only two of the three of the Great Horned Owl nestlings clearly:

The adult–mama, presumably–was sleeping soundly in a nearby tree.

West of the nest on the Greenbelt, just before Estes, a cyclist and I spotted a Cooper’s Hawk at the same time. We both stopped to watch. It was adding to a nest above the creek. Back and forth it flew with twigs.

To the Bear Creek Greenbelt after work today, where one of the Great Horned Owl chicks east of our house is branching out:

Spotted this Cooper’s Hawk on the Greenbelt just east of Estes:

And who can resist a standing prairie dog?

This morning I put up the first hummingbird feeder of the season, and then my better half and I drove two and a half hours west to go hiking at Hanging Lake: