Back to Palmer Park

Bill and I went for a short hike in Palmer Park. I'm still working to increase my stamina after hip surgery and the altitude here in Colorado Springs has slowed the process a bit; but, it was great to get out in the park again. 

We were amazed at the number of Black-headed Grosbeaks we saw and heard. I don't think I realized before what wonderful song birds they are.

This happy, happy male was singing his heart out.

The view of Pikes Peak from high up in the park is awesome. Note the amount of snow still on the top. I'm sure more will melt as the day progresses as it is already in the 80's.

 Scrub Jays were out in numbers. They usually sit on top of a pine tree.

I always love the Spotted Towhees with their bright red eyes and signature song.

We occasionally have towhees in the yard - but sightings are guaranteed in Palmer Park just around the corner.

For those faithful followers who never tire of bird pictures, I created a Picasa album with the birds from our recent Texas trip here: https://picasaweb.google.com/114212275063587599345/SouthTexasBirds?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLbczLW0-szTmAE&feat=directlink . Since this is my first try with a Picasa album, let me know if the link does not work, please.

The Rest of the Trip HOME

 Driving from Ocala to Colorado Springs is usually a 1700 mile trip. We added an additional 1000 miles with our birding excursions - but it was worth every mile - one of our best vacations.

We knew we were getting closer to Colorado when we starting seeing antelope and mule deer. 

There were lots of Meadowlarks on the wires - and in the fields.

 One of my favorite Texas birds is the Scissor-tail Flycatcher and we saw a lot of them along the way.

I wish I knew my hawks better. I think this is a Swainson's Hawk - but can never be sure.

We finally arrived home to find that Spring in Colorado had waited for us. The trees and bushes were bare and there was cold white stuff coming out of the sky. But after a couple of days, things started looking up.

Our faithful House Finches returned as soon as we filled the feeders and we had a new visitor - a cute little gray Bushtit.

They have long tails for their small bodies and are about the size of a Chickadee.

We had about a half dozen flitting around in the bushes - but I think they've left for higher ground now.

I always enjoy the Western Scrub Jays.

I heard there were orioles passing through so I put orange slices in the trees - but you can see the result.

We had a couple of Western Tanagers but I failed to get any decent pictures. One of our first chores was to get the pond up and running. We couldn't believe it when we discovered we still had fish! AND, five or six baby fish!

Bill rebuilt the falls and I think they look great. The jug was even on sale. Check out our nifty new pond plant. It really looks cool - and it was under $30! The trees and bushes are finally starting to leaf, I've planted some colorful flowers and the weather is once again beautiful. Life is good.

Pamela & Sebastian

My daughter Pamela and 4-year old grandson Sebastian came to visit! We had a wonderful time!

Sebastian and Bill

Bill and Sebastian had fun playing games on my new smartphone.

I made sure I had lots of puzzles and toys for Sebastian - including a new bike. It was just his size and he had fun riding it to the playground.

Sebastian loves to have his picture taken - especially when I tell him I'm going to send it to daddy so he can see what's he's doing.

What trip to Colorado would not be complete without a visit to Garden of the Gods!

Then we headed for the airport where we had a surprise for Pamela - flying lessons!

Ready for takeoff!

After Pamela landed, it was Bill's turn for a lesson - while Pamela took pictures of the mountains, the Broadmoor Hotel, Garden of the Gods, the Waldo Canyon burn scar and the "Roy Rogers Memorial."

Garden of the Gods

 Our beautiful mountains have taken a beating this year.

Broadmoor Hotel

The Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

Bill

Bill took this shot of his daughter's neighborhood.

Another day we went to Helen Hunt Falls where Pamela and Sebastian climbed much higher than Bill and I climbed. We had a super visit!

Back at home, the hummingbirds are back! These are Broad-tailed Hummingbirds heading south from their nesting sites to Central and South America.

Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird

 This morning we had a noisy visitor - a Scrub Jay.

Now I know where my flowers are going!!

More Birds in Palmer Park

We took advantage of today's absolutely gorgeous weather to take another short walk in Palmer Park. We wanted to check on a couple of our geocaches -  Hambone and Crusty. Our GPS was stolen last Labor Day and we haven't replaced it yet so we had to go by memory.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Heading west from the dog walk, Bill was the first to spot this hummingbird. The sun was shinning and his feathers shone bright emerald green.

We located Hambone without any trouble and it looked to be in good shape. We continued on the Templeton Trail, round the bend and up to the Yucca Trail.

Pygmy Nuthatch

On the way several Pygmy Nuthatches were hunting for insects in an old pine tree.

American Robin

 We saw lots of Robins, House Finches and Spotted Towhees - but we couldn't find our second cache, Crusty. The last person who entered a log online was also unable to find it and since we know exactly where it should have been, we decided it was "muggled;" - that means found and removed by a non-geocacher. We will have to replace it.

Western Scrub Jay

I don't think this house was built for a Scrub Jay - but it made a nice picture.

Black-headed Grosbeak

This Black-headed Grosbeak stayed just ahead of us along the aptly-named Yucca Trail for quite some time. Just as I would get close enough for a good shot, he would take off.

We have two more geocaches in the park - but we'll have to check on them another day.

A Walk in Palmer Park

Finally, Bill was feeling well enough that today we took a nice walk in nearby Palmer Park. We haven't seen any hummingbirds in our yard yet this year but, as soon as we got started on our hike - we heard them buzzing around.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

 This male Broad-tailed Hummingbird was diving from high in the air - over and over - to impress a female.

Pygmy Nuthatch

 We've never seen a Pygmy Nuthatch in Palmer Park before - and had to double check our book to positively identify it.

Western Scrub Jay

 There were several Western Scrub Jays.

Western Scrub Jay

Spotted Towhee

The Towhees were everywhere and we heard their distinctive call throughout the park.

Spotted Towhee

He looks grumpy, doesn't he?

Western Wood Pewee

Back in the yard, I was surprised to see this Western Wood-Pewee perched in a neighbor's pine tree. He must have liked this spot because he kept returning to the same branch all afternoon.

Common Grackle

And we have Grackles. Look how blue his head looks when he is in the sunlight.

Right Around the Corner

I haven't done anywhere near enough hiking in Palmer Park lately. So, the other day when Bill and I were on our way to the gym for our usual boring workout, and he said - "we should go hiking instead," I couldn't get my hiking shoes on fast enough! Palmer Park is an uncut gem set in the center of this sprawling town, and right around the corner from our house.

The Towhees were thick in the brush. We could hear them singing the entire time we hiked.

We also saw more than our share of Scrub Jays. Their call (you can't call it a song) is nowhere as pretty as that of the Towhee.

Bill spotted this lizard out sunning on a rock.

And I saw this butterfly sipping nectar from a blooming thistle. We hiked a couple of hours, taking it relatively easy as the day warmed. There were lots of runners in the park on Sunday and as we got closer to the end of the trail, we could hear them announcing winners of a race.

South of town, the cactus is in full bloom and I don't remember ever seeing them so beautiful.

And there are lots of them!

All different colors and sizes...

Look, but don't touch!

We stopped at the City Park in Pueblo to see if there were any ducks on the lake. These Geese seem to be there all the time.

I was delighted to see Wood Duck families swimming around. Unfortunately, there are enough geese that the entire area, including the water is a dirty mess - feathers and feces everywhere. Budget cuts have hurt park maintenance throughout the state so there was more trash than I've seen before - and the rest rooms are locked.

This is a Western Grebe and the first we've seen in Colorado. We were at Stem Beach for a "float fly" and there were quite a few ducks on the other side of the lake - too far away for decent pictures.

This was our first trip to Stem Beach - a rather secluded lake south of Pueblo where RC enthusiasts fly float planes twice a month - taking off from the water - and, if all goes right, landing upright back in the water.

Oops!

Afterwards, we went to the Pueblo Street Rod Nationals. I used to attend Rod Runs on a fairly regular basis in a past life and only cars from 1949 and earlier were allowed. To encourage more participation (and make more money) the National Street Rod Association (NSRA) now welcomes classic cars through the 60's. At first it was odd to see muscle cars next to hot rods - but I did enjoy the variety.

The show was held at the State Fair Grounds. Don't you love the sign over this classic Rolls Royce?

Bill enjoyed looking at the cars and was pleased that there is a hobby that costs more than RC planes - a lot more!

Son John arrived on Saturday to teach at the annual ANA Summer Seminar at Colorado College - an event I once headed as ANA Director of Education. I stopped by to donate some items for the scholarship benefit auction and it was wonderful to see some of the regulars again - especially my "kids." I really do miss the people and the excitement of two weeks totally immersed in education, camaraderie and numismatics.