Gallery

FEMALE RUFOUS AT REST. These aggressive little Hummingbirds migrate over 2000 miles through the Rockies during May to September from their winter homes in Mexico. They arrive at our house sometime in mid-July and spend a month chasing off the smaller and more timid Broad-Tailed Hummers from our feeders, even though they appear to fly more slowly than the other birds.

FROSTY PERCH. Pine Grossbeaks are frequent visitors to our feeders in winter. These large finches live in coniferous forests of the far north and high mountains of the west, but can also be found in the northeastern U.S. in winter. Males are pink to bright red while females and young males are gray with touches of yellow or orange. (This photo was chosen as a finalist in the "Seasons of Our Mountains" calendar competition.)

MOST GLORIOUS SEASON. Fall. My favorite time of the year. The crispness in the air, bright and beautiful foliage, the earthy scent of fallen leaves crunching under foot, foggy, misty days, and of course, all things pumpkin spice. What’s not to love about it?

LAST HURRAH. The Rocky Mountain Asters are more abundant than usual on the mountain this year. They are the last of the summer flowers to bloom.

TERRIBLE BEAUTY. Smoke from the terrible wildfires burning to the west make for beautiful sunsets here on the mountain. Summer of 2020.

CURIOUS CHICKADEE. One afternoon this curious little Mountain Chickadee had to examine my tool of choice for bird watching.

RED MOUNTAIN MOON. I’ve always loved seeing the moon during the day but seeing it over Red Mountain near Ouray, CO, was even more special.

GRATEFUL. I never get tired of this view out my window each and every day. Always new, always changing, never the same, and always beautiful.

CRITICAL POLINATOR. This white-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata) along with birds, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps, small mammals, and bees, are a vital part of every ecosystem and are responsible for pollinating at least 180,000 different plant species and more than 1200 crops. Many pollinator populations are in decline, mostly caused by a loss of feeding and nesting habitats, pollution, the misuse of chemicals, disease, and changes in climatic patterns.

DOE EYES. This sweet mule deer doe was making eyes at me from the back yard one cold winter morning.

ROAD TO NOWHERE. One of the most haunted places in Denver is said to be Cheeseman Park, the site of a late 19th century cemetery. When, in 1890, the land on which the cemetery stood was to be converted to a park, undertaker E.P. McGovern was hired to move the bodies to another cemetery in the city. In an effort to earn extra money (he was being paid for each coffin) thousands of bodies were disassembled and strewn about, with body parts separated and placed haphazardly in random tiny coffins, therefore producing more coffins than were actually needed. He was finally caught, putting a stop to the gruesome activity, but the remaining bodies were never removed. To this day they rest beneath the park...but hardly in peace. This photo of a former street was taken during a ghost tour of the park.

BACKYARD BOBCAT. This beautiful Bobcat lingered in my back yard for a long time one spring day. He/she was stalking the many chipmunks that make their home there but never did catch one.

ASPENS IN MIST. On display through March 31st as part of the Colorado: Delirium of Beauty exhibit at The Evergreen Gallery.

BOX CANON FALLS. Ouray, Colorado.

ANTICIPATION. This Red Fox is patiently waiting for its next meal to emerge from the snow.

BEAUTIFUL ICON. One of my favorite flowers, the Colorado Blue Columbine, or Rocky Mountain Columbine, is the Colorado State Flower. “This several-foot tall perennial herb is found across the Rocky Mountains, from the foothills to the alpine, where it is often common in aspen groves, open forests, meadows, and talus slopes." —U.S. Forest Service. It is illegal to uproot this rare and delicate plant and gathering blossoms and buds is limited. I found this particular beauty growing in the San Juan National Forest near Ouray.

August 2, 2018. EMPTY NEST. I got to watch these little Tree Swallows fledge their nest in the bird box above our deck this week. This was the second brood for the parents this year. It was exciting to watch them leave the box and take flight for the first time! I will miss the frequent feedings by the adults and the tiny chirps of the nestlings .

July 8, 2018. MORNING LIGHT. The sun bathes the foothills in light and warmth as another day dawns. There is nothing like watching the sunrise from my deck on Conifer Mountain on a lazy summer morning. This view looks north toward Squaw Mountain, the Indian Peaks Wilderness and Rocky Mountain National Park.

June 19, 2018. AFTER THE RAIN. This is one of a half dozen One-Eyed Sphinx Moths (Smerinthus cerisyi) that appeared on our deck and house on Conifer Mountain after the hard rain we had Sunday. As it seems they are nocturnal, I don’t know if they had just emerged or were trying to recover from the downpour. I’ve often seen the White-Lined Sphinx Moths here but this is the first time I’ve seen the One-Eyed variety. They are so beautiful and interesting!

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT. These two Great Horned Owlets were happily ensconced for a time in the top of high tree trunk last week, with watchful parents nearby.