Uplifting U.S. | Rough Rockies

14 November 2024

Let's rock it

In June 2024 I was on a mission: I had 4 hours to visit the Rocky Mountain national park near Boulder, Colorado before catching a flight back home.

So rise and shine and off I went.
Between May and October you need to book a Timed Entry ticket or a timed entry+ ticket if you also want to visit the popular Bear Lake Road. However, When you arrive at the national park before 5am or after 6pm, you don’t need a ticket.

Wildlife highlights

1. Mule Deer
Rocky Mountains icons. I was greeted by two at the entrance of the park. They are known for their large ears, looking like those of a mule - which gives them their name. Mule deer are able to handle the weather variations in the Rocky Mountains and can handle the rugged terrain. They were shy but still curious to see who arrived that early in the morning.
2. Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel
A chipmunk! NOT! These squirrels look a lot like chipmunks, but they miss the characteristical stripes on their faces. I encountered several of them throughout my walk, jumping and climbing and producing loud calls whenever they saw any bird of prey. My best photographic moment of the day was definitely the Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel eating in the sunlight without feeling bothered by me or my camera.
3. Prairi Dog
Having seen them around the town of Boulder in the days before my trip, I was hoping to have a little bit more time to observe them as I had never seen these large rodents before. They are quite fast and have many holes they can quickly jump into when you come too close. These holes are the doors to a complex of tunnels and chambers with different functions like nurseries, sleeping areas and lookout posts.

Birding highlights

1. Stellar's Jay
Although famous for its bright blue colors, I wasn't able to capture those flashing blues on camera due to the position of the bird and the bright morning sunlight. I did however find a way to highlight its dramatic "punk rock" crest. I was told they can mimic the call of other birds and animals like squirrels or hawks, making the Stellar's Jay quite the intelligent and mischievous bird.
2. Broad-tailed Hummingbird
I have been fascinated with Hummingbirds since I was a child, listening to my grandmother telling me the stories of how she saw the colorful tiny birds every day in her garden in Congo - I later learned that these birds were not Hummingbirdsof course as these species don't live in Africa but probably Sunbirds. Either way, my first Hummingbird I saw in the wild was Anna's Hummingbird in Santa Clara and I was happy to add a second species to my list here in the Rockies. Broad-tailed Hummingbirds can go in a hibernation-like state during cold nights to conserve energy here in the mountainous area.
3. Osprey
Such a favorite to photograph, whatever this bird does. I was able to photograph a beautiful Osprey with a catch, trying to protect it from 3 opportunitic fellows circling around and hoping for catered food.
4. American Robin
They seem a bit heavier than the European Robin and their dark head makes the look a bit more dramatic compared to the red-brown autumn look the Robins in my backyard.
5. Red-tailed Hawk
I only saw this beauty when driving back out of the park. It gave me the pleasure of taking off from its nest and flapping it's gracious wings in the sunlight as it took off.