Last year there was a very bold broad-tailed hummingbird that camped out in a thicket of choke cherries next to Lily Lake. The most dominant birds protect the best food sources and this one knew the drill. No other male or human was going to get in his way. This year, I'm guessing the same bird has claimed that spot. I practically ran into him as I walked along the path! Since my camera has a minimum focus distance of 8', I had to back up a bit. Once ready, he decided to put on a show and flew over to some golden banner flowers for a drink. Wow!
Rocky Mountain National Park just started the timed entry system. That means you reserve a time to go into the park. We were excited to enter the park first thing in the morning and I went on a very quiet trail. It had been 10 years since I'd seen a snowshoe hare, but on this day I saw 6! They must have been young, since they ran towards me several times and then chased each other through the woods. I can't say I got a single good picture of them, but they were so cute, I just had to share.
Years ago I painted a bunch of bird houses and hung them up under our awning. Almost every year we have either chickadees or wrens that make their nest there. This year, it is a pair of very anxious black-capped chickadees. They spend at least a minute scanning the area before approaching their house. Then, while on a walk the other day, I saw a VERY fast black-capped chickadee fly straight into a hole in a tree! No scanning the area before entering for this bird. What an ingenious home! It was a hole in the knot of a tree. It was right at eye level and I didn't even disturb them. In the first picture you can see one parent going into the nest with a grub. In the final picture you can see a parent taking out a "fecal sac" from the baby. It is always good practice to keep one's house clean.
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