Fall is a great time to see birds because they seem to be so busy eating that they are more tolerant of people.  That was the case on this morning when we saw a Mountain Chickadee prying open a spider nest and reaping the rewards.  How neat to see it unfold. Bon Appetit!

After our bird walk one Friday, Andy and I ventured up another trail to see if the Rufus Hummingbirds were back in town.  The Horsemint flowers were late to bloom so there were no Rufus' around.  We did spot a White-lined Sphinx moth at an (invasive) Musk Thistle.  How cool to see it in action. 

I think of Red Crossbills as pretty rare birds around Rocky Mountain National Park, but this summer, the seed crop has been good and the Red Crossbills have been plentiful.  They are such a unique bird with a large crossed bill that helps them pry open pine seeds from the cone.  There are 11 subspecies of crossbill (each with a specialized bill and unique call), but these are most likely "call-type 2."  They  specialize in eating hard cones like  Ponderosa  and sometimes Lodgepole pine.  Here are some of my favorite photos from this summer.  Notice how the male is reddish, females are yellowish, first year males have both red and yellow, and juveniles have more streaking.  Another fascinating tidbit about these birds is that they tend to nest in late summer or even winter when the cones have matured enough to pry open.  Enjoy!