St. Vrain State Park - Colorado State Parks

Stumbled upon this mother Killdeer a few weeks ago on a 95 degree day protecting her clutch. Those babies have since hatched and are running amok along the Pintail Pond area. Many birds are ground nesting at this park, but the most common is definitely the Killdeer. Many other shore birds are ground nesting, usually choosing rocky areas or beaches, including terns, plovers, and meadowlarks. Another one of the many, many reasons to keep your pet on a leash under your control at all times.

Dang, is it just me or did yesterday feel like the longest day of the year?
Turkeys roosting last night after the 9pm sunset

Get 'em started young, so they can take you fishing for Father's Day!

Last day of Spring, make a wish!
I wish you'd read the froggin' signs, bud...

Three day weekend with two holidays and the first official day of summer?
Bring it on.

It's International Picnic Day around the globe, but it's always picnic day at your local State Park; the field mouse is fast, but the owl sees at night...

The park is bursting with new life, just as spring starts burning off into summer.
Besides the Nopal Cactus flowers, which will soon become prickly pears; these paddle cacti also provide food for a parasite called Cochineal. Their protective filamentous sacks look like spider webbing or bird p**p, but they are actually full of lots of the female beetles (the males are smaller in numbers, but immediately fly off and fertilize eggs before they die within the week [nature is metal]). When their shells are dried and crushed they create a deep magenta-red dye, known as Carmine Red. It is mostly used as a natural food dye and in lipstick (Natural Red Dye 4). Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's crushed up cactus beetle scales...

Miss your chance for the primary Big Game Draw? The Secondary Draw List will come out soon, and applications open up Wednesday at 8am. Youth 12-17 still get preference over all licenses.

This little bat appeared to be injured from a hailstorm last month. We need them back out in the skies nabbing those pesky mosquitoes. It has been a bad year for ticks so far, and mosquitoes are always a problem in these wetlands, so make sure you are taking precautions to protect yourself and your pets. Treating your gear with permethrin prior to going out of doors can be a good alternative to Deet products as it deters and kills ticks and mosquitoes if they come into direct contact with it.

Happy Flag Day from our local Bald Eagles. This female was photographed months ago (no leaves), but has been sitting in their nest most days. We haven't been able to verify chicks yet, but we still see her mate often out looking for roadkill or pestering our nesting Osprey.