Last Ones from Pagosa Springs – I promise!
Happy August! It’s officially the start of fall migration here in the midwest so we look forward to seeing new birds flying in more frequently.
In my attempts to clear out my backlog of photos I’ve been meaning to post on GreatBirdPics (I’m down to 488) I’ve now completed posting pictures from our trip to Pagosa Springs, Colorado we took just under a year ago. One morning we drove to Echo Lake which is about 10 minutes south of the town. It was well worth the short trip as the lake was pristine surrounded by tall pines and many birds. Here are some of the ones we enjoyed seeing:
As we drove down Echo Lake Road into the recreation area we found a Yellow-headed Blackbird perched on an old fence post. I was able to get out of the car and snap a couple of pictures of it before it flew off.
Once out of the car it was hard to get back in. Just down the road a female Pine Siskin was feasting on the seeds found inside some wildflowers. I couldn’t get enough pics, but three are good for now.
As we hiked around the lake area we spotted a Cassin’s Finch. Not much different than a female House Finch, the Cassin’s doesn’t get much farther east than Nebraska so it was a Lifer for us.
As we made our way around the lake there was a little marsh area in the corner. An immature Coot darted in and out of the reeds. After watching a few minutes it ventured away from the marsh, allow me to get a reflection shot (my favorite).
Another bird floated by on the lake but this one was an immature Pied-billed Grebe. We usually see mature ones in the midwest so it was a treat to see this one with the white streaks on its head (they will disappear as they mature).
Pagosa Springs was a great getaway. The downtown area is interesting with all the hot springs along the river. Even more, we enjoyed getting out into the countryside (not hard to do – just go 10 minutes in any direction) and look for birds. We added 9 Lifers to our list, so well worth the trip.
Back in Illinois for the next Mike’s Monday Pics. Until then…
Stay Safe. Go Birding. Take Pics. Share Here. Repeat.
Mike
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