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North Star alive with the sound of birds
A female Mountain bluebird at North Star.
On the far west side of North Star Nature Preserve, the vegetation closes in like a jungle. Overnight rain still drips from every leaf, and in dawn’s early light, the clouds hang low over the upper Roaring Fork Valley. It’s a part of North Star that rarely sees a human visitor. On occasion, access is granted for research or stewardship. Today, we’re conducting a formal scientific survey of “avifauna,” aka birds.
What’s disappearing from our forests? Birds
A Brown-capped rosy finch. Mark Fuller photo.
What do the Brown-capped rosy finch, Rufous hummingbird, Evening grosbeak and Pinyon jay all have in common? Well, they are all beautiful. They’re also among the bird species that could become a rare sight in the Roaring Fork Valley, if we see them at all.
Don’t tread on the redd! It’s spawning time
The vibrant spring colors of a rainbow trout.
Warming spring days lure anglers to local rivers hoping to hook up with willing trout. The trout, meanwhile, are busy seeking their own sort of hookup. It is a well-documented conflict: winter-weary fly fishers get passionate about their favorite pursuit just as the trout get passionate about each other.
