Montrose, Ouray & Ridgway, CO (September, 2019)

Still no significant travel for me, but I did make a few day trips over the past several weeks.  Just recently I have been scouting for Fall color, which was delayed somewhat this year due to the abundant supply of water last Spring.  Despite the delay, it was a good thing for the trees that had been in drought conditions for several years.

First, a couple of the ever popular sunsets.  I have to admit, however, that I missed some of the more spectacular sunsets, which seem to occur over the week-ends when I'm at home watching football on TV.

While visiting Ridgway, I got a good view of the San Juan Mountains over the lake at Ridgway State Park.  Then I drove by the former home of Dennis Weaver, one of the so-called "earth ships" built using re-cycled tires and other materials.  Weaver died in 2006 and his family sold the home a few years later.

Back roads around Montrose provided a number of interesting scenes, including a variety of birds, a bull elk and a small waterfall.  One farm had its water "cannons" irrigating the pasture and creating rainbows all around.

Black-headed Grosbeak

Gray Gnatcatcher

Red-shafted Northern Flicker

Female House Sparrow

Black-beaked Magpie

Western Kingbird

Western Meadowlark

Mountain Bluebird

Song Sparrow

Finally, we are beginning to see Fall color in small pockets, especially in the higher elevations.  The Million Dollar Highway south of Ouray is nearing its peak, but isn't there yet.    I will return next week in hopes of seeing peak color.  Note that clouds and rain rolled in during my visit, with the result that some photos are somewhat darker than I would have hoped.

Montrose, Grand Mesa, & Roubideau Canyon (August, 2019)

No serious travel over the past month, just a few day trips to several areas near Montrose.  First, however, I want to share a few photos taken in Montrose over the past few weeks.

One of the few waterfalls in Montrose.

Apricots are grown in several places around town.

More sunsets.

In my front yard, I discovered a hummingbird nest.  On one side, I had a good view, but the mother would not return to the nest while I was there.  She quickly sat on her nest when I hid behind some branches, but then I didn't have the best view.  Notice the nest is held together, and attached to the branch, with spider web collected for the purpose.

I've featured Grand Mesa here a few times, but on this trip I planned to get off the main road and explore a few back roads I had not tried before.  I know there are moose on the mountain, but I have yet to see one.  I think the only hope is to be there at sunrise, but I haven't done that yet.

My route took me through thick aspen forests, so I'll try it again in a few weeks, when the leaves turn to their Fall color.  The mesa had a good crop of wildflowers when I was visiting, many surrounding the 300+ lakes that can be found there.

The streams had plenty of water, since the mesa gets lots  of snow due to its 11,000 foot elevation.

Roubideau Canyon is on the Uncompahgre Plateau, and is part of the Dry Creek Recreation Area.  I was hoping to find more water in the creek this year, given the heavy snow experienced last winter.  There may have been good water earlier this Summer, but now there are only disconnected puddles.  I guess it really is a "dry creek".

Here are some cliff swallow nests, made of mud and stuck to the cliff rising above the creek.  There was no sign of the birds who made these homes, I suspect they have migrated to another area and will return at the right time.