VanOrman Roadtrips: August doldrums in Colorado

August is usually a quiet month for birders and bird photographers. Territories have broken down and most birds silently go about their business as they rest up and regain strength. Some are still in family groups while others have to replenish their fat reserves for the coming migration. Mornings are much quieter as the males no longer sing to advertise for mates or to intimidate intruders. All of this forces birders to work a lot harder and get poorer results.
Arriving in the Colorado Springs area I decided to visit some of the area's better locations with more of a birder's focus than that of a photographer. Garden of the Gods is not only a great place for both the birder and bird photographer but also the landscape photographer. Spotted Towhees seemed to be the most common bird and one of the few that were still singing. Western Scrub Jays were also easily seen but were somewhat subdued in voice. Prairie Falcons were seen on each of two visits made.

Garden of the Gods

Other locations visited were similarly quiet. Fountain Creek Regional Park, Bear Creek Regional Park, and Manitou Lake in the Pike National Forest yielded disappointing results. The Bear Creek Nature Center was closed due to budget cuts. The park itself seemed to have gone to the dogs on the day I visited with the number of dogs almost equalling the number of humans. Not all dogs were leashed by their owners which resulted in several loud canine altercations. I did find a location with a heavy berry crop that Robins, Catbirds, Western Kingbirds, and Northern Flickers couldn't resist.

Ants are a favorite of Flickers but apparently berries aren't bad either.

The southwest monsoon season has arrived in Colorado with great morning and early afternoons followed by developing thunderstorms in late afternoons and evenings. The predictable weather allowed for an easy adjustment schedule of daily traveling during the day and returning to the campground in late afternoon. We spent our last day as typical tourists with a trip to Canon City and the Royal Gorge Bridge. Although the scenery is spectacular this bridge to nowhere boasts an amusement park but will set you back $50 a couple. There are better values out there. Our next stop was Cripple Creek with great scenery on the way. The town itself caters to the casino crowd. To complete our clockwise tour back to Colorado Springs we stopped at Woodland Park specifically for another meal at Carlos Miguel's restaurant (http://www.carlosmiguels.net/). This great Mexican restaurant, recommended by a local, is a great example of not judging a book by its cover. Although it belongs to a small family chain of 5 restaurants, the building in Woodland Park does not give any clue of belonging to a chain. The gourmet food was excellent both times we were there, the service was fast, and the staff attentive. On our second visit the manager recognized me, shook my hand, and warmly welcomed us back.