Trinidad (Colo) Lake

Well, I didn't get snowed-in in Colorado. I made it into New Mexico and ran into an ice storm (worse)that stranded me in a tiny town (Vaughan) with no internet access. The ice was horrible--I was scared to walk out the door as there was ice everywhere. I was really relieved to drive far enough south to Carlsbad to get away from the storm that paralyzed much of New Mexico as well as Colorado.

Before I left Colorado, I birded Trinidad Lake (just outside of the town of Trinidad, not the island, but Colo). I saw 2 Common Loons on the lake as well as 35 Common Goldeneye, several Hooded Mergansers and other waterfowl. There was a very brown juvenile Northern Shrike on the shrubs surrounding the lake as well as more than 40 Mountain Bluebirds. A single adult Bald Eagle was eating on the ice on the other side of the lake. Bald Eagles really like to sit on the edge of the ice where they can easily see coyotes and launch after a fish in the nearby waters.

SeEtta