Not far from the Texas Creek BLM rec site is another rec site adjacent to the Arkansas River called Lone Pine. Co-managed by Colo State Parks and BLM, this is part of the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area. I found this Common Raven with a possible partner (they are fairly monogamous and stay together year-round) in pine treee. Double-click on the pic to enlarge it to see more detail.
SeEtta

More Common Raven & nestlings pics

The top photo is of one of the Common Raven parent birds that appeared to be taking turns bringing food to the nestlings. The bottom photo shows the nestlings a little more clearly.
The top photo looks good when double-clicked to enlarge it. The bottom photo (the fledglings were in a dark, shaded area so I had to "push" the photo) will show the bills (pinkish to reddish with yellow gape edges) better but is not as clear.

Please note that we were over 50 yards from the nest. I took the photos with my 12x digital camera, cropped and edited them for enlargement and enhancement.
SeEtta

Getting back to normal for birds (and me)

Today was more like our usual Canon City weather after a snowstorm--temps got up to around 40 and the sun was shining, beginning the melt of the snow cover. Water at local ponds is starting to open up more, with additional waterfowl on the ponds.

My knee was a little better so I ventured out to several ponds and other local birding areas. I found the Common Raven in the bottom photo scavenging leftovers in a strip-mall parking lot. Though a fairly common bird in much of the U.S., they are an interesting species--quite adaptive to opportunities afforded by humans and a member of the very intelligent corvid family (along with such species as crows and jays)



I saw this male Canvasback, along with 4 others, at a local private pond. Though these birds can be seen throughout almost all of the U.S. seasonally, they are not very common around here.
SeEtta