01 May 2011

Snowbirding....COLORADO (1 May)





If I thought May was spring in the US, when it comes to Colorado I was way wrong. After some more chicken-action on the prairies of the northeast in the morning (and more will come from that spectacular morning later-I promise), we ascended once more up into the mountains and Loveland Pass for another shot at a true snowbird, the White-tailed Ptarmigan. We had dropped in there a few days back but were driven off in blizzard conditions. As we approached the pass again, there was no doubting the thick blanket of snow, I mean this is springtime in Colorado after all!), but the wind that caused us such problems last time seemed to be missing-dare we dream of finding this ermine-white "chicken"? Well we left the parking lot determined to put in maximum effort, but as it turned out twenty paces from the car was all that was needed to bag this beautiful and hardy mountain bird. A ghostly white female barely blinked an eyelid as we sidled up to her and took photos from a foot away at one point, while snowboarders and skiers left her equally unperturbed as they walked on by oblivious to this beauty sitting munching snow!

1 comment:

one of many said...

Love the photo of the photographer with the Ptarmigan!