My hiking buddy and I don’t usually hike around Boulder on the weekends because we like to avoid the crowds. But Sunday was irresistible for everyone in northern Colorado including us because of a spell of unusually fine winter weather. Just after three inches of snow and with more snow expected soon, Sunday afternoon was a warm 74° and sunny.

Starting at Sawhill Ponds, a city open space east of the city, Sharon and I visited four prime birding spots. We struck paydirt everywhere.

A Ring-necked Duck Spreads its Wings

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Moving on to Boulder Creek we looked for the local American dipper (water ouzel) and found it just as it flew off. But then Sharon pointed up and I followed her gauze.

A Red-tailed Hawk Glides Past Us

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That would have been good enough birding for one day. But we moved on to a county open space where we knew that a pair of great horned owls were nesting.

A Great-horned Owl Sits on the Nest

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Finally, we stopped at a farm along Lookout Road where Sharon had seen burrowing owls that had taken over prairie dog burrows. While we didn’t see those owls on Sunday, as soon as we stopped the car we saw a bird that I had never been able to photograph before.

A Male Horned Lark Is Elegant in Breeding Plumage

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From exactly the same location we looked south in the exceptionally clear sky. There, exactly 87 miles away loomed the peak that the pioneers set their sights on. When they saw it on the horizon apparently so close, imagine their surprise that it was still so far to go.

Pike's Peak Appears To Be Close

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