A ​Boulder Audubon trip to the South Boulder Creek Natural Area suggested that we could see Birds and Insects of Boulder’s Tallgrass Prairies​. We did.

Led by Steve Jones, the mainstay of the Boulder Audubon Society, and less than two miles from my home, this trip was a must for me. The Rocky Mountains also rise up less than two miles from this Natural Area.

The Rockies Start Here

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​We saw one of my favorite insects, a Monarch Butterfly.

A Monarch Butterfly Feeds on a Thistle

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​Another insect that I wasn’t familiar with is equally beautiful.

A Milkweed Beetle on a Milkweed Plant

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But I particularly wanted to see a Blue Grosbeak. We passed some bushes where we got glimpses of a pair of them, and at that point Steve happened to suggest that we go off on our own to see what we could find. I used that half hour to concentrate on the grosbeak pair.

The Female Has Food for Her Fledglings

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The Male Watches

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