The sun rose on Thursday over the Pawnee National Grassland on the high plains of Eastern Colorado as Sharon and I watched. A freak summer cold front brought the temperature down to 46 degrees, and smoke from fires in the Pacific Northwest partly obscured the sun on an otherwise cloudless morning.

The Sun Rises on Pronghorn and Sunflowers

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We drove two hours from our homes in Boulder in order to drive another 21 miles on the Pawnee National Grassland Birding Tour. A proud looking bird welcomed us at the information kiosk when we reached it.

A Sage Thrasher Is Usually Shy

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A Sparrow Flies When We Approach It

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This hawk had just arrived from Argentina and wasn’t about to move when we drove up.

A Swainson's Hawk Stays Put

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After completing the loop, we went to Crow Valley, where we ate our picnic lunch and hiked the trails there.

One of the Eastern Kingbirds along Crow Creek

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What this bird lacks in color, it more than makes up for in form. I call it handsome and elegant rather than beautiful. Sharon thinks of it as being regal. All of these adjectives apply to the Eastern Kingbird.