Features

One of the most common birds at Evergreen Lake and the most asked about is the double-crested cormorant. For many years, cormorants were largely seacoast birds, found along the rocky cliffs on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

There were only four records of cormorants in Colorado prior to 1912, and these were considered to be “rare winter visitors” in western Colorado.

In 1931, the first breeding record was reported by Bailey and Neidrach, with a total of eight pairs nesting at Barr Lake. By 1939, that colony had 30 pairs, and by 1995 it had 248 pairs.

The last week of March certainly brought the most wintry weather that we have had all winter. Or at least it brought the most snow.

Actually it was not bitter cold or the storm could have been much worse than it actually was. This is the week that I always call crane week for almost every year my husband Bill and I used to go to Nebraska at this time to see the sandhill crane migration.

All through late March, there have been reports of large flocks of blackbirds moving through the area: 150 in Kerr Gulch, 200 in Kittredge, 100 at Morrison, etc.

We also have had more red-winged blackbirds at Evergreen Lake than there were this winter, so that means some migrants have arrived. The flock is much more talkative than it was, and males are displaying their red-shoulder epaulets, which indicate that some females have arrived and picked out nesting sites that must be defended.

If you are one of the many people who find tent caterpillars objectionable in your backyard, now is the time to control them.

I know they do little harm in our forests, but I find it difficult to be tolerant of them. Their favorite food is the new leaves of apple trees, so they were very common and considered destructive pests in the apple-growing sections of New York state where I grew up.

While the 150th anniversary of the Gold Rush may already be a year behind us, Greg Markle and 200 locals have one last hazzah planned in George Jackson’s name.

After a year of filming in locations from Colorado to Missouri, Markle and his cast have completed the movie “Idahoe, The Life of George Jackson.” The film, produced entirely by volunteers, covers the exploits of the Gold Rush’s legendary founding father.

It seems that we have had our one day of spring, and now it is summer. At least I have been working in the garden a bit, and it has been really warm. Fortunately, I didn’t trust the weather, so I didn’t put out the bedding plants I had purchased.

Instead, I have been carrying them in and out every day so they haven’t gotten too pale and leggy or frozen, so I think tomorrow will be the day when they actually go into the garden.

It is a lovely May morning. A half-inch of sugar snow covers the rapidly greening world like frosting on a cake. The sky is blue, the sun is out and the snow is already melting.

Branches, twigs and leaves are dripping diamonds. It is a glorious sight to behold, refreshing to smell the damp earth and exhilarating to hear the spring medley of migrating birds at the feeder and the burbling music of Little Cub Creek in the valley below.

Whether filling lifeboats or food lines, the often-used adage “women and children first” sets a powerful precedent. Historically, adhering to this adage has helped ensure the continuation and health of the species.

The importance of ensuring the health and well-being of women and children is as critical today as it was years ago, although for more complex reasons. Current international studies report that women around the world play a central role in their children’s health and education, and in the economic status of the entire family.

February has been very wintry, with colder-than-average temperatures, snow flurries and a lot of gray skies.

Despite all this, if you walk along Bear Creek between the downtown parking lot and the Church of the Transfiguration, you can hear the beautiful canary-like song of the dipper. These fantastic little birds are permanent residents along our boisterous mountain streams and therefore one of the earliest birds to sing, mate and nest in the area.