Everybody has a family... small or big...

Another Saturday and another hike around Barr Lake... I had some hopes when I started out from the parking lot, but I was trying to keep them low so I wouldn't be disappointed... But almost as soon I stepped out of the car, a juvenile bald eagle swooshed above overhead and disappeared into the trees. What a good sign, I thought, and turned around to say hello to prairie dogs that had surrounded the parking lot, ready to run down the holes they have all over the area...

 

The sentry looked at me with great suspicion, blew a loud whistle to warn his family of the intruder, and... vanished into thin air, leaving me alone. A good start to the day, everyone disappears on me ;)

A few minutes later I reached the shore and was surprised (not really) at how high the water had risen in the last couple of months... I couldn't believe it had filled the lake to the brim and now the only option for hiking was on the trail... no more wandering on the dry lake bed... pity! In case you forgot, look at how low the water level was just a couple of months ago - Bald Eagles on Barr Lake

 

Surprisingly, there was only one person trying to catch some fish... I was expecting a small crowd, but there wasn't one. And maybe it wasn't the best time for fishing after all, because this guy walked off the ice a few minutes later, and I didn't see another person on my hike after that.

I returned to the trail and passed another family of the prairie dogs. This group wasn't afraid of me at all and didn't pay much attention, even though the trail runs relatively close to their burrows. No complaints... it's always nice to have company on a hike :)

First the trail follows the shoreline, but at some point it moves to the right and follows the railway tracks. New turn and I found another family (it was a day to find a lot of families I guess)... They are small now, but I guess they are excited about the arrival of their babies. The father looked around carefully, asked the wife about something, and took off... I guess he was heading to find some breakfast for himself and bring something tasty to his nest too. It was really cool to see the nest and the eagles there. I guess it's already exceeded my expectations for this day ;)

It was an easy hike... the trail was dry (or rather frozen), the air was crisp and invigorating...I enjoyed walking along the shoreline, getting closer to look at the icy edge, or further away to admire the silhouettes of the trees...

After about an hour, I spotted another eagle (young and curious) soaring overhead. It was a nice encounter ;)

It was time to turn around and return back to the car... But some movement caught my eye, so I moved closer and found dozens of red-winged blackbirds landing in the meadow. I had never seen so many of them in one place...

I stayed close, watching the birds landing there every few seconds... and at some point they all took off and headed toward a big cottonwood tree where the rest of the family was waiting.

Now hundreds of birds were moving fast and with great determination... Oh my... that was something... A minute later they all occupied the branches of a tall and wide tree and started a conversation ;) such a chatty family they were... such a noisy bunch ;)

I looked up and realized why they had risen so abruptly... two juvenile eagles were circling high in the sky, looking for something. Although bald eagles prefer fish for lunch (and breakfast... and dinner), they are not picky when the water freezes... so they have small birds and prairie dogs on their menu too :)

I turned around and left small (and big) birds behind. Unfortunately, I didn't find anything interesting on my way back, but was rewarded later, when I made a small detour and was approaching the parking lot from the west.

There were a few cottonwood trees nearby, but I didn't expect to find anything there and I was wrong... Oh boy, how wrong I was... As I passed by, another eagle took off from a branch just 20 feet away from me (and I wasn't prepared for such a quick departure). The bird didn't fly far and landed on the short pole just to take off a minute later, and this time I had a camera to my eye ;)

The eagle made a circle and perched on the branch of the tree above my head. It blended in perfectly with its surroundings. Although I had just seen it land, I couldn't see it until I got closer...

I snapped a couple of photos and left it alone. I knew a family of prairie dogs were waiting for my return, and they greeted me as I passed by. Such sociable animals these prairie dogs are :)

It was time to go home... Almost 3 hours and over 7 miles was definitely enough for one morning... And I met so many different families who allowed me to observe their lives and daily routines ;) I guess I will go back there again... later...

 

The pictures were taken on February 22, 2025.