Birding with my Sister - Brainard Lake

My sister had to fly home to Arizona late in the day on Monday, but we decided we had time to go do a bit more birding before she did.  Brainard Lake was our destination in hopes of finding a few more birds she wanted to check off on her list.  We arrived shortly after dawn.  Just gorgeous.  To me, this view is what Colorado is all about.  Beautiful mountains, pristine blue skies, clear mountain lakes and crisp air filled with birdsong.  

The other reason we decided on Brainard Lake as a destination was to see if we could see any of the moose that hang out around the lake in the early morning hours.  As you can see, we were successful!  

Pffftttt!   I'm not sure this fellow was happy with all the people taking photos!  (Actually - it's just a lucky shot at just the right moment while he was eating!)


A nice pose for the photographers!


Peek-a-boo!  It was definitely a fun morning with some fun photos!

Afterwards, we walked around the lake and birded and enjoyed the the amazing wildflowers.  These Parry Primroses were spectacular!  We saw lots of birds, but I didn't take many bird photos as I forgot to get the fully charged battery for my camera before we left home.  The one in my camera only lasted around a small portion of the lake before it gave out.  

The last shot I took before the battery died was this sweet Chickaree Squirrel!  They are much smaller than the usual grey or red squirrels and are a favorite of my sister and mine!  

In all, between birding at Pawnee National Grassland the day before and at Brainard Lake (and a quick couple of hours in Rocky Mountain National Park) we saw something like 40 different birds, including a couple that were new for both of us!  Lots of fun, especially to spend the time with my sister, galavanting around the countryside as she calls it!