So I had 5 minutes to spare on my way to an interview... Stopped by the turtle ponds. We cleaned this area up a week ago-- we being my 9th grade students and I. Spent two hours pulling plastic out of the creek, pulling shopping carts out of the muck, pulling trash out of the trees-- lots left by homeless folks camping. Anyways, left the place looking alot better.
I've seen a great blue here, red-tailed hawks, mostly mallards without alot of other water birds, a few Song Sparrows and Chickadees.
But the other big draws include the turtles and the fish. The best place I know to see turtles on the front range-- they crawl up on different rocks and limbs as the sun rises. Big fellas. 6-8 of them, in the two lower pools...
The fish or huge bombers-- in the third pond up. The water had gotten really low a week ago and I was starting to worry about them a bit, then that snow came. Now things are over-flowing. But that day one flashed up, making a huge commotion, and gobbled up on of the mallard chiks floating by with her momma. Bam! Little mini Lochness monster action.
Today I walked towards the bridge and saw something there-- not really perched, but more like it was set there. A swallow-- emerald-- balled up, not moving. Maybe dead and someone put it up there for some reason? But getting closer it doesn't really look dead, and doesn't wake up or move either. I get real close-- close enough to reach out and touch. Which I eventually do, after I've had a good look-- expecting him to burst into frightened flight. Nope. Didn't even wake up.
I pet his right wing a bit more, and a little stronger to boot. Now I kind of want him to wake up. He does-- shakes slumber off a bit, eyes fluttering, focuses in on me. Realizes the situation, is not bothered, tucks his head back into his wing and goes to sleep. Could have just cupped him up and carried him off...
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