Beautiful morning...

One Saturday in May, I was on my way to Barr Lake State Park and asked myself - why do I keep coming here? And the answer was simple: cuz I like this place... yep, just like that :) Hiking around the lake always rewards you with such nice views... water and mountains... isn't that a perfect combination?

 

And birds! Being here means you are surrounded by all kinds of birds... colorful or not... bold or shy... watching you or just doing their things...

So I slowly followed the trail, admiring the distant white mountain slopes...

...and chuckled at birds like this goose, who had claimed a tall tree stump and was loudly bossing around the other geese hanging out nearby.

A pelican didn’t appreciate me stepping into its personal space, so it took off and flew away... somewhere... anywhere...

I followed the pelican with my eyes, and when it turned and vanished, I glanced back at the mountains (again).

But there were not only ranges and slopes that caught my attention... there was something else too - a bald eagle perched on the branch of a dead tree... Can you spot it?

Here it is! I have no idea how I managed to see it, it was pretty far from the shore and blended with the surroundings. I tried to get a better look by walking around a cluster of trees... but surprisingly, I couldn't see that tree from any other spot on the trail. I returned to where I first saw it - yep, still there, moved forward and tried again, and... still no luck. It just disappeared into the woods from every other angle.

“I know you!” I shouted at a pelican flying overhead (Was it the same one? Probably not. But who cares, right?).

Well... water, mountains, trees, clouds and reflections... I guess this is another reason to come back here :) Maybe reasons (plural) :)

  Ducks, geese, starlings, and those mountains again... I really love this place!

There’s a boardwalk that brings you closer to the water, and walking across it I realized it was carp spawning season. The shallow water was boiling, with the backs of fish breaking the surface. I don't remember seeing anything quite like that before.

I left the boardwalk and continued along the trail when I spotted two snowy egrets wading slowly at the water's edge, scanning for small fish.

They didn't care much about the carps but clearly wanted nothing to do with their commotion, hopping away when the fish got too close. :)

What a view... again... I guess, I'll never get tired of seeing these white mountain slopes reflected in the deep blue water...

But eventually it was time to head back. I turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

I passed the egrets, still wading in the same spot... and the only other stop I made was to peek into the hole in the trunk where the barn owl was resting...

Well... next time I'll do it again... walk around and admire the mountains. And then I’ll come back and do it again.

Photos were taken on May 04, 2025