What happens when you arrive somewhere before sunrise? Well... you
wait... because without light, there is no photography :) But sometimes
you can find something else to do while waiting. Perhaps have a bite to
eat and fuel yourself for the hike ahead...
That morning, we waited just long enough for the sun to illuminate the
landscape before setting off along the shore. The water level was so low
that we could walk across parts of the lakebed that are normally
covered by several feet of water. It was quite an interesting
experience. You know what else made this day memorable? How incredibly
bright everything was.
Late November is usually associated with dull,
faded colors. But as we walked across the exposed lakebed, we were
surprised by how vivid everything looked. The sky was a deep blue, the
dried aquatic plants glowed with warm shades of brown, and even the sand
had its own distinctive color. Together, they created an image so
vibrant that it remains etched in my memory.
Anything else? Of course - two magnificent bald eagles perched on a branch, patiently waiting for us :)
We saw a lot of birds that day. Barr Lake is always rich in birdlife
(just look here -
Everybody is flying, swimming or perching ;)), but on this particular morning there seemed to be
even more birds in the sky than usual. At one point, a huge skein of
geese darkened the sky while we were quietly trying to get closer to the
eagles. The moment lasted only a few seconds, but it was impressive
nonetheless.
The eagles allowed us to get surprisingly close before finally noticing us and simply taking off.
Now we were heading toward another tree where one of the eagles had
landed. I have no idea where the second one went. And, as if on cue, the
geese flew directly overhead, announcing their arrival with all
the hullabaloo geese are famous for.
The top of the tree was bathed in sunlight, and the eagle seemed
completely uninterested in us. But the second we stopped and pointed our
cameras at it, the bird spread its wings and disappeared for good.
Looking at all the air traffic, I could almost hear a dispatcher giving
instructions: "Geese, move to the left. Board 123456 Delta Airlines, continue toward DIA.
Estimated arrival in five minutes."
I know, I know... it looks so bright... that's because all the colors were that vivid that day...
The eagles weren't the only raptors we encountered. A red-tailed hawk was waiting for us in the next tree :)
And once we got close enough for a good look, the bird spread its
wings and... swoosh... vanished into thin air.
Well... that happened quite a few times that day, so you might as well get used to it :)
More geese (didn't I promise you there would be plenty of geese in the sky?)...
The mountains in the distance looked stunning. Well, as usual, I should say :)
Gulls were everywhere too, flying overhead or resting near the water's edge. There must have been hundreds of them.
As we continued along the shore, a large shadow suddenly swept across the ground around us.
We looked up just in time to spot a juvenile bald eagle circling directly overhead.
What a gorgeous bird it was...
A little later, we saw another juvenile eagle. It isn't every day that you encounter several of them on a single hike.
And don't get me wrong, we were absolutely delighted by every one of
these encounters and tried our best to capture the beauty of all the
birds we saw that day ;)
Another wedge of geese. Oh boy, I lost count of how many times they
flew overhead, loudly announcing their approach in a way that only
geese can.
On our way back we took a trail and met this adorable dove perched on the tree near the farm.
And, of course, an American robin ;) I was actually surprised to see only one. Usually there are dozens of them along the trail.
Another beautiful species - a Northern Flicker. This colorful woodpecker is often seen in the woods surrounding the lake.
The water wasn't perfectly still, but it still produced pleasant reflections of the trees growing along the shore.
For a change, these geese were swimming. Well... give them a minute and they'll be flying again ;)
What did I tell you? They simply couldn't stay on the water and had to get back into the air...
It was a wonderful hike and we enjoyed everything about it - the birds
soaring overhead and perched on the trees, the trees reflecting in the
water, and the endless blue sky. As it turns out, late November is
actually a wonderful time for a walk around Barr Lake.
And just before reaching the parking lot, we met a gang of prairie dogs. Well, you can always count on finding them there. After all, this is their territory :)
Photos taken on November 22, 2025.
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