Bright morning on Barr Lake

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...

 

What a view...

I have no idea what this Northern Harrier saw while soaring high in the sky, but the view across the lake was simply amazing...

 

Everybody is flying, swimming or perching ;)

Barr Lake is one of my favorite places to spend a few hours walking around the water and enjoying the fresh air and abundant wildlife. The lake is famous for being a winter home for bald eagles (don’t believe me? check it out - Bald Eagles on Barr Lake), but in November you can find all kinds of birds here - waterfowl, raptors, and everything in between. So, walking along the trail, we hoped to see them all…

 

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...

 

Silhouettes and clouds...

Another Saturday and another wilderness call... when you can't stay home but need to go somewhere and get some fresh cold air to recharge your batteries in anticipation of the week ahead. And Denver is a great place to do that because here you don't have to go very far. You can find what you need just in the middle of the city... All you need is to stop by some state park... Barr Lake park for example. In winter time you won't be able to enjoy the green lush trees surrounding the lake, but you can find something that you won't find in the summer - amazing tree silhouettes. Usually they are accompanied by some incredible reflections (click here to check it out - Spring Close-ups and reflections)... But not now... The water level is still surprisingly low (not as low as a couple months ago - Beautiful Saturday morning, but still low).

 

Beautiful Saturday morning

I woke up early and couldn't fall back to sleep. My mind was wide awake and the idea of going out and maybe even seeing the sunrise seemed like a good idea :). I was still high from seeing bald eagles at Barr Lake park last week (Bald Eagles on Barr Lake), so I decided to give it another try. Even without bird watching, this park is a great place to spend a few hours and even see some amazing reflections (Spring Close-ups and reflections) even though now there are no reflections to see :(. It didn't take long to get to the park and I realized that I was just in time for the sun starting its journey around the world...

 

Bald Eagles on Barr Lake

Barr Lake State park is an amazing place to hike or bird watch. And while mid-November may not be the best time for birds, it is definitely a good time for a hike. An easy hike, or more challenging one. We weren't sure what we would find there on this chilly Sunday morning. But as soon as we got out of the car, we knew that we had come at the right time... Because high in the sky, a huge flock of birds were making some intricate patterns but we weren't sure what kind of the birds they were...

 

Barr Lake in March

Early March is not the best time to visit Barr Lake. The lake is frozen and very few birds are still there. But... If you have patience you can find something nice there even in March ;) But first you need to look at the lake from the high ground...