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...

 

Birds, Mountains, Lake...

Early Sunday morning, I left my car in the parking lot and walked toward the lake. Just a few yards down the trail, I was greeted by a small group of house sparrows wandering about. The tiny birds were perched in the middle of a large bush, chatting to one another. It was such a pleasant encounter, they instantly lifted my mood.

 

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…

 

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?

 

Different parks... different birds...

I wandered around different parks capturing different birds... City Park, Barr Lake State Park and Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge... Probably the most exciting find was a Snow Egret. Sometimes this bird keeps its distance, but sometimes lets you get really close.. And it's fun to watch this bird in search of food :)

 

Another beautiful morning and birds of Barr Lake

The best time to start the hike around Barr Lake is early in the morning. I mean it... as early as you can get out of bed, preferably right before sunrise... If you can do it, the reward is great... pure liquid gold spilling over the horizon line and everything looking like it was made of 24 karat gold.... Beautiful, isn't it?

 

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...

 

Spring Close-ups and reflections

Spring is not the best time for going out with the camera. The colors are faded, the weather is not always friendly, and many subjects are not ready to pose. But... it's a good time for some close-up shots. And if you are after details and patterns, you don't have to go far... just walk around and look. But let's start with something else - what about a hike on Barr Lake? A light hike around the lake is always fun and the weather is mostly nice there (if not too windy :) ). This morning it was nice and quiet but... really cloudy. The sky was unusually gray and blended perfectly with water... And the bare trees created cool silhouettes against this background...

 

Another Barr Lake hike...

Barr Lake is the place where you might spot a Bald Eagle or two... BTW - click here if you want to see them - Barr Lake in March. Luck is not always on your side but don't be disappointed if you miss this bird. You still have a good time walking around the lake and looking around...

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...

 

Barr Lake, early Spring

Barr Lake is a special place. You can hike, bike, boat... but better go here for bird watching. More than 350 species can be found here. But... not in late March. In fact there is very little to see at this point, unless you like seeing bare tree trunks everywhere.