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As many of you know, over the last few years and over the pandemic, Ken and I became what can legitimately be described as….. Birders. Ken has a camera, I have binoculars, we have field guides, books, apps, and lifelists. So how did it come to this? We are just barely in our 40s after all. During 2020 and 2021, when we had a tiny baby and needed to leave our neighborhood for variety and also stay socially distanced, we chose random neighborhoods and trails to explore. We’d take Scarlett, the dogs, the stroller, and we’d meander. At the time, things felt scary but now, looking back, the extra time and adapted work schedule allowed us to venture forth with time and curiosity and we learned a lot about our local area. During 2020, I rediscovered the East Boulder-White Rocks trail. I had run there with friends over the years, always going just fast enough to miss the spectacular beauty that was there right before my eyes. With a tiny baby in tow in 2020, speed no longer part of the equation, I couldn’t believe what was in front of our eyes. This is one of our favorite trails and we visit it frequently to this day. It's a less popular local trail- I think because you can’t take dogs on it. And the reason you can’t take dogs on it likely has to do with the spectacular natural habitat that is present there. Boulder Creek feeds into Heatherwood Lake and this waterway creates a beautiful area for tons of animals. Boulder County open space has taken on a large restoration project here over the last few years. Several gravel pits were reclaimed and transformed into Heatherwood Lake. Heatherwood lake provides a perfect habitat that supports a robust ecosystem. There are beautiful trees and reeds, lots of protected open space, all with the mountains as a breathtaking backdrop.
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Me, learning how to use the camera, out at E. Boulder Trail this winter. A big draw to this trail for us and many other bird-nerds has to do with the eagles' nest on the north side of the lake. I just walked there a few days ago and had the pleasure of seeing an eagle family flying all around us, calling to each other. Mom, Dad, and teenager eagle were present. We’ve also seen kingfishers, red-tailed hawks, pelicans, ospreys, kestrels, coyotes, deer, foxes, owls and so many more animals at this trail.
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Eagle with nest, winter 2025. Will they lay an egg and have a baby eagle? Fingers crossed!
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Summer beauty on the trail. It is a really special place- a great reminder of how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful area. If you go check out this trail, make sure to take your binoculars and look out for eagles. There is a large tree on the NW side of the lake that has a big eagles nest in it. The eagles are there frequently or are flying around on the north and west sides of the lake. A few important details: Walk west along Valmont for 2-3 minutes and then cross at the crosswalk. Walk north across Valmont and you will be on the trail. Eagles' nest is here. Look for a big dead looking tree that is kind of half light and half black with a big nest at the top of it. No dogs, no bathrooms. Bikes, birding, and binoculars are welcome:) |
