Since I visited Denver recently to visit my mother, I decided to indulge in a bit of winter birding to get her out of the house. Although many people like to look for birds in the summer, when the weather is nice, winter allows you a unique opportunity to actually see the birds without the cover of leaves. As winter snows fall many mountain dwelling species of birds will come down into the valleys and even into cities in the winter. Moreover, species from north of the US/Canada border fly down into the areas where winter is milder, even to Denver as it turns out. The purpose of this post is not to be inclusive, just the the birds I found in a few favorite places. I grew up in Colorado and learned about nature from my late father who was an avid outdoorsman. He would have enjoyed getting out and viewing the birds on display in the nearby parks.
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Eastern Colorado Americana
Eastern Colorado is a piece of Americana that few tourists ever visit. I decided to visit my cousin who lives in Merino, a small farming community in northeast Colorado. The farming areas in the Midwest and particularly the eastern plains of Colorado are justly called the heartland of America. The pace of life is slow but not without it’s pleasures. This is big sky country, equal to the best skies in Montana. There is a marked difference between north-eastern and south-eastern Colorado in that the south is much drier. There are about twenty-five million acres in Colorado east of the Rocky Mountains. This area consists mainly of high rolling prairies broken by numerous stream beds that are generally dry, except immediately following rains when for a few hours the streams become torrents. The altitude ranges from about 4,000 feet above sea level at the eastern line of the state to 6,000 feet at Colorado Springs. Along the two main rivers, the Platte in the north and the Arkansas in the south, there are numerous small lakes and irrigation channels.
Rioja Restaurant, Denver
The last time I was in Denver, I had the good fortune to dine at Bistro Vendome in Larimer Square of chef/co-owner Jennifer Jasinski. I liked Bistro Vendome so much I decided to visit another of Jennifer Jasinski restaurants, Roija with my parents. She is also involved in Euclid Hall and Stoic & Genuine which I plan to visit in the future. Roija shows “meticulously thought-out” Mediterranean-inspired dishes which her “courteous” staff “presents like artwork” alongside an “extraordinary wine list” at this “cosmopolitan Larimer Square gem”. Passion, creativity and attention to detail are the engines that drive any restaurant. Executive Chef/Owner Jennifer Jasinski and General Manager/Owner Beth Gruitch lead the team at Rioja along with Chef de Cuisine, Tim Kuklinski. Since opening in late 2004, the Larimer Square room has drawn a steady stream of accolades and landed on numerous “best of” lists. Jennifer Jasinski, who was a rising star in the Wolfgang Puck empire before earning raves heading Panzano in Denver, solidified her status when she and business partner Beth Gruitch launched Rioja. Jennifer Jasinski was the Winner of The James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Southwest 2013, a very big culinary honor.
Bistro Vendôme. Denver, Colorado
Place Vendôme, considered a favorite among Parisians, is a renowned historic square located in the heart of Paris. This is purposefully a bistro, not a café nor a brasserie. The selection of the name “Bistro Vendôme” reflects the desired image in the community of Larimer Square: a local favorite in a downtown rich with history that offers an exceptional dining experience in a charming, neighborhood setting. Tucked away behind the bustle of Larimer Street, Bistro Vendome has the feel of well-kept secret. It’s seasonally-changing menu crafted by executive chef Jennifer Jasinski offers a diverse array of bistro classics, including Noix de Saint Jacques Grilléz (grilled scallops), steak tartare, Latin (rabbit) and Confit de Canard (duck confit).
Street Art. Downtown Denver, Colorado
Denver has a vibrant art scene due in part to the enlightened city government which has promoted public sculptures but also due to an excellent museum and the number of artists who live in Denver. Denver also has an impressive number of excellent large format paintings on the sides of buildings, particularly in the RiNo district of Denver. North of downtown Denver, you will find the River North Art District, which goes by the catchy nickname “RiNo” . The district has even adopted a rhino design for its official insignia. RiNo is rapidly becoming the hotspot for artsy types in Denver, with a remarkable array of creative businesses, including architects, art galleries, designers, furniture makers, illustrators, painters, media artists, photographers, sculptors, art studios and a wealth of street art. Artists have challenged art by situating it in non-art contexts. Street artists do not aspire to change the definition of an artwork, but rather to question the existing environment with its own language. The motivations and objectives that drive street artists are as varied as the artists themselves. Street artists attempt to have their work communicate with everyday people about socially relevant themes in ways that are informed by esthetic values without being imprisoned by them. There is a strong current of activism and subversion in urban art. Street art can be a powerful platform for reaching the public and a potent form of political expression for the oppressed, or people with little resources to create change.
Bear Creek Spring Runoff. Kittridge, Colorado
When I was in Denver last week for my mother’s 80th birthday, we decided to have lunch in the mountains. We decided to go to Kittridge, a small town (actually tiny) near the top of Bear Creek canyon, about 20 miles from Morrison. The small (population 500) mountain community of Kittredge is located between the towns of Evergreen and Idledale in Bear Creek Canyon and offers access to several Denver Mountain Parks and Jefferson County Open Space parks perfect for picnics, hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Bear Creek Canyon was a favorite of old Denver, full of small parks, which were close enough for picnics after work, which we often did with my parents. These days Bear Creek Canyon is a favorite of bicyclists who climb to the top in Evergreen or Kittridge, have a bite to eat, then race downhill on the windy road to Morrison. Bear Creek Tavern is similar to Creekside Cellars in Evergreen with more of an old Colorado feel.
Sagebrush Bar and Grill. Grand Lake, Colorado
There are not many restaurants in Grand Lake but the Sagebrush Restaurant seems to be the most popular, the food is good, the location is convenient, the prices are reasonable and it is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sagebrush restaurant is more than just great BBQ. It offers traditional western fare in an authentic setting. Its ribs, burgers, steaks are outstanding, but you can get gluten-free food and vegetarian dishes as well. In the summer local Morales Farms in Granby provides Sagebrush with vegetables and salad greens. You can also find the original Grand Lake jail doors here dating back to the 19th century and admire ranching tools and other western memorabilia from early 20th century. Located in downtown Grand Lake just past Town park. It is open from 7am until 10pm, seven days a week.
Colorado River Headwaters. Colorado
The lands now known as Rocky Mountain National Park have been home to humans for at least ten thousand years. Before the Europeans arrived, the area was known as the Kawuneeche Valley by the Ute Indians. The landscape reflects the culture of the people who have walked it, from Native Americans to the modern visitor. In the early 1900s, passion to conserve the area began to spread to Congress from chambers of commerce, conservationists, women’s clubs, Enos Mills, Colorado Mountain Club, and RB Marshall of the U.S. Geological Survey. Congress heard opposition from the Front Range Settlers League of Estes Park, ranchers, cattlemen, and even miners. This controversy finally resulted in the formation of the Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915. Highway 34, known as Trail Ridge Road through the park, runs from the town of Estes Park on the east to Grand Lake on the southwest. The road reaches an elevation of 12,183 feet (3,713 m), and is closed by snow in winter.
The Ute Tribe visited the west side of the park, particularly around Grand Lake as long as 6,000 years ago. The area of the park was Ute territory, used for camping and hunting, until the late 1700s. Then they were driven over the Continental Divide by the Arapaho, who came from the east, who continued to enjoy the area around Estes Park until colonists of European descent arrived. In 1859, while on a hunting expedition, Joel Estes and his son discovered the meadows that eventually became Estes Park. He moved his family there in 1860 and raised cattle. He stayed only until 1866, forced out by long, harsh winters. Enos Mills, then a 14-year-old boy, moved to Estes Park in 1884. He explored the mountains of the area and wrote many books and articles describing the region. He later supported the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park, and he split his time between the mountains he loved and the cities of the eastern United States, where he lobbied for the legislation to create the park. The legislation was drafted by James Grafton Rogers, a Denver lawyer and avid outdoorsman.
Rivers are part of the hydrological cycle. Water generally collects in a river from precipitation through a drainage basin from surface runoff and other sources such as groundwater recharge, springs, and the release of stored water in natural ice and snowpacks (e.g. from glaciers). With global warming, permanent glaciers are becoming a thing of the past, so different mechanisms need to come into play to provide a continuous flow of water. The Kawuneeche Valley is typical of the high mountain meadows that feed the regions streams and rivers. This valley however is special, a gigantic meadow with porous loamy soil that serves as the headwaters of the Colorado River, the most important river in the Southwest of the United States. The meadows act like a sponge, absorbing the runoff from the winter snow and gradually releasing it over the summer.
Aside from the hydrodynamics going on beneath the surface, the scenery on top is breathtaking. The beavers, moose, deer and other animals contribute to the scenery and the maintenance of the meadows.
The Colorado River goes around Grand Lake and it’s associated reservoirs on it’s downward trek toward the southwest. These two photographs show the Colorado River at the level of Grand Lake, at the site of my nieces wedding. You can clearly see the increase in volume in the flow of the river.
By the time the Colorado River reaches Granby, it has the recognizable form of a river, which grows with every passing mile.

Mike O'Callaghan - Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge with Colorado River Below. Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, Nevada
By the time the Colorado River reaches Las Vegas, far from Colorado, it has become a formidable force of nature and the lifeline for such diverse communities as Las Vegas, Phoenix, the California Central Valley and Los Angeles. Known for its dramatic canyons and whitewater rapids, the Colorado is a vital source of water for agricultural and urban areas in the southwestern desert lands of North America. A river flowing in its channel is a source of energy which acts on the river channel to change its shape and form. In 1757, the German hydrologist Albert Brahms empirically observed that the submerged weight of objects that may be carried away by a river is proportional to the sixth power of the river flow speed. This formulation is also sometimes called Airy’s law. Thus, if the speed of flow is doubled, the flow would dislodge objects with 64 times as much submerged weight. This law accounts for the formation of the Grand Canyon. Since the mid-20th century, intensive water consumption has dried the lower 100 miles (160 km) of the river such that it no longer reaches the sea except in years of heavy runoff. If you visit Colorado, try to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, the headwaters of the mighty Colorado River.
References:
Rocky Mountain National Park: http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm
Kawuneeche Valley: http://www.nps.gov/romo/kawuneeche_valley.htm
Hoover Dam: https://traveltoeat.com/hoover-dam-las-vegas-nevada/
Berthoud Pass, Colorado
My niece got married in Grand Lake this summer and we traveled from Denver over Berthoud pass to the wedding on I-40. I have fond memories of Berthoud pass, when I was a kid there was a glacier on the top all summer long and a rope lift. That is where I and my friends learned to ski. Later there was an actual ski area which apparently closed in 2002 due to financial problems. Berthoud Pass is a unique environment, where a major highway crosses the Continental Divide in a topographically and climatically ideal location that lends itself to a lengthy season of challenging deep powder skiing. Thus, water that falls on the Western Slope ends up in the Colorado River and water on the Eastern Slope ends up going east. The pass is named for Edward L. Berthoud, the chief surveyor of the Colorado Central Railroad during the 1870s. Accompanied by Jim Bridger, Berthoud discovered the pass in July 1861 while surveying a possible route for the railroad. Berthoud reported that the pass was suitable as a wagon road, but not as a railroad. The pass has steep grades on either side (6.3%), along with winding switchbacks and many tight spots.
Hummingbirds. Grand Lake, Colorado
We traveled to Grand Lake Colorado and stayed at The Gateway Inn for my niece’s wedding. On the patio, they had a colony of about 10 ruby-throated Hummingbirds, chirping and chasing each other between the four feeders. I just love hummingbirds, they are so small, so quick and so colorful, a lovely addition to any garden. There are between 325 and 340 species of hummingbird, depending on taxonomic viewpoint, divided into two subfamilies, the hermits (subfamily Phaethornithinae, 34 species in six genera), and the typical hummingbirds (subfamily Trochilinae, all the others). Most hummingbirds of the U.S. and Canada migrate south in fall to spend winter in Mexico or Central America. Ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate from as far north as Ontario south to Central America and Mexico via direct crossings of the Gulf of Mexico or coastal Texas. White granulated sugar is the best sweetener to use in hummingbird feeders. A ratio of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water (25%) is a common recipe, although hummingbirds will defend feeders more aggressively when sugar content is at 35%, indicating preference for nectar with higher sweetness and sugar content. The ruby-throated Hummingbird is by far the most common species that breeds in the eastern half of North America, although most states have sporadic sightings. They are hard to photograph but I managed to get these photos.