July 6, 2006: Colorado and Wyoming Prairie (21 PHOTOS, 10 BIRD/ANIMAL)

We spotted this Mountain Goat in Big Thompson Canyon (US34) east of Estes Park.

Morning: We left the Rocky Mountain National Park area, and headed North and East to the prairies. The morning was spent at Pawnee National Grassland, a unique location in the National Park System. This park, in northern Weld County, is a beautiful shortgrass prairie, which was farmed until the Dust Bowl in the 1930's. The area is just too drought prone. We spent some time birding, and hiking on the beautiful prairie, before heading north.

A panoramic view of the short-grass prairie at Pawnee National Grassland. A close up of the prairie reveals small cacti along with the grass, and lots of cool igneous rocks!

These antelope we found on the prairie were not happy about our presence! (Melissa's photo)

This was Melissa's first visit to Wyoming. (Pic taken on US-85)

The afternoon was spent in Southeastern Wyoming. Some noteable highlights:
Fort Laramie National Historical Site: A 19th century trading post and fort. Visit was cut short by a thundstorm.
Guernsey: In this nearby town, there are ruts from the Oregon Trail wagon wheels that still can be seen to this day. Also neat to see is "Register Cliff", where 19th century grafitti is still visible! (Penned by settlers)

Fort Laramie NHS (just before a bad thunderstorm)

150 year old graffiti! (Register Rock: Guernsey, Wyo)

Hartville, Wyoming

Scenic Route 270 in Niobara County, Wyoming

Brief detour to Nebraska on US-20 to get a "new state" for Melissa, and also look for Chestnut Collared Longspurs! (We saw one) This was at Van Tassel.

Melissa's first (albeit brief) visit to Nebraska (on US20) (above)

Windmill at sunset near Van Tassel, Wyoming (below)

We stayed the evening in Lusk. Nice dinner at the outdoor B-Q Corral, across from Subway, and we spent the night at Best Value Inn.

BIRDING: At Pawnee, we found a life MCCOWNS LONGSPUR. Also many HORNED LARKS, SWAINSONS AND RED-TAILED HAWK, VESPER SPARROW, AMERICAN KESTREL, and LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES. Tens of thousands of LARK BUNTINGS, as well. CASSIN'S and WESTERN KINGBIRDS.

In SE Wyoming, many SWAINSON'S HAWKS, no target Ferruginous Hawks. One CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR, many WESTERN MEADOWLARKS.

Fort Laramie: WESTERN MEADOWLARK on the grounds, and quite a few AMERICAN ROBINS. Also BARN SWALLOWS and an ORCHARD ORIOLE, and WESTERN BLUEBIRDS.

Guernsey/Register Rock: WESTERN KINGBIRDS, many CLIFF SWALLOWS and WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS, and a BLUE GROSBEAK.

Texas Horned Lizard: Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado

Loggerhead Shrike: Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado

Lark Bunting: Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado

Common Nighthawk (not the best photo!): Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado

McCown's Longspur: Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado

Horned Lark: Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado (Melissa's Photo)

Swainson's Hawk nest just northeast of Cheyenne, Wyoming (Melissa's photo)

juvenile Swainson's Hawk. (We saw several at this age in Laramie and Goshen Counties in Wyoming) We kept trying to make them into Ferruginous, but they were all Swainsons! (Melissa's Photo)

Orchard Oriole: Fort Laramie NHS, Wyoming (about the furthest west possible??)

Barn Swallow and nest at Fort Laramie NHS, Wyoming

Cliff Swallow Colony at Register Rock, Guernsey, Wyoming.