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| Sunrise at Sprague Lake |
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A benefit of getting up early to catch the sunrise is that you may find yourself in place to observe birds and other wildlife when they are at their most active at daybreak.
We heard the first chatterings of kingfishers while it was still dark, and soon enough we saw at least two birds flying through the woods, around the lake and hunting from low, and surprisingly, high tree branches. One of them was a young female, we knew because her "rusty bra" was not yet complete.
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| Belted Kingfisher |
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Something inexplicable about these birds appeals to both of us. Wikipedia says there are over 90 species so we have a ways to go. Besides the Belted Kingfisher, we have seen only the Sacred Kingfisher in New Zealand. But I have my eye on the
Laredo Birding Festival in February, as Laredo, Texas is the only place in the US where four kingfisher species have been seen (Belted, Ringed, Green and Amazon).
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| Kingfisher getting breakfast |
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| Kingfishers on a favorite perch |
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We also saw other bird species and elk at Sprague Lake, and apparently moose have been hanging out there in the mornings, though we didn't see them when we were there. It's definitely a beautiful (and very accessible) place for a sunrise or sunset!
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| Yawning? Or calling out? |
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| Morning light on the Continental Divide | |
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