June is here and summer has definitely arrived in Colorado! We celebrated a sunny Sunday with a walk in the Standley Lake Regional Park, a 1,200-acre reservoir just a few miles away from where we live, home to wildlife and a lovely urban playground with an amazing mountain view.
It’s funny how when you live close to something, you don’t actually go visit because you can always do THAT. Well, we’ve lived approximately 8 miles from Standley Lake for four years now and we FINALLY got to walk around it. Not that we haven’t tried—to our defense. But, our first attempts happened when the wind was blowing like mad, so we learned to stay away from the open range those days.
When we got to visit this fine June day, it was perfect! We walked the path to our left and around the shorter loop—but we weren’t disappointed.
Beyond being a nice body of water, the lake serves as the municipal water supply for nearby towns, but also notably as home to wildlife. It is here that you can spy on white pelicans, western grebes, cormorants, gulls, Canadian geese and mallard ducks. Many birds prefer nesting on a large island in the park called Bird Island. According to the park management, there are over sixty great blue heron nests, while eagles and great horned owls often perch on the island trees to hunt. Check out the Bird Island live cam and see for yourself!
The park is also a protected area for bald eagles! Currently, a pair of these majestic birds nest in the park and this year are proud parents of three fledglings. Having survived some blistery winter storms and furious 120 miles/hr winds, the babies are just about to fly the coop—fingers crossed and safe flight, little ones! I haven’t seen it yet, but there is an observation point set up to spy on the birds; added to the “to do” list. Meanwhile, I’ll check on their progress on Standley Lake Regional Park’s Facebook page.
I wish I could share with you how sweet and suave the fields smell when they are in bloom here! It’s a combination of honeysuckle, vanilla, and Heaven. It’s subtle but fragrant. A light breeze makes the otherwise intense summer sun a warm welcome. As we walk the dirt trails, red-winged blackbirds sing from waterside trees, frogs serenade us in low tones, while prairie dogs bark high pitched from mound tops.
I will return to the park and explore more areas, and will report back, so stay tuned!
