American White Pelicans

White pelicans at San Luis Lakes, CO., 7/25.
 

A world of tracks.

Beetle and Kangaroo rat tracks, 7/25.

Ord's Kangaroo rat burrow.

Medano Creek.

 

Early morning Great Sand Dunes.

Meadow at Great Sand Dunes NP, 7/25.
 

Sand Dunes sunrise July 25.

 Sunrise on the Sand Dunes from Zapata Falls.

Black Swifts at Zapata Falls.

I have been trying to see the Black Swifts at Zapata Falls for a couple of years since I heard they nest there, and was finally rewarded by arriving at 6:30 am and seeing about a dozen of them rocketing near the mouth of the canyon. They are incredibly fast and very hard to photograph.
 

Forest patch patterns.

 I love the patterns of the forest patches at tree-line. But when I enhanced the photo I was reminded of the tragedy of forest die-offs. Here the dead & dying trees are seen in the bottom left of the photo.

A brief sojourn to Southern Colorado

Mount Blanca from south.

West side.