What Lives On Assateague Island? - The Birds

Assateague Island contains over 37 miles of pristine beaches; besides the beaches and dunes, there are pine forests and salt marshes.  Assateague  became a National Park in 1965, and together with the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, and the Maryland State Park, the land and water boundaries total over 48,000 acres in both Maryland and Virginia.
  The island is a vital resting and feeding area for a large variety of birds.  The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, located on the southern end of Assateague Island in Virginia, is one of the most popular birding destinations in the United States.  Bird watchers can enjoy the wealth of over 300 species of migratory and resident avians. Assateague is an essential part of the Atlantic Flyway; prime habitat for thousands of waterfowl and other birds with migration instincts that carry them north and south annually.  Each fall, large flocks of waterfowl, like snow geese, begin arriving on the island, where they will spend the winter traveling between the sheltered and protected bay and salt marshes, and the fallow farm fields on the mainland.
   Besides the island of Assateague itself, several salt-marsh islands in Chincoteague Bay are also included in the National Seashore and CNWR protective areas.  Found on the island are loblolly pines, sweet gum and black gum trees, white oaks, holly, persimmons, myrtle, sumac, poison ivy, roses, blackberries, bayberries, and many species of Smilax (aka catbriers, greenbriers, and prickly-ivy).
   Assateague Island in Maryland, according to the National Audubon Society, is an Important Birding Area at the global level due to the 62 pairs of Piping Plover that nest on its beaches, representing 2% of this birds' global population.  Bird species occurring in significant numbers at the State level include: the largest ground-nesting colony (114 pairs) of Least Tern in Maryland [most nests of this species are now on artificial surfaces, like rooftops], Black Skimmer (Endangered Species in Maryland), and the Peregrine Falcon.  Assateague is an important migratory corridor for Peregrine populations in eastern North America, with more than 400 birds counted in most fall seasons. Migrant shorebirds congregate along the ocean beach in numbers significant at the State level, with the most abundant species being Sanderling, Dunlin, and Ruddy Turnstone.  The salt marshes support significant populations of two Audubon-American Bird Conservancy Watch List species - in the Red category - the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow and the Seaside Sparrow, and a large range of other saltmarsh- dependent birds.  The Chuck-will's Widows breed in the pine habitats and this is one of the places in Maryland with a breeding population of Common Nighthawks; both species are on the At-Risk List in the state.
  In Virginia, the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on the southern end of Assateague Island, is one of the finest places for bird watching on the east coast.  It is one of the richest birding regions in the United States with outstanding year-round birding opportunities, including a healthy bald eagle population.
   Summer is a good time to see large numbers of migrating shore birds, warblers, and other birds invade Assateague.  A variety of species are visible along the National Seahore at various times during the year.  In the fall, waterfowl arrive in massive numbers, as Assateague is a vital link in the life cycle of migrating birds along the Atlantic Flyway.  Visitors are fortunate to experience an island that teems with a huge variety of waterfowl and other bird life.
   Although an abundance of birds are found at Assateague, bird enthusiasts usually find the best opportunities along the Virginia portion of the island, due to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.  The refuge's freshwater impoundments combine with marshes all along Assateague's shoreline to host a variety of terns, egrets, sandpipers, swans, geese, ducks, herons, other waterfowl and more.  Making one's way by boat or kayak along the island's extensive inland waterways is a thrilling experience for any bird lover.  Herons and terns fly out from the edges as you proceed through vast winding narrows where you can also see crabs, eels, fish, oysters and other food sources these birds feed upon.
   Other than hiking designated pathways and along beaches, limited amounts of Assateague are accessible by car, so during recent times, many bird watchers have elected to travel by boat.  A bird watching voyage offers visitors a chance to see more of the refuge and it's wildlife.  Boat excursions, or renting a kayak, will take you to one of America's most unique ecosystems, with an abundance of wildlife, islands, water - and birds - as far as the eye can see...
  To see the Assateague birding check list, please visit:
http://www.assateagueisland.com/birdwatching/assateague_bird_list.htm

The Devil's Backbone

I love going to the Devil's Backbone in Larimer County, Colorado.  It's a short drive compared with some other places I like, and it's free.  One must pay to enter state and national parks, but the Devil's Backbone is a part of Larimer County's Open Space.  The 2,200 acres on the east side of the formation are open for hikers, runners, mountain bikers and horse back riders.  If you leave from the Devil's Backbone trailhead, you can hike 15 miles to Lory State Park, all on Larimer County Open Space.
   The Devil's Backbone is a 2-mile-long hogback of Dakota sandstone that stands west of Loveland.  The sandstone was originally the shoreline of an inland sea at the time of tyrannosaurus Rex, and cataclysmic earthquakes in past ages have set the sandstone on end.  Some parts of the Devil's Backbone tower 200 feet or more above the ridge that the geological formation appears from.  The sandstone has weathered into angular arches, and many photographs have been taken of the Keyhole, a now famous sunrise photo spot.
   The Backbone is the nesting area for a number of raptors, and the trails closest to the rocks are occasionally closed during nesting season.  Red-tailed hawks, great horned owls and barn owls are frequently seen in the area.  It is also the home of mule deer, elk, black bear, and mountain lions.  If you are a lover of plants and flowers, more than 120 species of plants have been identified within 100 yards of the trails.  In the spring, you might be able to see the rare Bell's twin pod, a yellow flower that is found in very few places in Larimer, Boulder, and Jefferson Counties - and no where else in the world.
   The Arapaho, Cheyenne and Ute tribes of Native Americans lived and hunted in the area for many centuries.  Many tribal artifacts have been found in the area.  Since the sandstone was once a part of a sea shore, many fossils of ancient sea creatures and fish are to be seen.  In early settler days, the skeleton of an ancient American elephant with 5-foot-long tusks was found.  This skeleton is now in Chicago's Field Museum.
   And I have to admit that if I approach the Devil's Backbone in fog, or a snow storm, and can only see a few parts of the huge formation, I can easily believe that some monstrous thing is rising out of the earth, and shaking free….   I easily understand why it was called the Devil's Backbone by the early white settlers.

A Late Birthday Hike

Yesterday's hike was spectacular! I'll try to post the photos I took on the hike tomorrow. We visited a part of Caribou Ranch (northwest of Nederland) that has only been open to the public for the past three years. Caribou Ranch has been private property for quite a while - it was used for filming the 1960s version of Stagecoach (starring Bing Crosby and Alex Cord); and in the late 1960's through the early 1990's was a well known recording and mixing studio for records and CDs. A large portion of the Ranch now belongs to Boulder County Open Space, and it is slowly being opened to pedestrians and equestrians. We started at the Blue Bird Mine trailhead, and walked for a little over a mile through forested ridges with a few open alpine meadows; then the trail joined in with the old Switzerland Trail, which was a 46+ mile railroad grade (the tracks were removed in 1920), and which was used extensively in the re-make of Stagecoach. We took several "spurs" off the main trail and visited the old Blue Bird Mine, which was a working silver mine up until 1965; we visited North Boulder Creek (which brother-in-law Jim thinks was Como Creek, the original headwaters of Boulder Creek); we wandered about the 1860's homestead that is being restored; spoke with a couple of Park Rangers about the invasive species that they are fighting (such as the pretty ox-eye daisy and the Scottish thistle); and then rested for a few moments on a beautifully situated park bench that had a wonderful overlook. Grandma Anne had slowed down her hiking speed quite a bit about half-way through the walk; but when the parking lot at the trailhead came into view, she positively flew the last 200 yards. I giggled and said, "Ah, the old grey mare sees the barn!" - and was then horrified when Kathy and Jim told Anne what I had said... She laughed and said that she didn't see the barn, she could see her transportation to Kathmandu!

We met at Kathmandu, a Nepalese restaurant, in Nederland. We all had the luncheon buffet, which including a huge selection of salad items, as well as Tandoori chicken, rice pudding, creamed spinach, Basmati rice, and about 20 other Nepalese dishes, plus a side dish of naan. What I felt safe eating was absolutely marvelous. And Kathy, Jim, and Anne had several helpings of everything. It was an excellent way for the morning to end. - The kits were happy to have me back at home for the afternoon, and I played catch-up on Facebook; then went over and sat with Rosie and Remy for 90 minutes in the evening, before going over to see Ooch, and putting him to bed for the night. I'll be headed back to Ooch in just a few minutes, and then I plan to spend the day at home, until I go back to Ooch around 6:30. Tomorrow morning, I move in with Sophie and Walt for 4 days and 3 nights... and I will once again be missing my kits.