The first week of the year is often cold and dark.  The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular and my African violets are blooming.  The most abundant animals are raptors and bunnies -- with a little Tiva stealing the show!

The second week of January is unpredictable.  If the lakes are unfrozen, one can see lots of birds.  There's usually snow on the ground so animal tracks are a favorite. If it is miserable out, I'm taking pictures of home-made things like CD's or smoke.  If the weather is truly miserable, like it was in 2019, then the predators come out and eat elk!

The third week of January includes the Martin Luther King Jr holiday so I am  often travelling.  In Colorado, though, it is still cold, and without the hardy winter residents, I am "stuck with" night lights, indoor flowers and Tiva!  In 2019, I was lucky enough to do a time-series of the lunar eclipse and our trail camera "caught" a mountain lion kitten!

By the 4th week of January, I'm getting a bit desperate.  While I've gotten some fantastic wildlife photos, I'm craving color and trying to get creative.   

The end of January is unpredictable.  In some years, snow dominates the landscape.  In other years, there is little snow and it is tempting to think that spring is around the corner.  One thing is certain, though, there is lots of hanging around and waiting for the season to change.  

Some themes begin to emerge by week 6.  Dogs are still my "staple" photo but my front garden crocuses are beginning to bloom and I am desperate for the color and hope they provide.  By this time of the winter, the deer and elk are shaggy, skinny and tired.  Owls are out and about a bit more and the bunnies are still plentiful.  Another sign of spring to come are the signing house finches!  So while during some years there is still lots of snow on the ground, there is hope!  

Middle of February seems to be a tough time for pictures.  I either get great ones or ones not worth sharing.  Here are some that are worth a second look.  You can see the dominant themes -- wintery weather and wildlife, and colorful flowers! Note that the trail camera pictures rarely make it into my "picture a day" but they are still fascinating peeks into what happens during the night!

Late February is unpredictable. I've taken many photos that really don't offer anything, and then there are some awesome photos that show the hearty survivors of winter. The one thing that is fairly predictable is the snow on the landscape!

My mother always says that the beginning of March is the beginning of spring.  Oh, if that were true!  There is still lots of snow in March.  In fact, March is Boulder's snowiest month followed by April.  It is true, though, that the birds are starting to come back and my pictures are a bit more interesting.

By the first week of March, life begins to come back to Colorado.  Chipmunks emerge from their long hibernation and spotted towhees are looking for a territory.  While there are still plenty of snowstorms that coat the landscape, it is nice to finally see a little color again!

March is the snowiest month in Colorado and it is easy to see in my selection of pictures.  Some years seem like the snow never quits!  Birds are making a comeback, though, with red-winged blackbirds and black-capped chickadees staking out their nesting grounds. Great horned owls are already nesting!  Moose come down from the high country in search of fresh willow buds, deer try to ride out the storms, and bobcats and mountain lions are still plentiful in our neighborhood.  Usually, the dandelions are in full bloom!

It's hard to predict what it will be like in mid-March.  A few things are almost certain -- more snow, birds courting and clearing skies.  Perhaps, if it is an early spring, a golden-mantle ground squirrel will emerge from hibernation!  By this time of year, even dogs get restless... 

The last week of March means spring break in Colorado.  In the days when I tutored a lot, this week meant we got to take a needed break and travel.  While it can be nice at the end of March, it can still be quite snowy! Birds are starting to come out a bit more, the elk are shaggy and the owls are already nesting.  On this week in 2020, the COVID-19 lockdowns began...

The first week of April starts to get exciting in Colorado. Ground squirrels emerge from hibernation, and if it is an early spring, the flowers begin to bloom.  While it can still snow a lot, if there isn't much snow on the ground, then it means the ticks come out!  Eeek!  In 2020, I made my first masks and by 2021, Andy and I were fully vaccinated.  Whew!

Mid-April is such a crazy time of year.  Chipmunks are emerging from hibernation, bluebirds and turkey vultures are coming back into the area and wild turkeys are in full display.  While some great horned owlets are starting to fledge, the Steller's jays are just building their nests.   It can snow a lot, though, so whoever is around needs to be hearty.  Note that the blue flax flowers from 2014 were at our local flower store, Sturtz & Copeland.

Even though mid-April can be spring-like, more often than not, it is snowy and cold.  For some reason, the migrating birds think this is a great time to be in Colorado.  2021 was an incredible year for migrating shore birds and 2018 was a great year to see the natives.  In 2020, Andy and I witnessed a common raven harass a Wyoming ground squirrel (see our blog).  April 2014 we saw a lunar eclipse so dim that the stars were visible, too.  

By the end of April the precipitation tends to fall as rain and flowers are definitely emerging.  While migrating birds are still passing through, others, like turkeys and nuthatches are thinking of settling down and finding a mate.  This is also the time for spring cleaning!

The last week of April is all about birds.  The emerging foliage is perfect for insects and insects are perfect for birds.  In 2020, we were lucky enough to see a mother mountain lion feed her young kittens on a deer carcass. 

Is it safe to come out, yet?  By early May the moose are coming down from the mountains, voles are venturing out and bears are coming out of hibernation and young birds are emerging from the nest.  Is it safe, yet?  There could be lots of snow in the future but the grass is definitely turning green! Spring might just be here!

By mid-May, change is in the air and depending on the year, it can be very green or very snowy! Bears emerge from their dens, but without much of food around, tend to meander.  Elk and big horn sheep are shaggy and tired from the long winter.  Great Horned Owls are already tending to their nestlings, but most other birds are looking for a home or a mate.  In 2014, a red fox photo-bombed my snowy Flatirons picture.  In 2017, Estes Park got 36" of snow on May 18th.  

It seems like the end of May is all about clouds.  It is the middle of the rainy period in Colorado and in a couple weeks the dry season will set in.  Early nesting songbirds are busy feeding their young and owls are fledging. Calypso orchids bloom in the most unexpected places, snowshoe hares have changed from their winter coats and golden-mantle ground squirrels are ready to pop!

They don't call spring the season of "birds and the bees" for nothing!  The first week of June is all about nesting (and mating) for migratory birds.  Deer (who eat later-leafing bushes) are still shaggy while elk (who eat early emerging grasses) are looking buff.  We used to go to San Francisco for the Dipsea race and never tire of that "tall redwood" tree view!

Most elk give birth right around the first of June.  This means that by the 2nd week of June, the young calves are getting out and meeting the rest of the herd.  Flowers are incredible in Boulder and the bees are in full swing. In 2017, Andy and I were lucky enough to spot a momma mule deer with her new born fawns.  So special!

There are two reasons for an orange moon -- one is a lunar eclipse and the other is a wildfire.  In June 2021, there were enough wildfires in the west that the smoke created a orange moon.  The end of June is baby season.  It is so fun to see the young ones venturing out into this strange new world. I just love the variety of wildlife in late June.