Blue Goose ~ Day 154

October 30, 2014 ~ Alamosa, CO to Durango, CO

The breakfast in the motel in Alamosa had the usual offerings with the addition of breakfast burritos and green and red Tabasco bottles on the tables.

Off to Alamosa NWR first, about five miles east. It was silent and deserted. Not one visible vehicle at the VC and a "Closed" sign on the door. The Rio Grande run through this refuge as an unpretentious little river. Canals and ditches take some of its water. The described "wetlands" (at least now in late October) are so unlike the more eastern wetlands. I did see occasional wet spots and the water diversion ditches but very few birds. I surprised a female elk and then a coyote which was not at all unnerved by my presence.

Coyote on Alamosa NWR - CO

We looked at each other as I edged slowly forward until it disappeared into the brush along one of the ditches. Mt. Blanca was massive on the northeast horizon but with very little snow yet.

There was a sign posted at the kiosk explaining about the "noise" at the end of the nature trail, which stated that, "The neighboring landowner completed building a structure to be able to access his water right in the historic ditch. Water flows are limited past the town of Alamosa in part due to the drought, climate change and irrigation for the crops, pastures and the wetlands on the Alamosa NWR." Hmmmm..... The story all over the west...water, water rights, water conscience, water conservation, water greed, aquifer depletion, water diversion, water priorities, water restrictions, no water.... There were several recent negative comments from visitors regarding how "dry" this "wetland" was when they visited. But also some positive comments, and the land has what I call sagebrush beauty.

My first home is near a second refuge in the Valley. Of course I drove by and took photos. It is several miles southwest from Alamosa, a sweet little home meeting my criteria for what I like architecturally...a Craftsman style house. I knew of my young parents' delight in their first home and how they forever remembered the years in Colorado with great fondness. They were always under sunny or starry skies. It very seldom rained they would tell us. However, I am sure my mother's heart was  back in the Midwest, and that is where they spent most of their lives.

Monte Vista NWR was just a bit farther west, and on the way I had the thrill of watching and photographing a very cooperative Ferruginous Hawk atop a telephone pole. It sat quietly, would fly out and return. It turned around just as I was wondering what its back looked like (almost a spooky bird telepathy moment), and it certainly did not seem bothered by my proximity.

Ferruginous Hawk - Monte Vista NWR - CO

It was a sun-saturated Indian Summer day with yellowing leaves fluttering down or crackling and dry underfoot, warm and quiet under a lovely pure blue sky. The Sierra de las Grullas (Mountains of the Cranes) were on the western horizon, and in fact, large flocks of Sandhill Cranes were feeding here, along with ducks and C. geese and herons. Handsome Black-billed Magpies flew about, and I watched a single Song Sparrow in the tree across the road. I sat for an hour with my scope.

Sierra de las Grullas - Monte Vista NWR - CO

And then drove for several hours to Durango, CO, a much, much busier town than I remembered from a previous trip long ago. I had entered a different demographic here: one of coffee shops and shopping malls, old and not so old hippies, busy roads, a thriving tourist industry, outdoor enthusiasts...mountains towered above the town. The Walmart lot had young cottonwoods all over, which always enhances the car camping experience.

I ate at a Mongolian Grill; the food was superb - sizzling hot, fresh and tasty with enough for a second meal the next day.