My owl friends: Burrowing Owls Are Back!

I watch a few birding websites and saw some postings about burrowing owls being seen in the Denver area. They head south for the winter, so it's a clear sign that spring is here when they return!

My favorite spot for burrowing owls is near Barr Lake. So it seemed like a good idea to go check on the owls and go to Barr Lake too. Then I remembered that the DIA loop was close by, so I headed over there first.

I saw an immature bald eagle and a northern harrier but they were not interested in having their picture taken. Oh well......I headed over to Picadilly road to see if the owls were there and they were! The light was a little harsh but it was great to see them!

I drove into Barr lake and went to check on my barn owl friends. One of them was in the nesting box but refused to pop their head out for a pic. Maybe I will get lucky and see baby barn owls this summer.

I walked over to the refuge area and spotted a kestrel enjoying the beautiful day!

And this finch posed nicely for me!

Then I spotted this sparrow......

As I was walking along I heard a sound and spotted this starling getting her nest ready.....

Not much else was going on so I decided to go over to the Rocky Mt Arsenal. I took the long way and did the DIA loop again. I saw a car parked with a gigantic camera lens sticking out of the window. I pulled over to see what he was looking at. More burrowing owls! They were a bit far away for my lens but was very fun to see.

Not two minutes later I saw this northern harrier!

Finally made it to the Arsenal. A couple of years ago someone told me about a pair of great horned owls that nested in the trees near the entrance. Finally today I saw the female on the nest! This will be on my radar to keep tabs on. GHO owlets are the cutest!

The bison herd was off in the distance, so I continued on. Sweet! The tree swallows are back! I watched this pair pick out their home for the summer.....