Birding Walk - May 28th, 2014

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We went for a birding walk in Grand Junction east of 29 Rd. along the Colorado River and then down by Connected Lakes near the Audubon Center. Here are some pictures and video clips from that walk. 

View from the trail.

An osprey next to its nest on a telephone pole next to the path.

The same osprey in a tree not far from its nest.

A Bullock's Oriole, right across the trail from the osprey nest. 

We spotted a Western Tanager just before this bird appeared.

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An American Avocet far off on the other side of the water.

This little rabbit was calm, and posing for the camera.

We saw a lot of black chinned hummingbirds.

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A great blue heron and some Canada geese.
 

A stink bug on the path.

A second Bullock's Oriole.

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Next, we made our way over to the Connected Lakes Audubon Trail.

Of course there were a lot of Mallard Ducks to be seen.

Canada Geese with their young.

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Large portions of the trail were flooded due to recent rains.

View from the trail.

Aquatic insects along the trail.

Some sort of hanging, pupating larvae.

They look somewhat like ladybird beetle larvae.

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A wolf spider mama carrying her babies on her back.

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A Gambel's Quail.

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American Coots, a muskrat, and geese.

Another view from the lake.

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Funnel Weaver Spider (a.k.a. Grass Spider)

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We discovered this funnel weaver spider's home in our backyard in late July. These spiders are very common around Grand Junction, CO. this time of year.

Everyone knows how big an egg carton is, right?

Now you know how big this spider's web was.

If you look carefully, you'll see the spider in the funnel opening.

My best efforts to capture a clearly focused picture of this creature were stymied. I don't know exactly what this is for sure, but it is probably an Agelenopsis sp.

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