Though snowy peaks rose to the west, it was warm and sunny in the South Platte Valley this morning. The River, high for most of the spring and summer, had fallen to its typical flow but few waterfowl fed along its channel; once the Front Range lakes and ponds freeze over, their number and variety on the South Platte will increase significantly. There were a few mallards, gadwalls and common goldeneyes, joined by a lone female hooded merganser. And, of course, the ubiquitous Canada geese were there, flying overhead or grazing on the floodplain meadows.
The onset of the quiet season was surely evident as I strolled the riverside trail. Juncos and sparrows chirped from the thickets but, except for the gab of magpies and the occasional chatter of kingfishers, the rapids made most of the noise. Even the northern flickers were silent as they moved among the cottonwoods. Mammals were likewise quiet and, if you don't count the fox scat on the trail, were represented only by fox squirrels in the trees and a single muskrat on the riverbank.
You would think that such a beautiful morning would really bring out the wildlife. But they don't share our obsession with "nice days;" they know that every day brings its life and death struggles and they are better than we are at pacing themselves. Tomorrow morning is forecast to bring cold rain or wet snow; most of us will find something to do indoors but the wild creatures will be out there, perhaps in numbers greater than today. After all, they have to be!
