On my frequent walks along the South Platte River, I often stop to enjoy the shady, peaceful environment of the cottonwood groves. Common along the rivers and creeks of eastern Colorado, between elevations of 3500 and 6000 feet, the plains cottonwood matures into a massive tree with a thick trunk and a wide, branching crown. Older groves are cathedral-like in their natural splendor and provide home to a wide variety of creatures.
Magpies and hawks construct bulky nests in their upper branches, often used by great horned owls in later years. Fox squirrels, raccoons, opossums, screech owls, wood ducks and bats use cavities in these majestic trees and their spreading crown attracts riparian songbirds; among the latter are western wood pewees, yellow warblers, chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, downy woodpeckers and northern orioles. Northern flickers often dominate these groves and dead trees are favored nest or roosting sites for bald eagles, ospreys, double-crested cormorants, great blue herons, black-crowned night herons and belted kingfishers. An understory of wild plum, wax current, wild rose and sand willow diversifies the resident wildlife, attracting house wrens, brown thrashers, gray catbirds, blue jays, white-footed mice, long-tailed weasels, six-lined racerunners and a variety of snakes.
Of course, these cottonwood groves are especially "productive" for birders during the spring and fall, when migrant songbirds hunt along the streams as they move to and from the mountains. In like manner, new residents, including northern cardinals and white-throated sparrows, have moved into Colorado via these riparian woodlands. Long threatened by agriculture, timber production and flood control, these natural cathedrals are a source of inspiration and reflection; amidst their majestic beauty, we are reminded that our natural heritage remains under assault.
