After dodging thunderstorms in central Kansas yesterday afternoon, we continued westward today. Cool, dry air had dropped in behind the storms and bright sunshine illuminated the High Plains.
Flocks of great-tailed grackles scoured the rest stops and barnyards while the occasional kestrel, prairie falcon or Swainson's hawk (the latter species just back from Argentina) hunted along the highway. Pronghorn were especially common across the Palmer Divide.
As we approached Denver, we noted that a significant amount of snow still coats the higher peaks of the Front Range, a welcome sign for a sprawling city in a semiarid ecosystem; of course, the Metro Area may receive snow during May as well. More from Colorado over the next week or two.
