Standing Into Danger: Friday

I'm still out and about, enjoying this unseasonably warm autumn,
mid-November and no snow!

Sunny and 70º Fahrenheit (21º Celsius) ~ Really?!!

On Saturday November 8th, I went over to Red-Tailed Hawk Park

which is a hop, skip, and a jump away to the north,

the continuation of "my"section of park and open space along Piney Creek.

The regional Piney Creek Trail that follows the creek meanders for about ten miles

from S. Coolidge Way near the Douglas County Line in the south

to Cherry Creek State Park in the north.

"My" section is the southernmost part of the trail, about 3/4 of a mile (1.2 kilometers) long.

Faded Rabbitbrush Blooms

Red-Tailed Hawk Park

Along Piney Creek, Aurora, Colorado, USA

November 8, 2025

I haven't been in Red-tailed Hawk Park for well over a year,

thanks to traveling, home renovations, and the ongoing

construction of condos on the western side of the park.

People living in the new condos certainly have easy access

to a delightful area to walk, run, and bike.

Condos Have Sprouted Near the Piney Creek Trail

Red-Tailed Hawk Park

Along Piney Creek, Aurora, Colorado, USA

November 8, 2025

I was worried that the condo development would have adversely affected the park,

especially the nearby prairie dog town and a stand of cottonwood trees that I love.

But the prairie dogs looked fat and alert and yipped intensely when I approached,

and the cottonwood trees were as beautiful as ever.

Unfortunately my iPhone zoom lens doesn't do the prairie dogs justice.

On Alert!

November 8, 2025

On Alert!

November 8, 2025

This prairie dog is a black-tailed prairie dog, as, of course, are all the others.

These fascinating animals have a complex communication system.

Their alarm cries convey information about predators,

including the species, its size, and shape.

They are thought to be able to convey the color of clothing worn by humans!

I wonder what this one was saying about me! 😂

When I reached the boardwalk crossing the ponds and reeds,

I discovered that the reeds had exploded, pressing in on all sides.

Almost no water was visible.

Claustrophobia!

I came across mysterious areas where huge swaths of reeds had been flattened.

No resting mule deer could have done this!

Collapsed Reeds

From what I could find out, the sheer force of strong winds and storms,

especially with heavy rain, can break and flatten tall dense reeds.

Other possible causes are rapid changes in water levels, strong water currents,

or the accumulated weight of heavy snowfall and ice that collapse the reeds.

Everywhere I look the landscape speaks to me in stories.

Countless Reeds

A Small Patch of Open Water in a Sea of Reeds

Hardy Duckweed Thrives Wherever It Can

Milkweed is Spreading Everywhere

The cottonwood stand that I love is very close to the new condo development,

but it doesn't look trampled or overrun.

Cottonwood trees are such exuberant, messy, fast growing trees.

If you see cottonwood trees in a prairie landscape, you know there is water nearby.

No matter the season, cottonwood trees delight my senses.

Each tree is unique, rich in textures, and a host

for birds, insects, squirrels, and other animals.

A New Entrance to the Cottonwood Stand

An Inviting Space of Sunshine and Shadow

Brittle Branches Often Break

Beautiful in Death and Decay

Awash with Textures

Insects Winter Over in Drifts of Cottonwood Leaves

Most of all, I love the black-tailed prairie dogs,

like them I am small and intense, and I feel an affinity for them.

Not that I want to live in a hole in the ground! 😂

Prairie Dog Burrow #1

Prairie Dog Burrow #2

Prairie dog are a keystone species that many plants and animals depend on to survive.

Their burrows protect prairie dogs from predators and flash flooding,

but they also provide homes for other animals like burrowing owls and rattlesnakes.

Prairie dogs keep the prairie grasses around their burrows clipped.

This allows other weeds and forbs to grow.

Constant grazing by prairie dogs increases the nutritional content of plants

which benefits other prairie grazers like bison, bighorn sheep, and pronghorn.

Prairie Dog Town #1

Prairie Dog Town #3

Prairie Dog Town #4

Prairie Dogs Peeking Out

Here's to spending time in nature.

It calms your mind and fills your soul.

Tomorrow my sister Donnie is coming to visit for a week.

I am so excited.

Donnie and I On a Ferry Crossing Petite or Grand Passage

Long and Brier Islands, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 31, 2018

I hope you have an awesome weekend too!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be

Friday, November 21st, 2025 🤞

Standing Into Danger

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Friday, November 14, 2025

Friday

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