We had done so well at finding most of the "target birds" that we decided to try for some birds that time had not allowed for previously. Mark had already seen Three-toed Woodpecker but hadn't seen Black Swift. Babe and I had done just the opposite. So, we returned to Rocky Mountain National Park to drop off Mark at Bear Lake where he hiked to Loch Vale searching for the swifts. Babe and I went to Moraine Park where we hiked to Fern Falls looking for Three-toed. After hiking many miles, Mark realized that the swifts weren't there. Meanwhile, Babe and I were much more fortunate. Just above Fern Falls, I heard some erratic pecking. I called Babe up to where I was and she discovered the male
Three-toed Woodpecker chiseling at the base of a dead pine. We got within 15 feet, close enough to easily count the three toes on each foot!
Back in Denver, we drove around the Rocky Mountain Arsenal where we saw Northern Bobwhite, California Gull, Burrowing Owl, and more Black-billed Magpies. We checked out the sunset over the Rockies before spending our last night in Colorado at the Motel 6 in Denver.
Sunset over the Rocky Mountains.
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