Pika-choo

Pikas are small rabbit-like animals, with short limbs, a short tail, and rounded ears.  Pikas live along the rocky slopes in the park and are more active during the day and are quite busy as winter approaches.  Pikas do not hibernate, so they must collect up to 50 pounds of hay for warm bedding and food to survive the long, cold winter.  Pikas are quite sneaky and often steal hay from other pikas, resulting in small skirmishes that make them vulnerable to predators like ferrets and hawks.  The American Pika is facing extinction as climate change and human development push Pikas to higher elevations.  Pikas communicate with a cute "eeeeek" that we often heard while walking near their rocky homes. (To hear a pika, click here and scroll down the page)

Groundhog Day for this Marmot

Marmots live in burrows and hibernate through the winter.  Marmots are highly social and use loud whistles to communicate with each other, especially when in danger.  Marmots are also known as groundhogs and woodchucks. 

Ground Squirrels

Ground squirrels are everywhere in Rocky Mountain NP.  They were quite busy finding and burying nuts and seeds for winter.

Clark’s Nutcracker

In 1805, William Clark of the famous Lewis & Clark expedition across America, was floating down the Salmon River when he noticed a new bird.  In his diary, Clark said: "I saw today a bird of the woodpecker kind which fed on pine burs.  Its bill and tail white, the wings black every other part…" (source)

Duck Duck, no Goose

We spent perhaps 15 minutes watching this pretty duck dive for grub.  He would plow the lake bottom with his bill to stir things up, then flip vertically for those hard-to-reach spots.

Our New Best Friend

Theresa saved the life of this poor fellow by removing a fisherman’s lure that had become stuck in his throat.  After that, this grateful duck became our new best friend and circled around our feet while we sat on a bench along Sprague Lake.  He became quite attached to us, and even chased away the other ducks that dared to venture near us.

Looking for the Elk Lodge

American Elk once roamed freely over most of the United States and southern Canada, but hunters killed so many that elk now live only west of the Rocky Mountains.  A bull elk can weigh over 800 pounds, while most females weigh 400-500 pounds.  The largest herd is in Colorado with over 300,000 elk. 

Coyote

Coyotes are one of the most versatile predators in the Rocky Mountains.  Their primary diet is small game such as mice, moles, ground squirrels and birds, but they will occasionally hunt deer or elk.  Coyotes usually travel together in mated pairs and may also reside in a small pack of siblings.  Coyotes are generally not dangerous to humans but can bite when provoked.  Coyotes prefer meadows and hill sides in the Rocky Mountains and across most of North America.  Coyotes are very vocal, and their high-pitched yipping calls can be heard for miles.

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