Fauna of an Arsenal morning

Prairie dog on guard patrol

Years passed before I could finally scratch the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge off my list. The refuge east of downtown Denver was renown for restoring a prairie ecosystem and most native wildlife. Plus, they had a bison herd.

Weeks later, the trails would close for almost a month due to plague. Most of the refuge would be off-limits. Colorado prairie dog colonies are susceptible to plague ferried by fleas, and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal has extensive colonies that abut some heavily used trails. On the Saturday we passed a field full of prairie dog holes, a single dog stood guard, squawking at us the entire time we surveyed the colony.

On this sunny morning, fisherman leaned on the floating bridges around Lake Ladora and Lake Mary. Bluegill, largemouth bass and north pike lurked in those waters. Some waded into the waste-deep water. A steady stream of airplanes arrived and departed adjacent Denver International, and none of the wildlife paid them any attention.  Hundreds of honey beers swarmed on freshly bloomed wildflowers. Atop a dead tree, a western meadowlark repeated its ubiquitous call.

I met Tim shortly after seven, learning the lesson of the drive from the Springs to Denver at sunrise. The emerging daylight on the eastern plains blares into the eyes. I was sick of relentless sun by the time I reached the Arsenal.

At the Havana Ponds on the edge of the refuge, a lone egret waited till we approached, then soared off above the floating legions of Canadian geese.

Before walking further we spotted a lone mule deer in the distance. Then the grazing deer seemed to sprout a number of spare legs - the doe had not one but two fawns with her, one significantly smaller than the other. We stayed far enough from them that they did not gallop off. Mother Deer and her two charges slowly blended into the safety of taller grasses.

Prairie dog tunnels are not exclusive to prairie dogs. Ground squirrels, birds, snakes and foxes all live inside. Even hawks and owls occupy dens the prairie dogs have abandoned. I held out slim hopes of spotting burrowing owls around the prairie dog towns. Not only do burrowing owls nest in the ground but they are active during the day. There were no sightings this Saturday.

For once I erred in my hiking gear and left my hat in the car. Big mistake. While there were no challenge in the refuge's flat trails, most of the foliage stood short, sweet and unable to block out the sun.  By end of our four-mile journey across the refuge, I felt sun-damaged.

The Arsenal was worth the visit. For a former military installation that required serious cleanup, the Arsenal teems with wildlife. Brilliant fields of wildflowers draw in pollinators. Pelicans scoop fish from distant bends of Lower Derby Lake.

As for the bison herd, new traffic restrictions make them hard to spot unless they graze along the road. In a few miles of driving, we only counted a lone bull seated beneath high-tension tower. The rest of the herd grazed beyond our sight. As the saying goes, you can herd bison anywhere they already want to go.

In the span of few miles, the Arsenal offers dozens of birds, small reptiles, its bold prairie dogs and mule deer sightings not soon forgotten. The bounty of the Arsenal makes it worth revisiting, and I can hope that next time the burrowing owls will tuck their heads in curiosity and the bison herd blocks traffic on the refuge road.