Public access to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge has increased greatly now that they allow visitors to drive their own vehicles through the facility. We have taken advantage of it over the past couple of weeks and have enjoyed some extraordinary photo opportunities.
A wide variety of birds are available for viewing but the hawks and eagles draw the most attention. These are readily seen throughout the refuge although the trees right near the entrance seem to be a very popular spot with them. We were able to get extraordinarily close to one bald eagle that didn’t seem to mind visitors at all.
Deer and of course prairie dogs abound at the arsenal and are easily spotted. Also routinely seen are coyotes but seeing them requires a keen eye as they blend in with the grass.
Up until this past week the refuge’s bison herd largely had remained out of sight. Most were in areas not accessible to the public and the few that were mostly stayed hidden. This week though the herd moved into the main area and on our recent visit we found them right on the road.
Below are some of the photos we have taken in recent weeks.
On the net: