Flora - All plant life occurring in an area or time period , especially the indigenous plant life.
The Rocky Mountain of Colorado
supports many different climate regions. Mountains interact with the weather
systems which come from the West and North. Parts of the Western Slope
of Colorado get so much moisture that they are able to grow peaches!
Other parts are so dry as to be referred to as high desert.
Our valley in north central Colorado is on the dryer side of this continuum.
We have abundant clear weather with about 14" of moisture a year.
Snow accumulates each winter and provides moisture in our steams and river through the summer.
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Wildflowers are most prevalent in Spring although
there are interesting plants throughout the summer. They provide
wonderful patches of color against the red/brown cliffs of Crazy
Mountain.
Our naturalist's wildflower hike very popular with guests.
This bunch of purple Lupine is perched above the ranch. In the
background the snow capped peaks of the Rawah Wilderness area are
visible.
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Indian Paintbrush dots the landscape. There are
several different colors in our area including red, yellow, and white.
It gets its name because its pigments were used by Native Americans.
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This Pin Cushion Cactus, also known as a Ball Cactus, is
unobtrusive. When the cactus blooms its pink blossoms are easily visible. |
A Tiger Swallowtail butterfly feeds on Penstemon.
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The Rocky Mountain Iris appears each spring in our hay meadows. The abundant water supply, warm weather, and lots of sunshine provide all they need to flourish. |
Fauna - All animal life occurring in an area or time period , especially the
indigenous animal life.
The Laramie River Valley has a
tremendous abundance of wildlife in addition to the domesticated buffalo and
cattle that are raised by the local ranchers.
There are
several large herds of elk that reside in the valley. Bull Mountain, just across the road
from our ranch, is the winter home to a herd of over 500 head. |
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Both mule deer and white-tail deer live in the valley. The
"mulies" keep to the slopes and only rarely venture down to the river. The
white-tail, on the other hand, like the river bottom and remain there throughout the
summer. We caught this young buck resting in the trees.
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Moose normally stick to the borders of the Rawah Wilderness Area.
In recent years, we have seen bull moose like the one below roaming along the
river. This young male
followed the river down the valley for a visit last fall shortly after we cut our hay.
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The coyote is shy and typically leaves the area when he spots
humans. Their role is controversial because some believe that they can be a
threat to newborn calves. For the most part, however, they prey on
smaller animals or scavenge for their meals.
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This porcupine was caught crossing our
pasture. Normally these creatures are seen clinging to the branches of
trees. They consume the bark and live in the valley year round.
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The Wyoming Ground Squirrel is a common sight
during the summer months. They live in colonies. We often hear
their warning chirps as we approach on horseback.
They are prey
upon by Badgers, Coyotes, and the birds of prey that hunt in our valley.
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We have a wide variety of birds here in the valley. Each season
brings a change. During the summer you can expect to see numerous birds of prey including
Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawk, and smaller Kestrels. We also have numerous
non-prey species.
These sand-hill cranes frequented our pastures last year. The leader is
the mother of the two younger birds.
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The Killdeer is an interesting bird. It nests on the ground
and remains alert to predators. When riders approach it gets up off
its nest and draws attention to itself with vocalizations and movement.
It will go so far as to pretend that it has a broken wing to draw
predators away from its nest.
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A female Western Tanager. |
A male Western Tanager. |
A Common Nighthawk.
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A Clark's Nutcracker.
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A Red-Tail Hawk.
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A Steller's Jay. |
A Northern Harrier.
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A Short Eared Owl.
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A Green Tailed Towhee.
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A House Wren. |
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