My Colorado

Colorado Skies
by Carolyn Jennings

     Childhood Denver Zoo outings fueled my dreams of traveling to view exotic species in their natural surroundings. On an African safari in 1990, my fiancé and I followed guides who pointed out an amazing array of exquisite birds. Eyes opened, we returned to Colorado remembering to look up.
     Swainson's hawks soar in our summer skies. Year-round, red-tailed hawks perch on telephone poles, and colorful, robin-sized falcons, called American kestrels, top road signs. In winter, great horned owls with huge, golden eyes and alert ear tufts raise young in nests easily seen in bare trees, and ferruginous hawks adorn cottonwoods until massive wings lift them into Colorado's luminous blue sky. With six-foot wingspans and distinctive white heads and tails, wintering bald eagles flap and glide overhead.
     I spot raptors regularly from open space trails, bike paths, streets and highways. From Wadsworth Boulevard just north of Southwest Plaza, downtown Boulder and an Adams County gas station, I have seen low-flying eagles.
     Common Colorado birds of prey come in limited variety and become easy to identify by size, shape and markings, but even when I can't name its species, the magic and majesty of one's presence remains untarnished. A glimpse always enchants me and brightens my day.
     In 1993, my husband and I trained for the Denver International Marathon. A prairie falcon became an unexpected treat during the long miles. Sometimes she would remain elegantly atop a suburban light pole while we gazed up, admiring her dark head and eyes and her creamy breast with brown, heart-shaped markings. We dubbed her our mascot.
     Traveling to a far-away country taught me to better see my home. Now my husband and I drive around the state following birding guidebooks and toting binoculars, but most days, we don't need instructions or equipment. We just look up.
     Carolyn Jennings is a freelance writer and poet who lives in Westminster. She volunteers for HawkQuest, a metro-area nonprofit that brings birds of prey into classrooms. Photo courtesy of HawkQuest.

     Do you have a special memory or humorous story about living in Colorado? The Motorist is looking for original essays that capture the uniqueness of our state. Payment is $40 upon publication. Entries must be typed, double spaced and 200-300 words. Please include a daytime phone number. Entries will not be returned. Mail to: The Motorist, Attn: My Colorado, 4100 E. Arkansas Ave., Denver CO 80222, or e-mail: keastlund@colorado.aaa.com.     

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