Returning from a birding trip to northeast Colorado I stopped to view the Last Chance area, having heard that there were six inches of rain on August 2 and 3. Five inches were measured at the crossroads itself, but upstream at least six inches fell rapidly. Major flash flooding had occurred there.
I did not know whether to laugh or cry. The drip irrigation system was shot, with long strands of plastic pipe stretched out like taut wires. Most of the mesh collars we had placed around bare root shrubs had been swept away, as had the soil and native grass seeds from the west slope. I was surprised not to see any trees uprooted or knocked down. On the other hand, a lot of golden currant had grown up there and was bowed, but unbroken and will recover. I will post some photos soon, as the images of debris and destruction speak for themselves. Few birds were seen, but there was a Willow Flycatcher, so migration has started and the birds will no doubt pass through, as they did last fall after the big burn devastated the area. So first fire, then flood. What's next? A plague of locusts or frogs? Joe Roller, Denver -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAJpZcUDEAXLKQkoXHq8KyiZ3iGOVs4yS0uQgEb4eeTJEotYKww%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
