Distractions and Interruptions

A high percentage of our visitors to the Welcome Center at Beaver Creek State Natural Area come with questions regarding hiking the trails. We have discovered it is really helpful in giving out advice to have actually hiked the trails. We have come to understand that the map has some errors and we have also made some false assumptions. To have a better understanding our goal yesterday morning was to hike the perimeter trail, called the Beaver Creek Loop Trail. We had hiked most of it previously, but not the complete loop and we also wanted some idea of the time it would take. To this end I explained to Jeanette that we would be concentrating on hiking, not stopping to look and count birds. But, about halfway around the loop our attention went to a male Western Tanager feeding a demanding juvenile, this along with hearing numerous Pacific Wrens, watching Great Blue Herons, and spotting Wilson's Warblers was too much and I had to start making a list.  Shortly after that, Jeanette asked for the clippers and took some time to clip away at some of the intruding blackberries. Still, we made the loop in an hour and a half and have a more accurate knowledge of the trail.