3 hours up Sand Creek

I have not been kayaking as much this season, maybe biking a bit more. Yesterday I headed up Sand creek. There were not that many birds, but they were interesting. I saw eagles soaring or sitting, osprey fishing, ducks, etc. One osprey took the plunge straight down into the creek and grabbed a fish and then struggled to carry it into the trees for lunch. I did encounter a belted kingfisher in flight, looking much like this photo I found on the Internet. They are such pretty birds.

The water was fairly flat without the moderate south winds expected in the late morning. My arthritic left shoulder tired toward the 3rd hour, but was not painful. This is likely because I have not been kayaking much this season, but have continued my flexibility exercises. 

The air quality was in the moderate category. The nearest  forest fire is up near the Canadian border, but there are other fires and it is not clear which are contributing to our haze. So far it has not precluded outdoor physical exercise in the cool of morning.