Triumphant Day, White-tailed Ptarmigans and a Lone Wolf~

Over the years of visiting the Rocky Mountains, as far back as the late 1960's, never had we been able to view the White-tailed Ptarmigan. They are so elusive and one of the most sought-after birds in Rocky Mountain National Park. A woman told me that she has lived in the area for many years and she still had never seen any. Ptarmigans turn completely white during the winter months for camouflage against predators. We had left Estes Park and were en route to Colorado Springs, when my husby spotted some birds in the emergency lane. Guess how excited and delighted I was, when I realized what they were? They were not all that quick to get away and one actually took it's time crossing the two-lane highway. This was truly another triumphant day, right up there for me with the Golden Eagles and the Bighorn Sheep.  We had only driven a few miles further and a lone Wolf crossed the road right in front of us.  There would have been more, and better images were it not for the fact that our German Shepherd also spotted the visitor and began barking and that was the end of that~