{"id":10108,"date":"2013-01-27T07:39:34","date_gmt":"2013-01-27T14:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=10108"},"modified":"2013-01-27T07:39:34","modified_gmt":"2013-01-27T14:39:34","slug":"photo-gallery-rocky-mountain-arsenal-national-wildlife-refuge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/local-news\/photo-gallery-rocky-mountain-arsenal-national-wildlife-refuge\/","title":{"rendered":"Photo gallery: Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A bald eagle rests on a dead tree stump near the entrance to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. See more photos in the slideshow below.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Public access to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge has increased greatly now that they allow visitors to drive their own vehicles through the facility<\/a>.\u00a0 We have taken advantage of it over the past couple of weeks and have enjoyed some extraordinary photo opportunities.<\/p>\n

A wide variety of birds are available for viewing but the hawks and eagles draw the most attention.\u00a0 These are readily seen throughout the refuge although the trees right near the entrance seem to be a very popular spot with them.\u00a0 We were able to get extraordinarily close to one bald eagle that didn\u2019t seem to mind visitors at all.<\/p>\n

Deer and of course prairie dogs abound at the arsenal and are easily spotted.\u00a0 Also routinely seen are coyotes but seeing them requires a keen eye as they blend in with the grass.<\/p>\n

Up until this past week the refuge\u2019s bison herd largely had remained out of sight.\u00a0 Most were in areas not accessible to the public and the few that were mostly stayed hidden.\u00a0 This week though the herd moved into the main area and on our recent visit we found them right on the road.<\/p>\n

Below are some of the photos we have taken in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

On the net:<\/strong><\/p>\n