The Narrow Gauge shown here may be seen in Idaho Springs, Colorado located behind Town Hall just South of Miner Street.

The White-tailed Ptarmigan is the only bird to permanently reside in the alpine zone. This zone includes rocky areas, krummholz, snowfields, and meadows.

Diet varies seasonally; nitrogen-rich snow buttercup leaves are favored in the spring season, while willow catkins, alpine avens flowers, and chickweed blooms form the majority of the ptarmigan’s diet in the summer. Once fall and winter arrive to the region, the ptarmigan prefers seeds, willow buds and twigs.

Ptarmigan chicks begin their lives eating insects. Once the chicks’ digestive tracts are more fully developed, their diets shift to one of flowers and leaves. Hens choose foraging patches where plant species containing proteins are abundant. The hens call their chicks to these plants, which are critical for the growth and development of the chicks. This suggests that the hens’ food calls assist in enhancing survival rates of juvenile ptarmigans.

Unlike many canids, foxes are not always pack animals. Typically, they live in small family groups, and are opportunistic feeders that hunt live prey (especially rodents). Using a pouncing technique practiced from an early age, they are usually able to kill their prey quickly. Foxes also gather a wide variety of other foods ranging from grasshoppers to fruit and berries. The gray fox is one of only two canine species known to climb trees; the other is the raccoon dog.

Photo by Walter Ezell – Wikipedia

The moose (North America) is the largest extant species in the deer family. Unlike most other deer species, moose are solitary animals and do not form herds. Although generally slow-moving and sedentary, moose can become aggressive and move surprisingly quickly if angered or startled.

A herbivore a moose is capable of consuming many types of plant or fruit. The average adult moose needs to consume 9770 calories per day to maintain its body weight. Much of a moose’s energy is derived from terrestrial vegetation, mainly consisting of forbs and other non-grasses, and fresh shoots from trees such as willow and birch.

Moose are excellent swimmers and are known to wade into water to eat aquatic plants. In non polar regions this trait serves a second purpose in cooling down the moose on summer days and ridding itself of black flies. Moose are thus attracted to marshes and river banks during warmer months as both provide suitable vegetation to eat and water to wet themselves in. Moose have been known to dive underwater to reach plants on lake bottoms, and the complex snout may assist the moose in this type of feeding. Moose are the only deer that are capable of feeding underwater.

Dinner and Drama
Adults $30
Sunday Seniors $25

May 5th & 6th, 2012
July 3rd, 2012

For Reservations call: 303-569-2023
Visit the Site: http://www.silverplumemelodrama.org/

Date of Event: January 13, 2012
Time of Event: 5:30pm

More Info: http://www2.youseemore.com/clearcreeklibrary/calendar.asp?cal=26&detail=1019&date=1/13/2012

Date of Event: January 21, 2012
Time of Event: 11am at the Idaho Springs Library

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Date of Event: January 7, 2012
Time of Event: 5pm
More Info: www2.youseemore.com/clearcreeklibrary/calendar.asp?cal=26&detail=1013&date=1/7/2012

Date of Event: December 8, 2011
Time of Event: 11am

Website: www2.youseemore.com/clearcreeklibrary/calendar.asp?cal=26&detail=1012&date=12/8/2011