Salad Pika Photography

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Last Wednesday the Park looked like a winter wonderland. I kept thinking it was Christmas and had to remind myself it wa...
05/26/2026

Last Wednesday the Park looked like a winter wonderland. I kept thinking it was Christmas and had to remind myself it was May. The scenery was so peaceful after the snow and plenty of deer & elk were out (But the moose & sheep seem to hide from me today. Maybe next time.)

So I took a break from all the boring grown up stuff I had to do and took a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park during ...
05/21/2026

So I took a break from all the boring grown up stuff I had to do and took a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park during this latest storm. I'm not usually there when it snows b/c I have plenty of shoveling to do if it is. Here are a couple of pics from Tuesday afternoon. I'll be looking for elk calves in the near future. 🙂

I had to do some adulting in town a couple of weeks ago before the snowstorm rolled in. After the main quest, I took a s...
05/21/2026

I had to do some adulting in town a couple of weeks ago before the snowstorm rolled in. After the main quest, I took a side quest to the Arsenal. The light rain made the colors so much more vivid. Only a few bison were out (and the lone cow elk), a coyote on a mission, and a few birds around the lake. The Swallows were a fun challenge and these were the best shots I've ever gotten. Both Red Winged and Yellow Headed Blackbirds and a Snowy Egret were along the shore and in the cattails.

I needed a fix of my favorite Park last week so I went up last Tuesday. The elk are busy growing their antlers. I was ho...
04/13/2026

I needed a fix of my favorite Park last week so I went up last Tuesday. The elk are busy growing their antlers. I was hoping for a stunning sunrise but the wind blew any clouds through quickly. A lot of the birds were hunkered down but the Steller's Jays were hanging out at the picnic areas hoping for a handout. The turkeys really stole the show. It's mating season and they are out strutting around. They can get so wrapped up in fighting for the hens that they all leave while the Toms are still going at each other! I got to spend some time with K9. He's a special moose to me. When I brought my husband with me after he had finished chemo, we saw 3 moose that morning, the last being K9. He was blown away by them. Good memories.

One more set from Monte Vista. There were more than Cranes out there. I saw 1 coyote way back in the fields. It was lurk...
04/03/2026

One more set from Monte Vista. There were more than Cranes out there. I saw 1 coyote way back in the fields. It was lurking but never made a move on the birds. A couple of Snow Geese looked like they should have made that left turn at Albuquerque. I spent some time watching a hawk hunting just before sunset. It was close enough to circle right over me. Overall, it was a great trip and I'm already looking forward to being out in the field more.

Sandhill Cranes 3/3-3/4 San Luis Valley, COEvery spring, Sandhill Cranes make a stopover in the San Luis Valley. I have ...
04/02/2026

Sandhill Cranes 3/3-3/4 San Luis Valley, CO
Every spring, Sandhill Cranes make a stopover in the San Luis Valley. I have gone out to Monte Vista to see it for the past few years. The water levels were extremely low so I didn't see the other waterfowl that are usually in the refuge but the Cranes put on a show. This post shows some of their elaborate mating dances. They leap into the air, spread their wings, bow at each other. I have even seen them pick up sticks or dirt clods as "gifts" and toss them in front of their partners. It's incredible to watch them fly into the fields in the morning and take off together.

I took these right after I watched a still partially eclipsed moon set over the Dunes. The sunrise wasn't as spectacular...
04/01/2026

I took these right after I watched a still partially eclipsed moon set over the Dunes. The sunrise wasn't as spectacular as I had hoped but the clouds were moving fast and it constantly changed the way the Dunes looked. Sometimes the shadows were harsh, sometimes soft. Here's a few of those shots. I like the people shown for scale. They are the highest sand dunes in North America with the tallest peak at about 750' above the base. I could have stayed for hours just watching the landscape as it changed with the light, but I wanted to spend more time with the Cranes. Pictures of them to come.

03/31/2026

I'm Cheryl Ashby and welcome to my page. I am a nature photographer based in the Colorado Rocky Mountain foothills. I have captured the smallest snowflakes up to the grandest mountain vistas and all kinds of wildlife, from bull Elk & Moose down to the smallest creepy crawlies. One of my smaller subjects are the Pika. Pika are a very challenging and rewarding species to photograph. They are small, fast, and blend in perfectly with the rock they make their dens in. They live above timberline but do not hibernate. To survive, they spend all the time they can foraging and filling their dens with food to survive the winter. The name "Salad Pika" came from my husband Eric. I was showing him some of my Pika shots and he said "Sometimes a guy's just gotta have a salad". After that, the name just stuck. So while it sounds a little goofy, it's really just a fun take on one of my favorite subjects. Please enjoy my own takes on nature from around Colorado and the American west.

A few weeks ago I went to the Great Sand Dunes to see the last total lunar eclipse we will see here in the US until 2029...
03/30/2026

A few weeks ago I went to the Great Sand Dunes to see the last total lunar eclipse we will see here in the US until 2029. The clouds that had lingered through the day cleared out in time for the partial eclipse and I was able to see it from a dark skies area. It was amazing and totally worth standing out in the cold and extreme winds.

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Estes Park, CO
80517

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