My research area has been a great place to showcase the beauty and wonder of Colorado.  I have been continually amazed by what I find.   This has been a labor of love to explore the mysteries of an amazing bipedal primate that reside in our woods and forest.   The following story is in my top 3 of favorite finds that I have discovered in 2012:

I had decided to find another gifting rock that was more remote than the one I was using.  I have been able to get them to come when I whistled, whooped and knocked.  So one day in early summer my husband and I explored up and behind our gifting rock.  We wanted to climb up to the cliffs and work our way south to find a new gifting rock.

After exploring for a bit we went back down.  We slipped and slid our way down when from a distance I saw a boulder that was big and flat.  So we worked our way down to it.  In hindsight the surroundings and signs were telling us about what we would discover.  This discovery was a true surprise to us.

This rock was perfect for a gifting rock.  It was large but flat on top.  We put our gifts of food in a bowl for them and then we sat on the rock and ate.  I noticed from where I was sitting that there was a lot of brush against the other side of the rock.  I jumped down and explored it.  I was thinking that the hard rain we had a few days before caused the branches, twigs and brush to be washed down to the bottom of the rock.  I whooped and knocked a few times to tell them we had food for them.  I heard some movements and knocks on the other side of the ravine.  Then we walked around to the left of the gifting rock to follow the game trail.  My husband was in the lead when I noticed some branches and tree limbs leaning against logs on top of the end of the boulder.  I told him to stop and that maybe beside him is a tree structure.  He replied no way, that it was rain wash from the storm.  I then told him to look because the branches were purposely placed there.  He turned to it and was amazed.  Both of us were amazed.  This structure was huge and purposely made.  We then took pictures and video of this huge nest.   My heart pounded with wonder and excitement.  This was made by someone or something.  The materials used to make this structure were made by breaking or peeling tree trucks, branches and brush.   No signs of saw marks or cut marks.  This area is steep and remote.  No way there were machines used to make this.   I knew what made it.  Our forest friends made it.

I hope you enjoyed my photo of the nest and my retelling of this amazing discovery.   I wanted to show and give you more details about it.  Merry Christmas.

Robin Roberts

*Please do not use my photo without my permission.  I posted it for your enjoyment to look at.  Not to use it or copy it.