Hummingbirds and a mulie at 9000 feet

[flitsnowzoom]

This is too good not to share although it is a bit OT.
Yesterday I had the great good fortune to be up in Clear Creek County west of Denver and although it was snowing or raining all day (give me the snow if I have to work out in wet weather for several hours) the hummingbirds were out zooming around. I love to hear their trills and zooms. They have been back for over a month and already have moved up into the mountains from the foothills.
BUT, the big surprise -- an albino mule deer. Oh wow! What a beautiful creature. All white. At first we thought it was a bighorn sheep -- all we could see were legs and a bit of a flank, then we thought maybe a young horse because the fur was too smooth for a sheep, then we finally got a view of the head and neck -- a mulie! It was either a yearling or a young doe. What a priviledge to see such a beautiful creature! We were able to watch it for a good 30 or 40 minutes, before it moseyed on.

I don't think it will last for long because it stands out so from any other animal -- great camofluage for snow but not for year-round. Unfortunately for this animal, the area is frequented by cougar (a perfectly designed deer predator) and bears. I may report it to the DOW and see if they can trap and transport it to a protected herd or zoo. I know, not a wild life, but I fear this animal will have a short life span because of its coloration.