Observaciones de batfalcon2

https://ebird.org/checklist/S71884208

I consulted an expert, Dr Tom French, to help me distinguish this species vs. Woodland Vole. Here is what he said about my photo:

'This is a nice portrait photo of a Meadow Vole. Most of the features I would typically point out when comparing a Meadow Vole to a Woodland Vole are largely out of view, but I can still see enough to be confident. Here is a general description of the two species.

A Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum) has fur that is short, has a uniform texture and length, the individual hairs are uniformly colored, the color of the back is usually some shade of chestnut brown, but may be grayish brown if it is a juvenile or in some parts of the range, and the belly is gray. The ears are noticeably short, and the tail is short. See examples here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/265631 and here https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/13716373 .
A Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) has fur that is longer, coarser in texture, more ragged and variable in length, the individual hairs are banded with an agouti color pattern, the back is a lighter brown in background color with black highlights from the agouti pattern, and the belly is silvery gray. The ears are larger and more noticeable, and the tail is relatively long for a Microtus. See examples here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/59264671 and here https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49586599 ."

No eBird checklist for this observation; a herd of appx 35 Elk were in Bear Creek Canyon between Evergreen and Kittredge, and this one walked across the road in front of the car, hence the poorly framed photo taken through a windshield.