Not a particularly exciting video but kind of a cute one. Taken this past weekend, the pair were cuddled up in their nest. There was, actually a second owlet, off to the right but it was camera shy and did not want to make itself visible.
Burrowing owls return to the Great Plains
My first sighting of these awesome little guys this year.
A friend let me know he had eyes on some east of Denver but at the time I was well north of the area photographing a different subject. I wrapped that up and raced down to see. While there will be plenty of time and opportunities to get pics later this year, the first of the season is always a bit exciting.
By the time I got there, it was mid-morning, the light was harsh and the somewhat heavy traffic at this particular spot seemed to have the owls a bit shy so the pics aren’t anything extraordinary. Nevertheless, it is fun to have these summertime residents back.
The most annoying sounding shorebird on the Colorado plains
Spend any time out here near water and you will hear the Killdeer. They are quite vocal with their high-pitched sound and sometimes I can’t help but find myself wishing they would hush up so I could enjoy some peace and quiet. Haha. Don’t know what they sound like? See here.
Hello, baby!
Well look at this! I spent my morning at my favorite bald eagle nest and while I got some nice shots of dad and mom, I hadn’t seen any little ones.
Every now and then I thought I saw movement in the nest but no confirmation. After three hours I was getting ready to pack up and head out when suddenly, this little bobblehead appeared! So darned cute! It only stayed up for a minute or two but I was glad to have the confirmation of a little one.
I do suspect there might be another because, as you can tell, while this one was looking up, mom appeared to be tending to something in the back of the nest. I’ll be anxious to watch this eaglet grow in the coming months.
Female osprey focused and flying head on
Those eyes! My goodness. They are my absolute favorite feature and these awesome raptors. They are like laser beams shooting out with as bright as they are.
This past weekend I spent a lot of time with one particular pair of osprey that is making their summer home in Weld County, Colorado. They gave me tons of fantastic shots, including this one as the female departed their nest and flew right toward me.
Pronghorn race across the plains
This was just one of those lucky wildlife encounters that was awesome.
Driving along the backroads of Adams County, Colorado, a pronghorn herd appeared out of nowhere and ran across the road not 50 feet in front of me. By the time I stopped, they were out in a field and lingered long enough for some nice pics of them posing.
As they moved off, I thought I had a good idea where they might reappear so I headed there and waited. Sure enough, they came along and now, took off running right by me giving me a fantastic bunch of action shots.
Bison bull waits for the storm to end
With Denver’s latest snowstorm winding down, this big guy was wearing the remnants of his night on the Great Plains.
The herd was on the move this past Saturday, crossing the road at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. This gave me the opportunity to get some nice closeups as they walked around my truck from one grazing area to another.
I imagine that they, like us, are getting tired of the cold and snow and are ready for spring to begin in earnest.
Photo of a jackalope brings to an end a long quest
Since I was a child I have read about this illusive, mysterious creature of the Great Plains. I have searched high and low, followed every tip I could but had never seen one – until today.
As I drove along, I noticed something odd in a field near Denver International Airport. Coming to a stop, I trained my lens on the spot, the elusive creature suddenly popped tall for a brief instant.
I was able to snap only one picture but it is an image of a lifetime and a wildlife encounter that I will forever treasure. I certainly hope your first day of April is just as memorable.
Eye see you
A female great horned owl peering out from her nest in a tree cavity in suburbia. I was very excited to learn this pretty lady had again made her home in this spot.
Last year I learned about it just as her three owlets were fledging so I only had about a week with them before they left. This year I should be able to document them through the season which will be just awesome.
It is a very unique location and one that should give some great pics in the weeks to come.
Watchful great horned owl in the early morning light
It’s not too often you are lucky enough to find one of these creatures of the night out in the open. On this day a couple weeks ago though, this particular owl had not settled into its daytime hiding space just yet.
The sun was starting to come over the horizon and it was in a very visible spot at Jackson Lake State Park, Colorado. Light was a bit dim but there was enough to get some nice captures of it as it looked around.
These owls are common across all of North America and are the type of owl often depicted in storybooks. During the day they are usually sleeping but at night they come alive and hunt with amazing accuracy in the dark.