Now that I have put in a taller pole and a baffle to keep the thieving raccoons away (thank you, Michelle!), I can get back to enjoying these cool visitors. Haven’t had much luck getting a quality shot of them but now that I have the right feeder and food, hopefully I will get some chances. Most wildlife here in Colorado lacks color so these guys are fun and really stand out.
Turkey Vulture performs a flyby against clear, blue skies
These raptors are so darned fascinating to me. Yes, their faces are perhaps less than appealing but I just find them cool as heck.
They are amazing flyers, able to soar without flapping their wings for the longest time and that six foot wingspan is simply impressive. They feed on carrion, usually rabbits and prairie dogs, and are said to be able to smell the dead animals up to a mile away. Their role as Mother Nature’s garbage man prevents the spread of disease from the carcasses.
Bald Eagle points the way
Perhaps my friend here simply didn’t want his picture taken and was trying to get me to point the camera elsewhere? 😉
In truth, this handsome fellow was simply stretching one of his wings, something he did many, many times over a span of three hours. Taking pictures of wildlife can require a lot of patience sometimes and such was the case with this encounter.
Myself and another photographer waited and waited and waited for this guy to take flight and give us some action shots but he was quite content to just sit. In the end, he won and I gave up and headed for home.
Taken 7/28/18 in Longmont, Colorado.
White-tailed Deer buck on the run
This guy was in no mood to stop and pose for pictures. I don’t know if he was hot on the trail of the ladies or what. 😉 Even if he didn’t want to sit still, he did give me a couple nice shots in the early morning light as he went running by. These guys can go up to 30 mph and are famous for their ability to leap.
Pronghorn Buck stands tall, pays attention
This is one good looking guy, eh? Taken back at the end of June, I was out for a photo drive while camping on Colorado’s northeastern plains.
Pronghorn are creatures that I think are way cool – heck, they are the fastest land animal in North America and second in the world only to the Cheetah! They also are notoriously difficult to photograph, more often than not just giving you a shot of their bright, white rear end as they run away.
On this day though, this buck was willing to stand relatively close. They are notoriously curious so I employed a bit of a trick I learned long ago of waving a bright handkerchief. You could tell he really wanted to run but he also couldn’t resist momentarily checking out the motion and in doing so gave me a great shot.
Hide and seek with the biggest animal in the forest
For as big as these guys are, you would think they would be easy to spot. However, with as dense as the foliage is in Colorado’s high country, moose can sometimes seem to appear out of nowhere. Such was the case with this big guy last month.
I was studying the trees and willows soon after dawn trying to find the moose bulls that are usually in the area. This big guy had his head down and with the thick brush, was virtually invisible. Once he picked his head up though, he was pretty hard to miss with those massive antlers.
It definitely serves as a reminder to keep close watch when you are in remote locations as you never know what is right nearby.
Female Northern Harrier on the hunt
Another set of pics that I had not shared previously. Taken back in January north of Denver, I came across this pretty lady as she patrolled a field looking for a meal.
I was fortunate in that she actually came quite close to me but conversely I was shooting straight toward the sun. It did however provide some cool backlighting of her plumage.
I haven’t seen too many of these yet this season but their numbers will increase as temperatures cool and I will hopefully get many more opportunities to photograph them.
Sandhill Cranes galore on the plains
Not great pics by any means due to the distance these guys were from me and cruddy, overcast skies. But, it was still fun to come across hundreds of these big birds a couple weeks ago as they took a break during their winter migration. They were, as usual, raising quite a ruckus and no doubt getting ready to continue their journey south.
Cooper’s Hawk keeping close watch
These are some of the coolest raptors you could hope to see. Their gray plumage is gorgeous and those eyes are nothing short of awesome!
These are another couple cool shots I recently unearthed as I was sorting through old pics. Taken back in April near a friend’s home where this guy and his mate were establishing their own home. We had tons of fun capturing pics as they worked.
Golden Eagle keeps close watch on the photographer
Oh, my friend, where are you? This gorgeous eagle that hangs out in the Colorado Front Range foothills has given me many great captures over the last few years. You have in turn seen it via those images.
Unfortunately, it has now been eight months since I last spotted it and I’ve been to the area at least a dozen times. I’m not ready to give up yet though. Seeing the massive raptor was never a sure thing so I am hoping I just have had bad timing.
This particular image was taken almost one year ago on November 4, 2017.
These eagles are one of the largest and fastest raptors in North America. With wingspans that can exceed seven feet across and capable of speeds to 200mph, they are nothing short of impressive. It is little wonder that they are the most common official national animal in the world with Albania, Germany, Austria, Mexico, and Kazakhstan all choosing it to represent them.