I think this little one was a bit surprised to have company early in the morning out in the middle of the Colorado plains. Two, minor county roads intersected the spot and it likely doesn’t get much traffic other than ranchers and perhaps someone like me looking for critters. A brief, early morning rain shower had dampened things and the owl’s feathers as well. The light was a bit dim as the sun was still rising and it was overcast making for a bit of a tough shot. Thankfully the Burrowing Owl stayed put just long enough for me to grab a few shots.
Pronghorn doe enjoys a relaxing morning in the Colorado plains
It sure isn’t often you find one of these wary creatures laying down. They usually see you coming from a long way away and start retreating immediately. This particular lady was the exception, letting me roll right up and snap some pictures as she laid down on the prairie.
I saw quite a number of these speed demons this past weekend, mostly does but a few bucks. I had hoped to find some new fawns but didn’t have any luck this time.
Before the arrival of western Europeans, it is believed as many as 40 million Pronghorn roamed the open rangelands of North America – possibly more than there were bison. Hunting and fragmentation of their habitat by fences and human settlements took its toll and as few as 20,000 remained at the start of the 20th century. Thankfully conservation and education saved them from extinction and they now number almost 1 million.
Hide-and-seek with a Ring-necked Pheasant
Hardly a rare bird on the Colorado plains but one that has eluded me. I certainly have seen many but getting a quality capture has proven difficult as they are notoriously shy and seem to be able to disappear in brush in an instant.
On Saturday I see this beautiful specimen standing tall and proud on top of a round hay bale and instantly I think, “Finally!” Well, those thoughts didn’t last long as this guy saw me coming and took cover immediately. He stuck his head up for the briefest moment giving me this one shot.
While not what I was hoping for, it does make for a fun capture.
American White Pelican grabs the air at takeoff
We spent our weekend at Jackson Lake State Park, Colorado, one of our favorite summertime spots. Certainly there was plenty of time playing in the water but my family allowed me some photo time too. Of course since my wife absolutely loves these massive birds, she didn’t mind too much.
Anecdotally, it seemed like there were more Pelicans there this year than we have ever seen in the 15 years we have been going there. Here, one that had swam close to our boat decided it was time to go and takes flight. So much fun to watch them. They may be a bit goofy looking but they are extraordinarily graceful flyers.
Close up of an American Alligator
It donned on me this morning I hadn’t shared many pictures of these creatures from my excursion into the headwaters of the Florida Everglades a few weeks ago. Let’s fix that today.
This pretty lady was sunning herself on a small patch of high ground in the swamp. Our airboat captain did a fantastic job of putting me in a good position to get some nice, close up captures of her.
We saw at least a half dozen gators in the span of a couple of hours and was surprised at how, for the most part, they didn’t seem particularly bothered by us. In a way, that was a bit disconcerting as they are absolutely impressive. This one was a female so somewhat on the small size as she was “only” about 8 feet long or so. Males can be up to 15 feet long!
The American Alligator came under the protection of the Endangered Species Act in 1967. Twenty years later, it had recovered enough to be removed from the list and today they are quite numerous.
Freedom’s launch!
Freedom’s launch! Today is American Eagle Day and I sure can’t let that go by without sharing a picture of my favorite photo subject.
According to Time & Date, the day is “Celebrated annually on June 20, the observance commemorates the day in 1782, when the bird was added to the official Seal of the United States.” IMHO it sure is a whole lot better than the turkey that old Ben Franklin preferred. 😉
This particular Eagle is one of my favorite mated pair and has a nest southwest of Denver, Colorado. On this particular morning about a month ago, they were quite busy keeping their two eaglets happy.
Can you come out and play?
Oh my goodness. These two cuties were so darned entertaining!
Arriving at the top of Mount Evans (#Colorado), the resident Mountain Goats were nowhere to be found initially. This isn’t entirely unusual as there are lots of places for them to be but, eventually, they do usually show up at the main parking area. Sure enough, a couple hours later they did appear and the herd put on a nice show and gave me lots of pictures.
The highlight by far were these two kids who were extremely rambunctious, bounding around, butting heads and climbing on top of each other. During a brief break from the fun, one had climbed on top of a rock, seeming to want to take a break. His friend though wasn’t ready to stop and tried to coax him down for more play.
Mountain Goats are actually not native to the Centennial State. They were brought here during the 40s, 50s and 60s as game animals and as tourist attractions.
Yellow-bellied Marmot stands tall
One for Marmot Monday, something I haven’t done in quite a while.
This weekend we went up Mount Evans, our first trip of the season. As always it was breathtaking and the wildlife abundant. These little guys provided a good dose of entertainment as we watched dozens of them in various locations along the slopes above timberline. This particular one was quite curious about my wife and I as we crouched down to snap its picture.
These mountain residents prefer high altitudes and rocky slopes for their homes. Yellow Bellied Marmots can be found across many parts of the western United States and southern Canada. Much of their life is spent in their burrows where they hibernate for as much as eight months out of the year.
Head on with an American Pika
If this were a bigger critter, it might be intimidating. 😉
Always one of the highlights of my high altitude visitors are these little dudes. Staking out some of my usual spots among the rocks on Mount Evans yesterday, I could hear them frequently but was only able to get good pics of one. This guy (or gal) was unbothered by my presence and came right up to me. Here you can see it as it approached.
Usually found above timberline in western North America, these tiny residents are among the high altitude’s most active – during the summer. Despite their size, they are among the toughest mammals, spending their entire lives in the harsh, high altitude environment.
It is said this species of pika may become a victim of a warming climate. Studies suggest the American Pika is being driven to higher elevations in search of cooler temperatures. As it moves higher however, it could eventually run out of places to go.
Smoky mountain morning
My wife and I headed to the top of Mount Evans today for a photo excursion. Lots of cool wildlife shots to share later but this came away as my favorite of the day. It was extraordinarily hazy at 14,000+ feet and the air was thick with the sight – and smell – of smoke from wildfires burning in Colorado. In color, the image wasn’t really extraordinary but a conversion to black and white provided a pretty cool look I think.