This is one that almost got away. I saw it dart across the road about 50 yards in front of me early one morning. As fast as it was moving, I was sure it would be gone by the time I stopped to try to take a picture but, much to my surprise, he actually paused and gave me a couple nice poses. So, thank you, Wile E, for the pics! 😉 Taken in Adams County, Colorado.
Mountain Goat takes a break on the alpine tundra
I don’t know why but spring fever has hit me hard this week. I can’t stop thinking about warmer weather and the creatures I see during the spring and summer.
The thing is, at least as far as this image goes, when I took this picture at the start of September it was no warmer than it is right now (33 degrees). Key difference is of course that the image was taken at nearly 14,000 feet near the top of Mount Evans where it always seems to be cold. 😉
I do look forward to returning there though and spending some time with the Mountain Goats. They are beautiful and just a ton of fun.
Peregrine Falcon puts on a show
This was one cool little raptor that was in no mood to pose for pictures. Horus is a retired breeding falcon that now is an ambassador for Nature’s Educators, a non-profit wildlife education group.
She was quite entertaining as she posed on some rocks and constantly spread her wings making it clear that she would rather be flying that posing for pictures. I can’t say I blame her!
One of the most spectacular and ferocious raptors, Peregrine Falcons are nothing short of amazing. They oftentimes hunt from on high, diving to the ground toward their prey at speeds up to 200 mph!
Regal Eagle looks to the skies
I was just sitting watching the Eagles / Vikings game and while I don’t really care who wins since my Broncos are done for the season, I have to admit I like the Eagles’ name better. 😉 So, here is one of these majestic creatures that I happened to spot on my home from work Thursday.
Rough-legged Hawk takes to the skies
With snow falling right now it looks somewhat like the Arctic in Colorado so it seems fitting to post an image of this visitor from those lands far north.
Rough Legged Hawks spend their summers in the Arctic where they mate and then spend winters in southern Canada and the lower 48. I’ve been fortunate to see a number of these here this winter, including this one from last weekend near Denver International Airport.
One of their most notable features is that their legs are feathered all the way down to the toes, one of only three American raptors like that. The other two being the Ferruginous Hawk and the Golden Eagle.
Sunrise brings to mind sailor’s warning
“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.” I can’t help but think of that old saying this evening – I am a sailor after all. 😉
The sunrise on the Colorado Front Range this morning was amazing as always. Those gorgeous colored clouds and sky coupled with the frozen pond below were awesome.
However, Mother Nature is apparently set to deliver a potent storm on us tonight and tomorrow so I am of course, taking warning.
Young Bald Eagle heads off into the blue on Freedom Friday
We are getting into prime time for these cool raptors here on the Colorado Front Range. I took the long way home from work today and counted nine although, unfortunately, none close enough to get pics. I captured these pics of a sub-adult on New Year’s Day as it headed off to hunt.
Snowy Owl takes flight
I promised more pics of this gorgeous creature and I might as well start with the best of the bunch.
Over two evenings last weekend I snapped hundreds of pictures of the Arctic visitor. It was these last images that I love the most. I had spent three plus hours watching and observing the owl as it sat on top of a house. It gave tons of cool poses, completely ignoring the humans below.
This was fun but we of course wanted to see it fly. Suddenly, it perked up and began paying a lot of attention to something in one of the backyards. I assume a dog or the like. That was enough to spur the owl into action and it took off directly at us!
It happened so fast I simply squeezed the trigger and hoped like I heck I caught the action. Some of the images were out of focus or cut off the wings but there were a good number of keepers that I hope you enjoy seeing.
Should you be interested in owning a print of one of these, please do let me know or head over to here.
Scroll down to view the complete sequence of images.
Dramatic skies over the snow-capped Tetons
You might think this is a current picture given the weather conditions that seem to be taking place but in fact was taken last June. It was late spring but following a winter that saw extraordinary amounts of snow, there was still plenty of the white stuff up at altitude. In fact, just two days prior to this picture being taken we had woken up to falling snow just north of this spot in Yellowstone.
The Rocky Mountains are impressive just about anywhere but, in the Tetons, the peaks are just a step above most of the rest. They are a lot rougher and more jagged than most of the mountains here in the Colorado and to me, just look really darned cool.
Frosty Bison cow on a frosty landscape
It was pretty darned cold this past Saturday here on the Colorado Front Range as you can tell. While the Bison didn’t mind, this photographer wasn’t really caring too much for it. 😉 The early morning sun which had just popped over the horizon put some nice light on the lady. More Bison pics here.