It is hard to believe that we are in the final quarter of the year and 2018 is right around the corner! I’ve been spending a good bit of time ensuring that you are prepared for the coming year. 😉
Bald Eagle photobombs my airplane picture
So annoying to have this perfect angle and subject and then some smart aleck has to situate himself right in your picture. 😉 You could of course guess that in reality the situation was a bit reversed. I was taking pictures of this magnificent raptor when a small plane approached. I zoomed out allowing me to capture both. Have a great weekend!
Looking up at the fall colors
One of my favorite perspectives when taking pictures of the fall foliage is to immerse myself in a bunch of aspen trees and point my camera straight up. Those golden leaves against our deep blue Colorado skies just look gorgeous. This year I only had limited success at that attempt due to either cloudy skies above or, in this case, a grove that had leaves already partially stripped by wind. Nevertheless, there was enough yellow left to make for a nice capture.
The Milky Way over Rocky Mountain National Park
Escaping to Colorado’s high country affords you peace and quiet away from the busy Front Range and at night, goodness, the stars you can see are breathtaking.
On this particular evening a couple of weeks ago, I took a short hike from where we were camped to take it all in. Looking south across the Moraine Park area, the darkness was all enveloping but with no light pollution, above were millions of points of light. The Milky Way was working its way across the sky and, in this capture, if you look toward the top you will even see a meteor streaking through.
While I certainly took pictures, I also made sure to stop and sit and just look and listen, taking it all in.
Bounding Bison calf for Tatanka Tuesday
This little one was a bundle of energy and joy as it bounded along the shores of the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park this past spring. And, no wonder! It and three other little ones had just survived a rather harrowing and dramatic crossing of the fast-moving river. Honestly it was a break taking scene that I will never forget.
You can read the whole story and view the entire sequence of images here.
While they are part of the same family that includes the European and African buffalo, the Bison is its own, distinct species. It is believed they were called buffalo by early North American explorers due to their resemblance to the Old-World species. Native Americans call them Tatanka, a Lakota word that translated means “bull buffalo.”
Rainbow caps off the season’s camping
A nice little scene following an afternoon thunderstorm at our campsite in Estes Park, Colorado this past Friday. In the wake of the storm, the sun reappeared to the west and to the east a good-looking rainbow appeared. This weekend pretty much puts a wrap on our camping season which is always a bit of a bummer. We will be anxiously awaiting that first trip of the spring! Only six months to go or so. 😉
Elk calf enjoys a grassy dinner
We spent the weekend in Estes Park, Colorado, touring Rocky Mountain National Park each day. Photo opportunities were a bit rare for me but yesterday evening this one came along not a quarter mile from our campsite. A bull had himself a nice little harem and this young one was hanging out with its mom.
My wife and I spent a good while sitting in the rain just enjoying the scene. You can definitely tell the weather is changing with the seasons as there was a notable chill in the air and snow on many of the peaks, particularly above timberline.
Bald Eagle by dawn’s early light for Freedom Friday
Overcast skies don’t make for the best backgrounds but they do help to soften the light. Such was the case with this morning. The sun was coming up on the horizon as this beautiful lady sat taking in the scene. She was perfectly illuminated with the soft, golden colors and her pose perfect. Taken near Longmont, Colorado. Have a great weekend, everyone, and TGIF!
Well, that’s a mouthful!
This cute American Pika provided me an hour worth of entertainment last month. It knew the change of seasons was coming and was busily gathering food for the coming winter. Back and forth it would go from its burrow to the small patches of grass and flowers that dotted the talus field where it lives. As you can tell, it tried to make the most out of each trip. 😉
With snow now having fallen in the high country at their homes, these little guys are going to be furiously working to prep for their long wait until spring.
Dark morph Ferruginous Hawk showcases its amazing plumage
The fall chill that has recently hit Colorado has my mind wandering ahead to the coming winter and the types of wildlife that will soon be making appearances. Among those are these awesome raptors, the Ferruginous Hawk.
While they can be found here year-round, they are most common during the winter months. They are the largest buteos in North America and from a distance, their size and profile may have them mistaken for eagles.
Ferruginous Hawks are one of the most beautiful hawks you can every see but the dark morph variety here is somewhat rare and encounters with it that much more special. When sitting it appears to be entirely dark in color but when it spreads those wings, goodness, that is when it shines. The white under its wings contrast with the dark body and head and are absolutely gorgeous.