Taken on Christmas Day last year, The annual lighting of the lights on the building are a tradition in the Mile High City and are an impressive and beautiful display. Now days they do it with LEDs and the colors are constantly changing making it even more fun and always different. I have yet to get down there this year but need to make sure I do. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy new year!
"That’s close enough, bub!"
You would think this guy would be in a better mood since it is Friday but apparently not. 😉 My photo excursion today was not particularly fruitful so this one is actually from last Friday. This cool dude (or dudette) was perched proudly on a pole and despite the look on its face in this capture, it really could not have cared less that I was there.
Bald Eagle takes a dive
I’ve seen this guy / gal in the same area a few different times recently. It is always very tolerant, only leaving its perch to patrol the nearby field. Otherwise it is willing to pose for pictures all I want.
This past Saturday it gave me my fill of poses and then decided it was time to fly. As it launched, it took a dramatic dive downward before pulling up at the last minute and heading off into the distance. Judging by its coloring, this gorgeous eagle is just now approaching five years old, the point at which they have their full, iconic white head.
Have a great weekend and blessed Christmas!
Mule Deer buck poses for pictures
These cool dudes are not particularly tough to find at many of the places I frequent for picture taking. Honestly, oftentimes I just keep on driving a lot of times. This guy however was just such a willing photo subject I felt obligated to spend some time capturing him on ‘film.’
Mule Deer are quite common across the western half of North America and can be found everywhere from the mountains to the plains.
Prairie Falcon dines on another feathered creature
These raptors are extraordinary hunters, capable of snatching their preferred prey of smaller birds right out of the air. Larks, swallows and even doves can fall victim to the fast-moving, ferocious falcon.
One of these little birds became this particular falcon’s breakfast recently. I missed the actual kill but was able to capture some images of it as it quickly devoured its victim. Pretty fun stuff and a good example of predator and prey in nature.
Scroll down to view all the images from the encounter.
Rough-legged Hawk waits for the warmth
With early morning temperatures below zero, this raptor was in no rush to go hunting. It instead opted to just hang out and sit in a snowy field which was good as it gave me a chance to snap a picture of it. I have very, very few pictures of these guys as they aren’t all that common and usually prefer areas away from people.
They spend their summers in the Arctic where they mate and winters in southern Canada and the lower 48. 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.
Eye of the buffalo
What to do when the bison get so close to you that you are unable to capture a face portrait, let alone a full body shot? Zoom in further and get an extreme closeup! This massive bull came right up close to my truck allowing me to get this image and in fact, you can see the truck in the reflection in its eye. Amusingly enough, after it passed I was focused on others in the herd and this big guy would start licking my truck and scraping his horns against it! Kind of fun!
Two-week old Bison calf experiences first snow, arctic outbreak
What a welcome to the world this little guy / gal received. Soon after being born, Colorado was hit with a blast of cold weather that sent temperatures plunging to record-setting levels and a healthy shot of snow. Early in the morning this past Sunday the temperature was a bone-chilling cold 10 degrees below zero when I came across the Bison herd.
The little one seemed to be handling it well but you sure would think it was wishing it could return to the warmth of its mother’s womb! Here it is seen working through the brush, following the herd as it moves to a new grazing spot. I managed a number of nice, close-ups of it and of the adults as well.
Elk bull sounds off for one of his ladies
From one of my favorite wildlife events – the annual Elk rut in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. With the changing of the seasons, fall also brings on mating season for these high country residents. For weeks the males work themselves into a frenzy, gathering up all the females they can into harems and then fighting to control their ladies and earn the right to mate with them. With hormones raging, the bulls bugle to call the females and to ward off any potential challengers.
On this morning back in September, this bull had gathered a harem of about 15 cows. A second bull in the area though was threatening and this first bull was doing his best to ensure he left them alone.
Curious little Bighorn
So darned cute! This young one was as interested in me as I was in it last month in Waterton Canyon southwest of Denver. This image gives you a good look at the kind of terrain these awesome animals call home. It is amazing how adept they are at navigating the rocks and cliffs, even at a young age.
The Bighorn Sheep is the Centennial State’s official animal and to me that is quite fitting. Just like the terrain and many of its people, these animals are very rugged, strong and tough. The animal is found in many places in the state’s high country.
Diseases from European livestock and overhunting had caused the animal’s population to drop precipitously by the early 1900s. Thankfully conservation efforts have been successful in helping the sheep rebound since then.