Having reached my photo destination for the day early this past Sunday, I took the opportunity to ‘shoot the moon.’ It was absolutely gorgeous and as the sun rose, it colored the clouds nearby in shades of orange and red. I had to do some fast maneuvering to get myself into position to get both in the same frame but it was very worthwhile. Taken near Hygiene, Colorado.
A finely detailed Bald Eagle for Friday
Raptors on the Great Plains are easy to find, even Bald Eagles (during the winter). One of the drawbacks of living on the flat lands though is that there aren’t many trees so we are relegated to getting pictures of what we call ‘pole birds’ because the birds have little choice but to use them as perches. But, it certainly is better than nothing and when you come across such an amazing, majestic creature, you have to take the shot.
Such was the case with eagle back on February 3 in Adams County, Colorado. The low, winter sun did a great job of bringing out the extraordinary detail on it and while I would have preferred it posed in a tree, I have a hard time complaining.
Bald Eagle makes off with the catch of the day
It is Freedom Friday and for our image this morning is of an absolutely gorgeous Bald Eagle in some beautiful light. The raptor was busily fishing at Cherry Creek State Park, Colorado at the end of February and came away with a nice sized fish for its breakfast. As it headed off to a private dining location, it was kind enough to oblige me with a flyby.
Eagle activity at this location was pretty disappointing this past winter, definitely not on par with what has been seen the last few years. Hopefully it was just an aberration and the numbers will bounce back next winter. Have a great weekend!
Osprey takes flight head on
A very fun picture taken this past weekend at St. Vrain State Park, Colorado.
There are a number of Osprey that spend their summers in the area and this was the male of a pair that is nesting within the park. He was happily perched in a tree near the nest when he decided it was time to go fishing. Thankfully I was ready and snapped this image as he headed right toward me.
Due to the compression effect of using a very long telephoto lens it makes it appears I was quite close when in reality I wasn’t. I love the intense look of those golden eyes coupled with the blue skies and some wispy, low clouds behind. Many of the females are already sitting on the nests with their clutch beneath them. In another few weeks little ones will begin emerging.
After a golden sunrise, a Golden Eagle surprises
Sometimes luck and chance play the biggest part in a very cool wildlife encounter and that was the case with this one.
I was in Longmont, Colorado and on a whim went to an area west of the city. I was about to turn around when I spot a large, dark bird in a tree next to the road, initially dismissing it as ‘just a hawk.’ As I drove by, I glanced at it and upon seeing its golden mane and its large size, I knew it was certainly not a hawk.
Quickly making a U-turn I approached slowly and much to my delight, the eagle totally ignored me and continued to sit perched in the tree. Lighting was tough as it was backlit and there were strong shadows from the tree’s leaves and branches. When it did finally take off it went down the opposite side of the tree and landed way out in a field so there weren’t any opportunities for flight shots.
Nevertheless, it isn’t often you get a chance to get pictures of one of these magnificent raptors so I was happy as heck.
Old Glory at sunrise
I may be old fashioned but when I see our nation’s colors flying, I can’t help but get a patriotic feeling. I think back to the places that flag has been, the things it has seen, the hope it brings to people across the world and of course the men and women who have sworn their allegiance to it and served under it.
Throw in a typically gorgeous Colorado sunrise and have that flag flying at Fort Logan National Cemetery and your heart skips a beat. My dad is interred there, as are thousands of others, and while each visit is special, moments like this one this past Saturday make it just a bit more special and poignant.
A Moose Monday moon
Monday mornings aren’t always the best as we recover from the weekend and head from work. I figured you could use a smile to start things off. wink emoticon Image taken last September in Arapaho National Forest, Colorado. Thankfully the rest of my images showcased the other end of this massive creature.
Video: Bald Eagle parents feed their eaglet
I went to visit my favorite eagle’s nest this AM, hoping to catch a glimpse of the new arrival. Unfortunately the little guy (or gal) did not really cooperate very well, at least when the lighting was good. While it was too dim to shoot pics, I did take a quick bit of video of the parents feeding it just as the sun popped over the horizon. You never get a great view of it but you can see its little head bobbing up as Mom offers some rabbit for breakfast.
Swainson’s Hawk weathers Colorado’s spring snowstorm
Taken last weekend as the Centennial State was getting pounded by a significant storm. This poor hawk was undoubtedly wishing it had stayed in Argentina for a couple more weeks. It was perched in a tree northeast of Denver and had ice on its head, chest and tail feathers. No doubt it wasn’t much fun for the creature.
Juvenile Bald Eagle makes a very close flyby
It has been a long time since I posted a pic of a young one and then I remembered a series of images I got of this gorgeous one back in February.
I had staked out a spot at a lake in northeast Colorado and was sitting and waiting for the eagles to come to me – and boy did this one! It flew about 15 feet over my head, seemingly totally oblivious to my presence. It came so close that I couldn’t get zoomed out fast enough to capture all of it but in the end I think it worked out well. Lots of detail in this image.