Wildlife, landscape and weather photography
Here’s one from last month that slipped through the cracks.
I was walking a local open space area when I spotted this handsome fellow as he kept watch for a meal. He wasn’t too inclined to hang around and have his picture taken but at least gave me a pretty cool launch shot.
Don’t let the size of these little ones fool you. While they are North America’s smallest falcon, they are just as capable of a hunter and as vicious of a predator as any raptor.
It is with great sadness that I learned this morning that the female bald eagle at a nest I have watched for the past few years was a casualty of the Denver area’s blizzard last week.
I am working to learn more but it appears she was injured somehow during the storm, found on the ground, and passed away en route to a rehab facility.
I have taken thousands of pictures of this beautiful pair and in fact, an image of them – this one taken in February 2017 – is on the wall in my family room at home. They gave me many hours of enjoyment as I stood watching and marveling at them.
I know that life and death are part of nature and these kinds of things happen. Nevertheless, the tears are flowing this morning at this loss. Her mate is now left alone and the eggs they were taking care of will certainly fail. I am heartbroken. ;'(
Update 3/19/19, 2:05pm: Colorado Parks and Wildlife has determined it was the male of the nested pair that passed away. Sadly, the outcome for the nest is likely going to be the same.
Last weekend I was excited to come across a herd of about 20 of these speed demons. As usual though, they were not too inclined to stick around for photos. No sooner did I get a couple shots of them posing then they took off running.
Pronghorn (often incorrectly called antelope) are the fastest land animal in the Western Hemisphere and second in the world only to the Cheetah. They can sprint at speeds up to 60mph and run for extraordinarily long distances at slower speeds.
I’ve been privileged to see them showcase their speed many times and it truly is astounding but also difficult to capture and convey in a static picture. Taken in Morgan County, Colorado.
I received a message from a Facebook fan about a great horned owl that was hanging out not far from where I live. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to go have a peek.
I found the one she mentioned pretty easily but figured there was probably another nearby and perhaps a nest as well. I never did find a nest but I did find another owl in a tree stand about 30 yards from the first.
The first owl couldn’t hardly keep its eyes open and largely ignored me. The second though was very alert although I suspect that was more due to a nearby squirrel than it was for me.
I truly appreciated getting the word about these fantastic creatures and the tipster earned herself a free print from me. If someone gives me information that leads to pics, I always figure that is the least I can do. So, now you know how to get one of my pics for free! What do you got for me? 😉
What she really thinks of him. Notice how she waited until his head was turned. 😀
A fun shot of this American bison pair recently. They were actually quite amorous with each other, copulating a couple of times and then hanging out together afterwards. I suspect there will be a calf in their future before long
Not a particular great image in terms of composition or quality but one that I think is kind of fun – and educational.
It isn’t often you will see these two types of raptors hanging out together but I was lucky enough to see them on the way home from work one day last week. While the hawk gave a few dirty looks at the eagle, they were tolerant of each other.
This image is also does a nice job of showing the size difference between a red tailed hawk and a bald eagle. Bald eagles can be up to about 3 feet long and have a wingspan in excess of 6 feet. The smaller red tails top out at about 2 feet in length with a wingspan of 4 1/2 feet. Quite a difference!
The last couple of days I was sharing pics of summertime visitors to Colorado that I expected to see soon. This was the next one I was going to share but instead of sharing a picture from last year, this is one from today – the first of the season.
There were, in fact, 16 American white pelicans at a small suburban pond and open space that I frequent. As cold as we have been here lately, they may come to regret their early arrival but I am happy to see them here.
Another one of the summertime critters that I am looking forward to seeing soon.
Usually I see the burrowing owls return to the Colorado plains during the first couple of weeks of April. That time of year, snow is not out of the question here and I suspect that sometimes that catches the little guys off guard.
This image was taken last year and was the first owl of the season I had seen. We had just received a nice shot of snow and as I was driving, I see it hanging out right next to the road. It was quite patient and not the least bit bothered by me. The owl even gave me some nice calls which is what it was doing when this image was taken.
Springtime is fast approaching and we are beginning to see a return of some of the seasonal visitors here in Colorado. I would expect within the next couple of weeks I will see my first osprey of the season as they arrive from their winter homes along the Gulf Coast and South America.
These guys are probably my favorite summertime raptor. They are very large, absolutely gorgeous and, best of all, usually quite willing to pose for pictures and put on a nice show.
This particular male was one of a mated pair in northern Colorado that successfully fledged two young ones last year. Here he is seen launching right at me toward the end of April when mom was sitting dutifully on the nest.
One stayed right next to the road and gave me some nice poses. The other opted to run off a little ways into the field but still within range of my camera.
Normally I only see jackrabbits during the summer but in recent weeks have managed a few wintertime encounters.
Technically jackrabbits aren’t rabbits at all –they are hares. While they look similar and are part of the same family, jackrabbits are much larger overall with longer ears and feet. These little speed demons can cover 30 feet horizontally in one leap and run at speeds up to 35 mph in short bursts.
That is probably why I normally only get pics of the rear end of them. 😉
