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Red tailed hawk shows off its catch, opts to dine in private

January 30, 2023 by Tony Leave a Comment

Red tailed hawk shows off its catch, opts to dine in private
A red tailed hawk shows off a vole it caught and was preparing to eat for breakfast. (© Tony’s Takes)

A fun, brief encounter with this very common raptor. These red tails have a nest that I oftentimes drive by but I rarely stop to take pictures as they are almost always reluctant to pose for pics.

As I went by this past weekend, one was standing on a light pole, bending over in a clear indication it had something to eat. That, I decided, was worth trying for.

Sure enough, the hawk had itself a nice little vole it was planning to eat for breakfast. It picked it up, showed it to me briefly, and is the norm for them, it took off to find someplace private to dine.

A red tailed hawk flies off with a vole it caught. (© Tony's Takes)
A red tailed hawk flies off with a vole it caught. (© Tony’s Takes)

Trio of eagles showcase differences in plumage between ages

January 29, 2023 by Tony Leave a Comment

Trio of eagles showcase differences in plumage between ages
Three bald eagles, all different ages, showing off how their plumage changes over time. (© Tony’s Takes)

A bit of an educational piece for those unaware.

Bald eagles don’t get their famous, white heads until they are between four and five years old. When they first fledge from the nest, they are entirely brown. Over the intervening years, they undergo a gradual transformation into the eagles we all envision as our national emblem. In this image, taken this past Friday of three eagles sitting together, you can see how they change.

On the right, the youngest bald eagle, coming up on its first birthday. On the left, a second year eagle, showing white on its back and wings and a lightening of the feathers on the head. In the middle, a three-year-old, starting to get that white head but still showing streaks of brown (I call them dirty heads – haha). Not seen is a four-year-old which would look pretty close to an adult with only a slight bit of dark left in its head.

At the time I took the image, I didn’t realize what a cool opportunity it was to showcase the differences and now I kind of regret not spending more time trying to get a better shot of them. Nevertheless, this does a nice job demonstrating the differences.

American kestrel takes a dive

January 28, 2023 by Tony

American kestrel takes a dive
A male American kestrel dives toward some sususpecting prey. (½ Tony’s Takes)

A random capture from my after work photo outing yesterday. I happened across this handsome fellow sitting on a light pole and while it didn’t want to pose, when it departed it gave me a few nice shots. This one gives a nice look at that beautiful plumage the males of this species are known for.

Video: Fox takes a nap on a bed of leaves

January 27, 2023 by Tony

This was absolutely the most relaxed fox I have ever seen and it definitely made for a charmed encounter.

Taken a couple of weeks ago when I went for a walk – with my camera of course. I spotted this red-furred beauty and took care to move slowly, initially avoid eye contact and keep my distance. As I got around to where I could get a nice view of it, it because apparent it really didn’t mind me being there.

I got a bit closer and, as you can see, it didn’t mind one bit. It put its head back down, curled up and went back to sleep. So fun! I got my pics and video and left it just as I had found it. So beautiful – and cute. Be sure to watch till the end to see some of the photos I got.

Have a fantastic #FoxFriday!

Bald eagle steals the meal

January 26, 2023 by Tony

A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony's Takes)
A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony’s Takes)

At the end of my photo excursion last Saturday I came across four bald eagles dining on a dead duck on a frozen pond. For no apparent reason, the eagles took flight, leaving their meal on the ice.

One, however, was not ready to be done eating.  It circled a couple of times then came in and in an impressive display, came down, extended its talons and nabbed the deceased waterfowl without missing a beat.

It was a long shot, skies were dim and a bit of a snow squall made for tough shooting. But, in the end, I captured 40 or 50 shots of the entire sequence which, while not the greatest quality, make for fun viewing. Here is a sampling of the action. One of my “content over quality” postings.

Bald eagle steals the meal
A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony’s Takes)
A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony's Takes)
A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony’s Takes)
A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony's Takes)
A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony’s Takes)
A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony's Takes)
A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony’s Takes)
A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony's Takes)
A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony’s Takes)
A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony's Takes)
A bald eagle steals a dead duck off the ice. (© Tony’s Takes)

Head on with a frosty bison bull

January 25, 2023 by Tony

Head on with a frosty bison bull
A frost-covered bison bull walks head on. (© Tony’s Takes)

This guy almost looks like he has a lot of gray hair. 😉 Taken on a bone-chilling morning last month with temperatures well below zero. Frost had formed on just about every surface, including the bison’s fur. While this guy didn’t mind that type of cold, I was a bit less than keen on it and thankful to be at least somewhat warm (and safe) within my truck.

Coyote pounces, nabs itself a nice breakfast

January 24, 2023 by Tony

A coyote listens for its prey under the snow. (© Tony's Takes)
A coyote listens for its prey under the snow. (© Tony’s Takes)

A very fun sequence of images as we watch this predator get itself a meal. Be sure to flip through the entire sequence.

I spotted this coyote and its mate a long ways off and waited for almost a half hour as they gradually worked their way closer. Two times prior the coyote had pounced and successfully grabbed a mouse or vole but that action was too far away. On the third time, it finally was close enough for some decent pictures.

As it walked, it suddenly came to stop, tilting its head and listening for its unsuspecting prey beneath the snow. Then, a launch into the air and using its paws, it trapped the rodent. Breakfast was served!

I’ve seen this type of thing many times but this is the first time I had it happen somewhat close allowing for pictures so I am glad my patience was rewarded.

Coyote pounces, nabs itself a nice breakfast
A coyote leaps into the air, preparing to pounce on its prey. (© Tony’s Takes)
A coyote leaps into the air, preparing to pounce on its prey. (© Tony's Takes)
A coyote leaps into the air, preparing to pounce on its prey. (© Tony’s Takes)
A coyote leaps into the air, preparing to pounce on its prey. (© Tony's Takes)
A coyote leaps into the air, preparing to pounce on its prey. (© Tony’s Takes)
A coyote leaps into the air, preparing to pounce on its prey. (© Tony's Takes)
A coyote leaps into the air, preparing to pounce on its prey. (© Tony’s Takes)
A coyote enjoys the fruits of a successful hunt. (© Tony's Takes)
A coyote enjoys the fruits of a successful hunt. (© Tony’s Takes)
A coyote enjoys the fruits of a successful hunt. (© Tony's Takes)
A coyote enjoys the fruits of a successful hunt. (© Tony’s Takes)

Mule deer chills out, gives a smile

January 23, 2023 by Tony

Mule deer chills out, gives a smile
A mule deer buck takes a break on a cold winter day. (© Tony’s Takes)

Well, not really a smile, but we can pretend. 😉

Taken a couple of weeks ago, the bucks were quite relaxed, opting to lie down and enjoy a quiet, cold morning on the Colorado plains. The rut is over so the big guys are in no rush to be anywhere or fight off competitors.

As you could guess from the thickness of this guy’s antlers, I have no doubt he was one of the top-ranked contenders for the annual event and next spring his genes will make an appearance in more than one young fawn.

Let’s call it #MuleDeerMonday.

Cool Cooper’s

January 21, 2023 by Tony

Cool Cooper’s
A Cooper’s hawk keeps watch on something below. (© Tony’s Takes)

Jumping back to Christmas Eve for this pic.

I had stopped by an area open space where I have had good luck with a variety of raptors. While I had seen Cooper’s hawks in the area, they were always elusive and quick to depart the area long before I could get a shot.

On this morning, one decided it was perfectly fine with the human intruding on its space. It gave me a ton of nice poses, almost entirely ignoring me and staying in the same spot for more than an hour.

The best part about these hawks I tend to think are those crazy eyes. So amazing!

Video: Fox kits play a game of chase

January 20, 2023 by Tony


I recently said I was going to do try to take more video. I also need to remember to share the video I do take as this one dates back to last April. 😉

It was a beautiful spring morning and I was loving life photographing the fox kits at this den. As they usually are, they were very entertaining chasing each other, roughhousing, and exploring their new world. Only three came out to play while I was there but that was plenty fun and, as you can see, sometimes hard to keep up with.

We are only a few months before little ones appear again and I definitely am hoping to find some dens to watch.

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  • Red tailed hawk shows off its catch, opts to dine in private
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  • Bald eagle steals the meal

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