Wildlife, landscape and weather photography
Boy, if looks could kill, this handsome fellow might have left me dead. Haha!
He and his mate were hanging out on an osprey stand in northern Colorado recently. They were very kind to me, giving me some fantastic poses of the two of them and then, this sequence of him as he departed.
Sometimes I will find wildlife that is entirely comfortable with human presence. Such was the case with this cool eagle two weeks ago. It was calmly perched, keeping watch over a field. While it did turn to look at me, other than this quick glance, it ignored me and continued surveying its domain. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
The annual rut may be over but boys will be boys and these two are still more than willing to mix it up.
Days when snowstorms are ending or right after are some of my favorites for photographing wildlife. Certainly the snow provides for cool surroundings but more so, the critters just seem to relish the colder, wetter weather. This past Saturday that was the case for sure.
Light snow was falling and lighting wasn’t the best but the deer were extraordinarily active. These two pushed and shoved each other for a half hour and while the action wasn’t as intense as during the height of mating season, it was certainly fun to watch.
I do always wonder how they manage to escape without poking an eye out though! 😉
Image available for purchase here.
What a charmed day this was. It had been nearly a year since I saw a golden eagle at this spot in Colorado’s Front Range foothills. Honestly, I had just about given up, thinking the ones that used to hang out there had moved on for good.
This past Sunday though I was very excited to find not one, not two, but three goldens all within a half mile of each other. Two of them were perched on adjacent poles.
I spent more than an hour watching and waiting for them to do something other than just looking handsome. Finally, the closest one took off and I was lucky to grab a number of images as it did. It truly was an impressive sight.
Golden Eagles are one of the continent’s largest raptors with a wingspan of up to seven feet. It’s hard to imagine just how big they are until you see one in person.
Was looking for a pic to share today and came across this one from back in July taken atop Mount Evans in Colorado. Kind of a fun one I hadn’t shared before.
What an absolutely thrilling encounter this was! The bison at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge are a favorite photo subject of mine. However, they have a lot of land to roam there so it can be hit or miss as to whether or not you even see them.
Yesterday, as a snowstorm wound down, it was a definite hit. The snow and cold had them feeling quite invigorated and extraordinarily active. Among the highlights were five bulls that were having great fun running around chasing each other. These big guys can actually run up to 40mph and they put their athleticism on display.
At one point, they were running on the opposite side of some trees and then turned, coming right at me. All I could do was ‘pray and spray’, furiously snapping pics as they came charging through the snow. It was absolutely thrilling! Perhaps a bit disconcerting as well given their size as they passed only a few feet away. 😉
I am really pleased with this capture. Some great detail in there and a good look at the nictitating membrane, a second eyelid that many birds have to help keep their eyes clean.
It is prime time for these gorgeous raptors here and I am getting pics of them almost every time I venture out. So much fun! See more of them here.
A friend tipped me off that a pair of great horned owls had returned to an area where they had historically hung out.
As you can see from the first picture, they had themselves very well concealed when viewed from the main trail. It was only be relocating myself and adjusting my angle was I able to get even a half-way clear shot of them. If I didn’t know where to look, it is highly unlikely I would have spotted the pair otherwise.
These two should be establishing a home soon in anticipation of mating season. I will be curious to see where they end up as the nest they had occupied historically was taken over by red tail hawks last year.
It certainly would appear I got the attention of this guy / gal. 😉
I happened across this gorgeous ferruginous hawk this past Sunday as it sat perched on a pole keeping watch. These guys are usually relatively tolerant of humans but this one was far more so than normal. I was able to get some great closeups showing those awesome facial features and beautiful plumage.
Ferruginous hawks are the largest buteos in North America and from a distance, their size and profile may have them mistaken for eagles. While they can be found here in Colorado year-round, they are most common during the winter months.
Perhaps this big guy knew his mug would be seen online and made famous. 😉 In truth, he wasn’t so much smiling as I just happened to catch him mid-chew, giving the appearance of a toothy grin.
This image was taken back on August 1 of last year during a camping trip in Arapaho National Forest. I headed out early while the rest of my crew slept in and was rewarded with four bulls grazing on the willows at 10,000 feet.
It was a very special morning as it was just myself and them, not another soul in sight and not another sound in the forest. Just awesome!
