It isn’t often these big birds cooperate with me but on this day, one did. It was in flight, following the South Platte River and passed at close range giving me some nice images as it did.
Bald Eagle launches to defend its territory
Well, this happened quickly. The male Bald Eagle at this nest is not normally pleasant, always making a ruckus anytime anyone or anything comes even remotely close. On this day, a young Bald Eagle dared to intrude on its territory and it was not happy. Fortunate for me, the young one was flying right behind me leading the adult to launch and fly right over me. Taken along the South Platte River north of Denver, Colorado.
Cliff-side owlets keep close watch on the photographer
I had seen pictures in years’ past of this Great Horned Owl nesting spot but never could figure out where it was. By chance, social media gave me a clue and on my way through the area I had to check them out.
The sun had barely come up and the spot was heavily shaded meaning high ISOs and not great quality pics but it was fun to find and see them, particularly given the unique spot.
The two owlets were quite active and keeping close watch on everything around them, including me. They apparently have fledged in the past day or two so my one photo opportunity with them was my last.
Prepped for launch
Having just finished its meal, this Swainson’s Hawk is ready to fly. I was too late to catch the eating action and had to settle for this shot. You can see it is wearing some of the leftovers on its beak. Probably needs to use a napkin next time. 😉
Bull Elk poses for Wapiti Wednesday
It’s been a while since I have posted any pics of these guys and even longer since I took a picture of one. This past weekend’s trip though gave me the opportunity to see a lot of them. The herds are all quiet now, enjoying the cool, spring weather. The males are sporting their growing, velvet-covered antlers while the females tend to the calves that were just born. Soon, may will be heading for higher altitudes to escape the heat and bugs. The name Wapiti comes from Native Americans meaning ‘light colored deer.’
Roly poly American Badger cub
Such a cute little thing, eh? This Badger cub was and its two siblings were out of their den and exploring the world around them recently. They were insanely curious about everything – including themselves.
This particular cub had great fun rolling on its back and then trying to grab its own feet. That worked well until it lost its balance and rolled down the back side of the den. 😉
I was fortunate enough to spend a few mornings with them over the past few weeks and it has been a lot of fun. American Badgers are not entirely uncommon but they are rarely seen, let alone photographed extensively. They are nocturnal and prefer places out of sight but this sow and her cubs seem to relish the spotlight.
Moose calf plays hide and seek
Here is a very cute one for Moose Monday. I headed to the high country on Saturday with my main goal being to capture pictures of the new Moose calves that I knew were up there. That unfortunately did not turn out quite as planned as other than this little one, they stayed well hidden from me.
Even this guy (or gal) did not really want to cooperate for pictures, opting to keep its distance and stay in the shadows. As a result, the images aren’t that great but it was a lot of fun to see it.
Mostly likely it is only a couple of weeks old and quite small compared to what it will be when fully grown. It will spend the next year or so hanging out with mom after which it will be chased off as the cow prepares to mate again.
Make some noise for Friday and remember It is five o’clock somewhere!
Make some noise for Friday and remember It is five o’clock somewhere! 😉 This symbol of freedom seems to be making sure we are all well aware the weekend is here and it is time to let loose and have some fun. Hope you all have a great one!
Delivering the catch of the day
Last weekend I made my first visit in a couple of months to this nest southwest of Denver. This pair of Bald Eagles has two eaglets that are just about ready to fledge. They are nearly as big as their parents and keeping them fed takes a lot of work I am sure.
I was fortunate enough to capture an entire sequence of images of mom as she brought in a good sized fish for them to have for breakfast. I’m really pleased with this image and series as while I have gotten plenty of ‘eagle and fish’ pictures, the fish are usually small or the pics just aren’t that great. This one has to be the best of that type of image I have captured.
As for those two young ones, within a couple of weeks they will be taking that first flight. They will continue to hang out at the nest for a while, learning how to hunt and fish on their own. By the end of summer, they will move on into this great big world alone.
Bullock’s Oriole stands out
This is a little bird that you can’t help but pay attention to. I was focused on another species when this handsome fellow flew by and landed in the tree by me. Needless to say, that bright orange required me to take a closer look.