Mama was not too happy to discover the neighboring Magpies were stealing sticks from her nest. Never could get both birds in the same frame but it was pretty funny to watch as she was definitely not happy to have the little ones taking from her home. 😉
Bald Eagle pair enjoys each other’s company
Spring is in the air as mating season in Colorado begins. For me that means I will spend every chance I get observing this pair, just as I did last weekend.
Activity at their nest was relatively quiet although I did get to watch them bring in some nesting material and saw the male bring a fish back for his mate to enjoy for breakfast. They spent some time perched together, just taking it easy allowing me to capture a number of nice shots of the happy couple including this one.
Any day now I would expect her to lay eggs and begin sitting in the nest. Once she days, it then becomes a 35 day countdown to hatching.
Tatanka close-up in black and white
There is just something about pictures of the American Bison that lends itself very well to monochrome treatment. I reckon it is as much as anything because we view it as a creature of the Old West.
It came close to disappearing back then due to over hunting but, thankfully, conservation efforts prevailed and now there are many of these scattered across the western United States in private and public herds. It used to be we called these buffalo but that actually was incorrect. While they are part of the same family that includes the European and African buffalo, the Bison is its own, distinct species.
It is believed they were called buffalo by early North American explorers due to their resemblance to the Old-World species. Native Americans call them Tatanka, a Lakota word that translated means “bull buffalo.” In May 2016 the Bison became the official mammal of the United States, a fitting and long overdue honor.
Little Merlin tries to hide
This is one raptor I have not seen very much of this winter – at least not in spots where I can get a decent capture of it. This particular one was hanging out along the South Platte River north of Denver last week. I had hoped to get a bit closer to get a better view but of course it had other thoughts.
Merlins are small raptors, a bit bigger than a Kestrel, but are just as ferocious as the other members of the falcon family. They prefer to dine on other, smaller birds, attacking with extraordinary speed and ferocity.
Barn Owl patrols by dawn’s early light
With some pretty fall-colored leaves in the background, this male Barn Owl patrols an open field on the lookout for a meal. Photo opportunities of these nocturnal raptors do not come often as during the day they are usually hiding away.
For this image, I “cheated” a bit and took part in a workshop where I had the opportunity to get pictures of this captive bird. Named Cupid, he belongs to a raptor group that used him for educational purposes.
Like most owls, they are nocturnal and during the day they usually hang out in tree cavities, dense stands of trees and of course barns and other spots well out of sight. These medium-sized owls can be found across most of the globe, including the contiguous United States.
Mangy Coyote looks for a meal
Somewhat of a sad scene seeing this poor thing. Mange has been a problem among the Coyote population in this particular area for a number of years and continues today. Sadly there is nothing that can be done to treat it – they simply recover or, more often than note, perish over time. This particular one was patrolling a prairie dog colony northeast of Denver, Colorado hoping to find a meal. It actually looked better than some others I have seen.
Coyotes are amazingly adaptable animals and have not been greatly impacted by human expansion. Here in the area I live, this has resulted in some human – coyote conflicts, mainly with the coyotes attacking domestic pets. They range across North America and some have even been seen into Central America and Panama.
Great Blue Heron on ice
I usually don’t have much luck with these big birds as they tend to flee when they see me coming. On a cold morning earlier this month, this particular one was content to let me get relatively close though which was nice for a change. It was keeping watch from the edge of the ice on a pond just as the sun was coming up over the horizon. The golden light made for a pleasing capture.
These birds have small bodies but are quite tall with massive wingspans that can reach over 6 feet wide. Oftentimes found along shorelines of lakes and calm areas of rivers, Great Blue Herons are very adept at plucking fish from the waters.
Young Moose bull grazing in the early morning sun
As I sit thinking about my plans for the summer and fall I cannot help but get anxious about visiting with this massive creatures again. So large, so beautiful – but also ones to be very cautious around.
Back in September this young one was hanging out with a couple, far more senior bulls, grazing the willows in the Indian Peaks Wilderness area.
Moose are the largest member of the deer family although the sub-species we have here in Colorado, the Shiras Moose, are the smallest of moose sub-species. That however does not mean they are truly small. They can stand six feet tall at the shoulder and weigh up to 1,200 pounds!
You cannot begin to appreciate their size until you are up close with one. It is best to maintain a respectful distance, no matter how gentle they might seem.
Our national emblem soars
To say I was tickled about this capture would be an understatement. Every now and then things just come together to make a great shot. It was a very fun encounter with this “new” Bald Eagle and its mate last weekend.
I visited a spot along the South Platte River where I had long suspected there was a Bald Eagle nest and sure enough, there was. Access to this spot had been restricted but with a recent expansion of a trail, I now can get a good look. I believe this is the female of the pair that was hanging out at the site. She left for a while but when she returned, she proceeded to give me many great flybys including this one.
The sound of freedom
The sound of freedom. Taken recently at near a nest I recently discovered along the South Platte River. This Bald Eagle was sitting quietly until its mate showed up. When it did, this one seemed to decide it was time to show off and proceeded to put on a nice airshow for me, all the while making quite a lot of noise. It was a lot of fun watching the two play and interact.