A very large bull Elk sticks his tongue out toward some of the crowd that had stopped to watch it. We happened upon this big guy in Jasper National Park near Talbot Lake. For the most part he kept his head down and grazed but I managed a few shots when he would look up.
Bald Eagle makes a leap for Freedom Friday
Having just fed its little one, this female Bald Eagle decided to take a break from the nest and enjoy some solo time nearby. With a bit of a jump and a quick flap of its wings, it leapt to a nearby branch.
It is a nice view of the determined look on the eagle’s face and its extended talons. To the left, you get an obscured view of its offspring. Taken back in May, this ‘little one’ is now no longer little and has in fact fledged.
Swainson’s Hawk under siege
All this female Swainson’s Hawk wanted to do was take in the sunrise and enjoy a quiet morning. A Western Kingbird whose nest was nearby, did not care to have company however. Here, the hawk moves to a different perch, all the while being dive-bombed by the little bird. Kingbirds may be little but they can be quite aggressive and have no fear of hawks or eagles.
Red Fox relaxes in suburbia
One for #ThrowbackThursday. This gorgeous fox was hanging out in a friend’s backyard at the end of March. It was quite tolerant of our presence and we captured tons of images of it as it relaxed on an early spring day. A little more than a month after this picture was taken, fox kits made their appearance in the neighborhood showing that the adult and its mate were quite successful in continuing their bloodlines.
Red Foxes are quite common across the entire Northern Hemisphere from near the equator to the Arctic Circle. They are extremely adaptable and able to coexist in areas with large human populations.
“Yikes! I’ve been spotted!”
This handsome fellow was grazing along the road’s edge toward Maligne Lake on our recent visit up north. This was probably in our top three favorite areas of the park. So much scenery and wildlife that it took multiple trips to truly be able to take it all in.
Graceful flyer over the water
While they may not be the prettiest of birds, American White Pelicans are one of the most beautiful birds in flight you could hope to see. Their massive wingspan allows them to fly with ease and glide for amazing distances without a flap.
This particular one was showcasing its ability over a lake in northeastern Colorado by maintaining a low altitude just about the water’s surface.
American White Pelicans spend their winters along the Gulf and southern Pacific coasts as well as in Mexico. Springtime sees them move north with many going to Canada and the northern plains but some choosing to stop part way and spend the summer in the Centennial State, northern California and a few other spots.
Happy 140th birthday, Colorado!
On this date in 1876, the Centennial State was admitted to the union, becoming this great nation’s 38th state. It is, to me, very fitting to have the Bighorn Sheep as Colorado’s official animal. Just like the terrain and many of its people, these animals are very rugged, strong and tough.
The animal is found in many places in the state’s high country. Diseases from European livestock and overhunting had caused the animal’s population to drop precipitously by the early 1900s. Thankfully conservation efforts have been successful in helping the sheep rebound since then.
This particular ram was lounging near the top of Trail Ridge Road last August.
“Little” calf for Moose Monday
Such a precious, curious little one that I came across near Rocky Mountain National Park back on the 24th of July.
It and mama were hanging out just outside the west entrance to the park, grazing on willows. The young one was more interested in me than eating though. Mom soon decided she wasn’t comfortable with the human presence and chased the calf into the forest and away from prying eyes.
While I refer to the calf as ‘little’ it really was anything but. Even at only a couple months old, it was already standing nearly 4 feet tall.
America’s symbol gets no respect
Being arguably the most regal bird on the face of the planet and the symbol of the greatest nation is no doubt a source of great pride for Bald Eagles. However, sometimes even these majestic creatures find themselves under siege by smaller creatures.
This one found itself continually being pestered by a couple of Western Kingbirds that clearly didn’t care about the raptor’s stature or bigger size. Here, one of the little ones takes a swipe right at the bigger bird.
I watched this activity for more than a half hour and more than once though the Kingbird managed to land a hit on the Eagle. Nevertheless, the Eagle paid them virtually no attention treating them no different than a fly. You sure would think it would snatch one of them out of the air and punish it for its audacity. 😉
The lopsided Mountain Goat
I can’t say I had ever seen a Mountain Goat without symmetrical horns until I found this one. While near the top of Logan Pass in Glacier National Park, we spotted this one down below the road a good ways.
Light was fleeting as it was late evening and the sun was behind the mountains but the image didn’t come out too bad. Clearly the creature did not care for me taking its picture judging by the tongue it was sticking out at me. 😉