“Oh that sun feels soooo good.” A local Great Horned Owl was enjoying the record-setting warmth here in the Denver area today. This male made me work a bit for pictures but once he settled down he gave me many great looks. Take note of those talons – those could do some damage!
Crows attempt to drive off Bald Eagle
Crows and other black birds really do not like raptors. They will raise a huge ruckus at them and make close flybys trying to chase them off. A lot of time it works as the bigger bird just gets frustrated and leaves.
Yesterday two crows decided they didn’t appreciate this young Bald Eagle’s presence. They flew at it and cawed incessantly trying their best to get the eagle to leave. It however simply ignored the noisemakers and eventually the crows gave up. The interaction was a lot of fun to watch.
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Daddy and daughter shadows
I had a fantastic morning of picture taking but I have to say, the picture of the day didn’t come from my camera.
This image was taken by my (not so little anymore) princess, Anika. Seeing all the wildlife today was great but spending time with her was certainly the best part by far.
It is interesting how she and her brother see things through their cameras – like this shot – that never get a second glance from me. They have a great eye for seeing things that I just can’t / don’t. Notice too how she even managed to catch the bald eagle at the top of the tree!
Love you, little girl!
Merlin tries to cast a spell
It does almost look like this cool little raptor is trying to influence me as it stares right at me. 😉 I came across this ??Merlin? not too far from my house in an open space area.
These small falcons typically eat other, smaller birds oftentimes attacking with extraordinary speed and force. They don’t usually build their own nests instead taking over old crow, raven, magpie and hawk homes.
Taken in Thornton, Colorado, USA.
Magpie picks at deer’s butt
“Yeah, so I have a magpie picking at my butt. What about it?” 😉 A bit of a Friday funny for you. Not very good quality but it brought a smile to my face. Have a great weekend, everyone!
Launch!
Certainly I have taken many, many pictures of these majestic raptors but this one, taken last Saturday, is definitely one of my favorites. I was observing this eagle when it caught me off guard and suddenly launched into the air. Many of the pictures in the sequence ended up with parts of the bird cut off as I couldn’t zoom out fast enough but this one nailed it. The lighting was quite good and allowed me to capture some of the amazing detail in the bird’s plumage.
This weekend I will be focusing (pun intended) on capturing as many images of Bald Eagles as possible as it will likely be my last chance before they head north for the summer.
Scroll down for more images from this eagle’s launch.
Hoooo are you? Hoo hoo hoo hoo?
Hoooo are you? Hoo hoo hoo hoo? 😉 I caught wind of a couple more Great Horned Owl nests and went to check them out today.
At both, Mama was napping in the nest keeping things warm. Found Dad at the second one keeping close watch on everything. This makes three nests I will be observing this spring and hoping to document a lot of owlets!
Thank you to my friend, Patrick, for letting me know about the nest where these two were. Tough lighting with overcast skies and shooting toward the sun but there should be many more opportunities to get better pics.
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Double-crested Cormorant flyby
Another sign of spring arriving is the return of the Cormorants. These birds are a bit ‘goofy’ looking but I really like them. Their bright bill, the attention-getting turquoise eyes and their well-defined feathers just look cool and make for great pics. I took this image a couple days ago as one was flying over a pond in Adams County, Colorado, USA.
“Please, sir, might you spare a nut?”
“Please, sir, might you spare a nut?” This squirrel in an urban Denver park today was pretty clearly used to getting scraps from people. It stayed close to me and every time I crouched down to take a picture, it would run right up to me.
Early morning Bald Eagle flyby with the snow-capped Rocky Mountains in the background
All of the snow we have seen in Colorado in recent weeks has left the mountains blanketed in white. Saturday I was observing a gorgeous Bald Eagle and when it launched it flew low and south allowing me to capture it bathed in the golden light of sunrise with the mountains in the background. One of many images that I will remember when I think “Colorado.”
Taken at Cherry Creek State Park.