A Bald Eagle launches itself into the air above the banks of the South Platte River north of Denver, Colorado.
Wood Duck drake shakes the water off
Wood Ducks are probably the coolest looking water fowl I have ever seen. The male, seen here, is so colorful it is hard to imagine. Females, while more subdued, are beautiful in their own right. This male had just dives under water in search of a snack and when he popped up, began vigorously flapping his wings to dry off.
Do Bald Eagles shiver?
Do Bald Eagles shiver? 😉 I’m not sure if they do but that is kind of what it looked like this one did this as it shook itself vigorously. The image is probably a good candidate for a ‘caption this’ contest .
Last year this particular tree on the South Platte River near #Denver saw a lot of Bald Eagle activity during the winter. Unfortunately with a number of heavy construction projects in the area and quite a few other roosting trees torn out as a result, activity this year has been far more subdued.
A friend called Sunday and let me know this one was hanging out so my wife and I rushed down there and spent some time sitting on the opposite river bank just watching. The image isn’t best quality due to the distance we were from the eagle but it is still fun to see.
Watchful young Red-tailed Hawk
This juvenile was very focused and was not disturbed one bit when I walked right up under it. A few minutes later I learned it was keeping watch on its kill in a nearby bush (see the pic I posted Saturday). I don’t take many pics of Red-tails as they are common and also quite skittish. This time I am glad I took the opportunity as I love the detail of this shot.
Mallard drake gets his close up
With as common as Mallard ducks are, I don’t normally train my lens on them but sometimes I can’t resist. The lighting was soft and pleasant on this day and the partly cloudy skies made the water look like silver. Throw in this fine looking drake with his brilliant green head and it made for a nice picture. I am always amazed at how fine and detailed feathers on ducks are and this image really shows them off.
Ferruginous Hawk enjoys a mild start to the day
Yesterday in Denver, Colorado, USA was absolutely gorgeous with temperatures nearly 20 degrees above normal. The raptors seemed to be enjoying the warm weather as well as there was a lot of activity everywhere I went. This Ferruginous Hawk was camped out on a utility pole soon after the sun popped over the horizon and sat calmly, drinking in the warmth.
Bald Eagle proudly hangs on to its squirrel catch
It was a good day for a certain Bald Eagle, not so much for a squirrel. This gorgeous eagle put on quite a show in a suburb north of Denver, Colorado, USA this afternoon.
Perched high on a tree next to a busy park, it sat for a very long time watching the people, all the while clutching its catch. It finally decided it wanted to enjoy its meal in private and headed off to a less conspicuous location.
There’s one in every group
There’s one in every group that just refuses to sit still and pose nicely for a picture. 😉 Female Red-winged Blackbirds taken last week northeast of Denver, Colorado, USA.
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk catches its lunch
I didn’t have much luck for pics today – until the very end. While waiting for new tires to be put on my truck, I went to a nearby park, camera in hand of course. I was lucky enough to come across a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk just as it was snatching a mouse from a bush. It didn’t take but a few minutes for it to devour the whole thing. Very cool to watch.
Great Horned Owl squints against the bright sun
This owl and its mate have been hanging out in a tree near a friend’s house in a suburb of Denver. Since they are so used to being around people, they are almost always cooperative photo subjects. Here one of them was trying to catch a nap but the sun was making it difficult.
If you look close you will see its left eye has been injured and is a bit deformed. My friend first noticed it a month or so ago but thankfully it doesn’t seem to be getting worse or adversely affecting the bird.