It’s been a while since I put together a compilation of recent pics. Here are many of my postings from the past few weeks – a bit of something for everyone. I hope you enjoy it and certainly feel free to share.
A hobbled young Coyote
Not great pictures given horrible sky conditions and rain but they tell a story. I came across this beautiful young Coyote as it was working its way through a field yesterday. I noticed it was limping, seemingly favoring its right, front paw.
When I got home and looked closer at the pictures, I realized that paw appears to be much shorter than the others. Perhaps a birth defect or it could have been caught in a trap at some point. The good thing is that it looked quite healthy and other than its pronounced limp, seemed to be okay.
Panoramic Bald Eagle scream
Flying right at me making a lot of noise, this male wanted to make sure I knew it was there. Of course I am not sure how I could possibly miss this massive raptor. I cropped this image into a panorama format which really helps to draw attention the the details – and that huge wingspan.
“Hi, honey! I’m home!”
A male Bald Eagle prepares to make a landing next to its mate in this image for Freedom Friday.
It has been an absolutely joy getting to watch this pair over recent weeks. Most Bald Eagles have left Colorado for the season and headed north. The ones that remain are mostly mated pairs that have seen the arrival of little ones over the past week or two. These two though appear not to have been successful with a nest but have chosen to stick around the Centennial State anyway, at least so far.
I have found them frequently at a state park where they are more than willing to pose and occasionally put on a bit of an airshow. I love the determined look on the male’s face as he comes in for a landing and the image does a nice job showcasing that massive 6-foot-wide wingspan and those impressive talons.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Osprey stays focused on flight
This was one busy guy. He was doing everything he could to keep his lady happy from some morning ‘recreation’ to heading out and fetching building material for their home. Here he is right after launch as he went off to grab a stick from alongside the nearby pond.
When I last checked on them Sunday she was not yet sitting in the nest but it shouldn’t be too much longer. From there, it will 34 to 40 days before the little ones hatch.
Red-tailed Hawk caught off guard by strong winds
A rather dramatic image of this raptor as it banks hard right. I saw this hawk perched on the plains and stopped to snap its picture. It had other plans however and immediately launched into the air, seemingly unaware of the strong east winds that were blowing. As it pushed off the ground and extended its wings, the wind turned those wings into sails and seemed to almost cause the hawk to flip over. It did recover but did not look particularly graceful in the process.
Prairie Dog as a lone watchman
It can’t be easy being one of these creatures on the Great Plains. Threats abound as they are a food source for a wide variety of predators from eagles and hawks to fox and coyote. Man is an additional threat in many areas as Prairie Dogs are viewed as pests and can carry the plague. They are however a keystone species in many locations and critical to the overall health of the ecosystem.
Not only do many other species rely on them as food but others use their burrows for dens and nests. This particular Black-tailed Prairie Dog was up soon before sunrise recently, seeming to scout the immediate area to ensure it was safe for the rest of the colony to come out.
Something different but something that needs to be recognized
Want to make a veteran tear up? Give this to them.
That is exactly what happened to me yesterday. I discovered these in a tiny little Ziploc bag under the windshield wiper on my truck. It took me a minute to digest what it was but once I did, I couldn’t help but get tears.
Such a thoughtful gesture and one that I truly appreciate. So, my heartfelt thanks go out to Girl Scouts Troop 63979. God bless you and God bless America!
Winter’s bison calf begins to change
Being born in the dead of winter on the Colorado plains does not make for an easy start to life. However, this little guy (or gal) looks to have done just fine.
I first captured images of it back in the middle of December within a couple of days after it was born just before a snowstorm hit. Now, four months later, we can see some changes taking place as it grows up.
It of course has grown considerably but also, it’s ‘red dog’ fur is changing to the adult brown, it is developing the shoulder hump and its horns are growing.
Bison are the largest mammal in North American with cows weighing up to 1,000 pounds and bulls up to 2,000 pounds. Whether a male or female, this little one will be massive once it grows up.
Moose calf hams it up for the camera
It is Moose Monday so here I share a couple of pics of this little one that I have not shown you before. Taken back in August 2015, this cutie, its mom and a bull gave us an evening surprise by strolling right through our campsite.
An early evening thunderstorm had chased us inside the RV while camping in Arapaho National Forest two. Finally, there was a break and as I went outside to light the grill to get dinner going, I notice this massive black and brown creature not 40 feet away. A moose!
I step back inside and grab my camera telling the family to look out the window. As I step back outside, I hear my daughter say softly, “Daddy, there’s a baby too!” I quietly and slowly creep around the RV where I have a good view of mama and her young one. Just as I start taking pictures, I see motion out of the corner of my eye and I’ll be a son of a gun if a bull didn’t come waltzing into the area too!
The trio calmly grazed their way through the campsite spending 20 minutes or so with us before moving back into the densely treed forest. As it was evening and there were dark clouds above lighting was tough so my pics aren’t as nice as I would like. But, it was truly a magical encounter and probably my favorite ever with moose.