I decided I needed a “me day” so I took today off work. Headed to a spot near Fort Collins, Colorado that had been rumored to be seeing a lot of activity. It did not disappoint at all. Still sorting through the hundreds of pictures I took but here is a preview.
Liftoff! We have liftoff!
My friend didn’t really want to play today and made me work for the very few pictures I got. Nevertheless, managed a few good ones including this one of him / her launching into the air.
Flasher!
I went for a walk along the South Platte River yesterday and while I managed some decent pics of eagles, this pervert distracted me. 😉
Buck in the brush
With the rut over, deer bucks are being nice to each other again and I came across a group of five of them together this past Saturday. All had very nice racks on them, something they will be shedding soon. This handsome guy was the most photogenic of the bunch.
Hot pursuit!
A juvenile Bald Eagle pursues a Ring-billed Gull that had just snatched a fish from a pond. No doubt the gull was quite alarmed to look back and see this large raptor giving chase. The gull in fact dropped the fish and immediately took evasive maneuvers to escape (and was successful in doing so). Image taken this past Sunday at a pond near Denver, Colorado, USA where gulls and eagles had gathered to fish.
Down the hatch!
Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk enjoys its dinner on the banks of the South Platte River. Out for a walk along the South Platte River after work and I ran into a couple fellow shutterbugs I know. We walked and talked for a while, not seeing anything too extraordinary. On the way back one of my friends notices this young Red-Tailed Hawk sitting low on a tree not 10 feet away and not bothered by us at all. It was clear it had a kill nearby and wasn’t going to leave it. We snapped away and it eventually jumped into the brush, retrieved its mouse dinner and proceeded to swallow it whole on the bank of the river. Pretty neat and fun to see.
Ring-billed Gull patrols for next meal
Where these gulls draw their name from is pretty obvious. You will notice the red around its eye and at the gape (corner of the mouth). This indicates this particular bird has donned its breeding plumage. Spring must not be too far away. 😉
Bald Eagle goes fishing
Yesterday I was extremely lucky to come across a pond along the South Platte River where a half dozen Bald Eagles were hanging out. Standing in sub-freezing temperatures for two hours, I and a friend enjoyed an amazing show as the eagles dove at the lake catching fish.
I captured multiple sequences, this probably being the best. I am disappointed in the quality but given the heavily overcast skies, it was tough shooting action in such low light. Scroll down to view all images in the sequence.
Prairie Falcon keeps watch on the photographer
These cool raptors can be found flying low to the ground searching for prey. They are extraordinarily maneuverable and very difficult to catch pics of in flight. Thankfully this one sat still long enough for me to snap a few images. Prairie Falcons are not particular about their diet and will feed on smaller birds including larks, swallows and doves and will also feed on rodents including squirrels.
Deer doe takes in the sun
A cloudy day here but for just the briefest of time the sun was able to peek through this morning. This beautiful doe was hanging out with six other ladies at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. All were happily enjoying their breakfast and more than willing to pose for pictures and I was lucky enough to be there when the sun popped out.