Boy, if looks could kill, this handsome fellow might have left me dead. Haha!

He and his mate were hanging out on an osprey stand in northern Colorado recently. They were very kind to me, giving me some fantastic poses of the two of them and then, this sequence of him as he departed.

Sometimes I will find wildlife that is entirely comfortable with human presence. Such was the case with this cool eagle two weeks ago. It was calmly perched, keeping watch over a field. While it did turn to look at me, other than this quick glance, it ignored me and continued surveying its domain. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

I am really pleased with this capture. Some great detail in there and a good look at the nictitating membrane, a second eyelid that many birds have to help keep their eyes clean.

It is prime time for these gorgeous raptors here and I am getting pics of them almost every time I venture out. So much fun! See more of them here.

Having already had a pretty good photo outing, I was tempted to head for home as it was late morning and the light was getting harsh. I decided though to try one more spot, one where I have seen quite a few of my favorite raptors lately.

Driving along a suburban street, I see the form of some sort of large bird silhouetted in some trees so quickly turn and stop to investigate. Much to be surprise – and delight – I find this handsome fellow chomping down on a prairie dog while perched in someone’s backyard.

It was so focused on the meal at hand, it totally ignored me and my friend as we happily captured images of it eating.

I know some folks will find these images a bit too graphic but, this is life – and death – in nature; the proverbial ‘circle of life’ as it were, and something that takes place everywhere around us. 

I suppose it couldn’t be more fitting than that the last pictures I took in 2018 were of my favorite photo subject, the American Bald Eagle.

Given frigid cold temperatures and blowing snow, my photo excursion had not been very good yesterday. As I was nearing home, I decided to check some local spots that these raptors like to hang out in during the winter months and was happy to have found this pretty lady.

She was initially in an open field but immediately left so I followed her and found her again sitting on a post adjacent to a suburban pond. She didn’t give me a chance to get out from behind a bush to get a clear shot of her sitting but when she took flight, she circled back giving me a nice flyby.

It isn’t easy to get clear pics when it is snowing so I am pretty pleased with these captures given the conditions. What will my first pic of 2019 be? I am guessing more of the same. 😉

Judging by the look on his face, it may have been the former. 😉 No matter which it was, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May your new year be filled with joy, prosperity and lots of these cool creatures!

Who knew that an airport weather station could provide such a nice perch? 😉 I happened across this beautiful pair hanging out near Denver International Airport as they sat watching the planes land. Thankfully for them and holiday travelers, there are no weather-related concerns here for at least a few days. Christmas Day and the day after might be a different story though.

Certainly I take tons of pics of these awesome birds but I am really liking this capture. Taken last month, this particular eagle has proven to be quite tolerant of my intrusions on its hunting grounds. It ignores me when I am around, simply keeping watch and waiting for an opportunity to grab a meal as if I wasn’t there.

On this day, it gave me tons of cool poses then became bored and decided it was time to seek out a new perch. As it departed, its massive wings grabbed at the air, sending it onward at breakneck speed. This shot, with its wings forward and lit by the morning sun, came out quite nice I think.

I have one more of my 2019 Bald Eagle calendars on hand and ready to ship immediately. Should I run out, I can always order more.  Order one here.