Wildlife, landscape and weather photography
Going back to January for Throwback Thursday. Snow had fallen the night before, coating the landscape in white helping to set the scene. Above, the full moon was setting and getting ready to disappear behind the Rocky Mountains. A massive bison bull had splintered off from the rest of the herd and was on the move right toward me. All together, it made for a pretty cool scene.
The look on this bison bull’s face is pretty much how a lot of humans probably feel about this time of week. 😀
Taken this past Saturday, a bachelor group of bulls was hanging out close to the road putting on a nice display. They were taking turns rolling around in the dirt, something which is somewhat comical to see given their monstrous size.
Bison will wallow like this to not only mark the spot with their scent but also to start working off that thick winter coat that they no longer need now that it is spring.
Certainly I have shared many similar images but I just never seem to tire of these kinds of scenes. This one was captured this past Sunday as we finally enjoyed some warmer weather. The relatively mild morning was a welcome change and I felt like the golden sun lighting up the foreground helped to capture that. In the background, a beautiful scene of the Flatirons near Boulder and beyond that, the Rockies. I could take in scenes like that every day and be happy.
Temperatures below zero didn’t bother this pretty lady one bit. Usually when you see the bison playing around, it is the juveniles but this lady seemed to be enjoying the snow just as much as the young ones. The herd was on the move and had gotten a good ways ahead of her. As she ran to catch up, she bounced around, tossing her head and kicking her legs, putting on a nice little show. Have a fantastic, #TatankaTuesday!
This guy almost looks like he has a lot of gray hair. 😉 Taken on a bone-chilling morning last month with temperatures well below zero. Frost had formed on just about every surface, including the bison’s fur. While this guy didn’t mind that type of cold, I was a bit less than keen on it and thankful to be at least somewhat warm (and safe) within my truck.
Quite the scene this past Saturday at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. It was a crisp, cold morning with lingering snow on the ground. The critters were quite active and the scenery beautiful. As the full moon set above, a bison bull was on the move right toward me. Behind him, the Front Range and the Rocky Mountains. All-in-all, just about a perfect scene.
For #TBT, a fun pic from this past February that I haven’t shared.
This coyote was out on patrol across the snow-covered plains, looking for a meal. While it had no chance to take down a bison, it did scope them out and seem to contemplate the potential. The bison certainly knew as a loner the coyote wasn’t really a threat but they did take notice of it and kept an eye on it as it passed.
Kind of a fun scene showing the interaction between the two species. The coyote would, in fact, move on and antagonize a herd of deer which was pretty cool to watch. I’ll post a link in the comments to that series.
Just a hint of attitude to that look, something that is returning to the University of Colorado Boulder football program with the arrival of coach Deion Sanders. So, I’ll post this in honor of Colorado Buffaloes Football and Coach Prime. A blast of snow and record-setting cold were the highlights of the last couple of days here on the Colorado Front Range. While it wasn’t fit for man, the beast is built to take it. This handsome fellow with his fur coated in frost and snow was content to work his way across the frozen landscape yesterday.
Young bison gets the zoomies. So much fun to watch!
This yearling-ish bison was still hanging around with mom but at this age, not afraid to venture away. Mom had gotten a good ways ahead and he raced to catch up, bounding up and down as he did. The rambunctious young one zoomed right past her, circled around and bounded right back.
I don’t know if they do, but I suspect this would be a time a bison mom would roll her eyes. 😉
Oh yes! This is Colorado! Such a gorgeous scene on Sunday morning.
The sun was coming above the horizon casting its warm glow across the landscape. In the foreground, the bison herd was at ease, grazing on the grasses of the Great Plains. In the distance, the Flatirons near Boulder and beyond that, the snow-capped Rocky Mountains.
I snapped the requisite pictures and then just sat, soaking in the scene and being grateful to witness it.
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