Wildlife, landscape and weather photography
One from early this month in Arapaho National Forest. This handsome fellow was grazing on the wildflowers but of course the guy in the truck with the camera got his attention. Behind him you can see some of the damage from the East Troublesome Fire that many of my recent pictures have highlighted.
There are quite a few little ones at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge this year. I have not had the best of luck getting pics of them as either the light has been poor or the distance too great.
Last weekend this one gave me a break and briefly stopped in the sunlight to give me a nice look before heading off into the shade with its mom. The golden light of the rising sun really cast a pleasing glow on it and lit up its eye beautifully.
Taken late one evening during our recent visit to Ridgway State Park. We were watching some deer in the field below our campsite when suddenly there was a bit of action.
Apparently some nesting red-winged blackbirds did not take kindly to the deer grazing near their home. The male blackbird was quite aggressive defending its territory, constantly dive-bombing the deer.
Here, one young deer walks through, focused on the female blackbird. Little did it know that the male was approaching from behind. A quick hit on the rump from the bird sent the deer running.
Not the best pictures given it was after sunset and minimal light but a fun bit of action to see.
Kind of a fun shot from this past weekend. The morning was largely cloudy so light was minimal as the sun began to rise. On the horizon, a sliver of clear sky was glowing orange. On top of the hill, I seemed to have gotten the attention of two mule deer. Thankfully, both sat still long enough for me to grab a shot and, best of all, provided a mirror of each other bookending the rising sun.
On their way to the impressive racks they will be wearing later this year, the white-tailed deer and mule deer bucks are beginning to regrow their antlers.
Judging by the base of the growth on these two, they will almost certainly be contenders come the fall when the rut kicks in and the hormones are raging.
Right now the deer look pretty scraggly and aren’t particularly photogenic as they begin shedding their winter coats for thinner, cooler summer coverings. Come the fall, they will be far more handsome and impressive.
Kind of a pretty shot from last weekend of this pretty lady. I loved the way the rising sun illuminated the lingering leaves on the trees behind her.
I caught this pretty white-tailed deer doe and her yearling off guard this past weekend.
I was in my usual hiding spot, pretty well concealed as I monitored a bald eagle nest. As I sat there, I saw the two of them approach, entirely oblivious to my presence. It was just one of those nice moments I experience when I am in the field. A quiet, chilly morning along the river with the only sounds being of the water and birds.
The pair of deer walked along lazily and I enjoyed soaking in the scene. As they got close, I quietly, slowly lifted my camera. That movement was just enough to get mama’s attention as you can see in this image. Needless to say, once she realized I was there, she didn’t linger long.
The winter here along the Colorado Front Range has been relatively mild and dry. That finally started to change a bit over the past couple of weeks. While wildlife is largely built to withstand most anything Mother Nature throws out there, I suspect even they don’t care too much for the extremes.
This past Sunday morning, temperatures had dropped to 9 degrees below zero and it was pretty miserable out there. This pair of mule deer does decided that rather than foraging, they would conserve their energy and warmth and just huddle up and stay warm.
The other night I was updating my store and came across this shot from last November that I have never shared. This guy was not one of the bigger white-tails but he was a good looking fellow and that beautiful morning light lit him up nicely. Taken as the rut was starting to wind down, he was closely watching a doe behind me, deciding if she was open to his affection. 😉
I’m not so sure I would be keen on eating dried grass for breakfast but, of course, that is what makes for a good meal for deer. This young mule deer buck was hanging out with several other deer, eating their way along through a field.
The soft, early morning light really provided for a nice glow and helped light up his eye nicely. He is still sporting his small antlers but those will be falling off any day now. In a few years, he will be in competition for the love of the ladies.
