This is a capture is what I would call a ‘happy mistake.’ Technically, my camera settings were wrong for capturing a bird in flight with the shutter speed having been set too slow. I failed to notice that when taking the picture but, in the end, the result was quite nice I think.

The slow shutter speed caused a blurring of the ends of the wings and the background but maintained sharpness of the bird’s face a body. The result, coupled with the light from the sun just emerging over the horizon, is pretty neat.

Just a ‘pretty shot’ as I would call it. While waiting for some more action-oriented pictures to take, I was keeping a keen eye on the horizon to the west for the right opportunity. I was seeing a variety of birds fly south to north but none quite high enough to get the scene I wanted. This modern-day pterodactyl was kind enough to fix that problem. It looked absolutely gorgeous in the morning light with the indomitable Rockies serving as a backdrop.

Another summertime favorite here on the Colorado plains. While some linger throughout the winter, it is during the summer that I see most of these large birds.

This past weekend I was sitting on the shore of a local pond and two of the herons came in and landed nearby. They were initially out of sight but began working their way closer, entirely oblivious to me sitting there. They gave me some great poses and eventually decided the fishing wasn’t too good there and departed. Here, one lifts its wings and begins its launch while the other watches in the background.

November here on the Colorado Front Range has been unusually cold, causing some ponds and lakes to start to freeze over earlier than normal. For birds like great blue herons that largely feed on fish, this can be a bit frustrating as their meals will be safely tucked under the ice. This particular one seemed a bit less than thrilled with the bone chilling cold of a recent morning, stoically standing on one leg on the ice of a frozen pond and looking none to happy about it.

A nice breakfast for the bird, not such a great morning for the fish. 😉 

Yesterday morning I happened across this beautiful heron and it was clearly looking for a meal. As is typical for them, the heron moved very slowly and deliberately, focused on the water and any hint of movement. It moved into the reeds and when it emerged, it had a nice, little meal.

 A moody scene that conjures up a variety of emotions in me when I view the image and one that I really like. Taken last weekend, I opted for a wide view of this great blue heron. It had paused as it walked across a cold and wind-swept icy pond, finding itself alone, out in what seems like the middle of nowhere. A very minimalist photo but one that, to me, has a lot in it.

These massive birds are more associated with the summer here in Colorado but some do stick around throughout the colder months if there is open water for them. A friend saw this one take flight when we were hiking looking for critters and much to our delight, it took a turn and flew right by us. The image does a nice job showcasing its huge 6 foot wingspan and that beautiful blue / gray plumage.