Wildlife, landscape and weather photography
Mother Nature didn’t play nice today with chilly temperatures and overcast skies. That limited the photo opportunities today and getting a good bird in flight shot in the low light is hard. Somehow I managed to get a couple of good ones though.
There were about two dozen of these cool white birds hanging out at a pond in Adams County, Colorado. They didn’t mind the 38 degree temperatures although I would have preferred something a bit milder.
On this day, a dozen of them were hanging out on a pond in Adams County, Colorado and decided to be kind to me and let their picture be taken. I was able to lay down and get some nice, eye-level captures.
During the summer these birds are pretty common in Colorado but during the winter they prefer the warmer environs of Mexico. I don’t blame them. 😉
“Go ahead. Hop in. It is safe.” 😉 An American White Pelican seems to be trying to convince a Snowy Egret that it would be okay to check out its mouth. Of course in fact Pelicans don’t eat Egrets but it did make for a pretty darned funny image. A good one for a ‘caption this’ contest. What do you got?
I made a quick stop on my way home yesterday at the Adams County, Colorado Fairgrounds. The mid-afternoon light was harsh so I wasn’t expecting much out of my pictures but there was a lot of bird activity so I really wanted to check it out.
I’ve been using my Canon 6D Mark II more and more and continue to be impressed with its capability. It handled the bright light exceedingly well, just as I have been seeing it do in low light. This beautiful bird flew nearby and I managed a very nice sequence of images and was able to retain all the detail within the white despite that harsh light.
This guy (or gal) kind of looks like it was having a bad hair day! I was scrolling through some old pics and came across these images from last May that I never shared.
This Snowy Egret was hanging out along a creek, keeping watch on the waters and hoping for a fish to come by. At one point, it gave itself a big shake and shiver.
We see these pretty birds here in Colorado during the summer. You will typically find them in areas just like this, along water’s edge as they try to catch a meal.
It never fails. You stake out a nice, quiet spot of beach to enjoy some fishing and time with the family. Along comes someone you have never seen before and despite having plenty of beach they could have to themselves, they insist on staking out a spot right among your gathering. So frustrating! 😉
There were about a dozen Snowy Egrets at this suburban pond, enjoying a nice evening. Along game this massive Great Blue Heron that decided to crash their party. The much smaller egrets weren’t quite sure how to handle the squatter and in the end, let the big guy keep the spot while they moved elsewhere.
Flipping through some old pics and I came across this series from back in May that I never shared any images from. I was actually at this spot to take pictures of my ballet princess but admit I was a bit distracted by these white ones. Thankfully my daughter granted me a few minutes leave to grab my big lens and snap off a few of them.
During the summer these birds are pretty common in Colorado but they also are skittish so I don’t normally get captures of them. On this day, a half dozen of them were hanging out on a pond in Adams County, Colorado. They will spend their winters in Mexico.
A fun little sequence of images I captured of this beautiful bird as it hung out along the South Platte River. During the summer these guys are pretty common in Colorado but they also are skittish so I don’t normally get captures of them.
I spotted this one from a good ways away and tried a stealthy approach through some tall grass, staying hunched down to get a closer vantage point. It didn’t work as well as planned because it definitely knew I was there and took off almost immediately.
I find these birds to be one of the truly beautiful ones in Mother Nature. Their white plumage, bright yellow feet, bills and eyes really make them unique in appearance and they are very graceful in action.
Here we see one that was in Denver City Park at a rookery on an island there. It pushes off of its perch and takes to the air with little effort.
Scroll down to view the entire gallery of images from the day including the full launch sequence.
These birds are nothing short of beautiful. They are resplendent in their all-white feathers and the bright yellow eyes and feet help set it off. This was taken at Denver City Park this past week where a number of these have nests in a rookery that also has Cormorants and Heron.
