Videos

Outings

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  April 25, 2023 – Repost

  More cloudy weather in 2025. Let’s go back two years and see what was going on then.

  Environment:
  Start Time: 8:30 AM Temperature: 45 degrees Sky: Mostly clouds with solar cameo appearances.

  After several days offline and with bad weather predicted for tomorrow I felt I had to go out today despite the less than ideal light. The clouds were really giving the Sun a hard time. I was surprised to run across a group of Wild Turkeys who seemed to have lost track of time and were in a hurry to get back home. There were two toms (one is today’s featured image) and six or seven hens. They were headed for the Arkansas River and I thought I would have them cornered on the bank for some good shots. For some reason I was surprised when they flew across the river and scampered into the brush. Turkeys can fly. Hawk parents were keeping near their nests – pictured here is a (not so great) shot of both Cooper’s Hawk parents. They are just enjoying the morning while waiting for the egg timer to go off. I think mom is the bird on the bottom of the image.

  

  

  Sightings:
  Birds: Pied-billed Grebe, Mallards, Wood Ducks, Blue-winged Teals, Starlings, Ospreys, Canada Geese, Double Crested Cormorants, American Kestrel, American Robins, Cooper’s Hawks, House Wrens, Northern Flickers, Belted Kingfisher, Mourning Doves, Red-tailed Hawk, Swallows, Crows, Western Meadowlark, Great Blue Heron
  Critters: Mule Deer, Prairie Dog, Tree Squirrels

  Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Lumix 100-300mm

  

  

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• 
  April 23, 2025

  Environment:
  Start Time: 7:10 AM Temperature: 47 degrees Sky: Mostly Sun.

  Today’s featured image allows me to say with confidence that there are three baby owls in the nest – just as there were last year. So far they are all staying in the nest but mom has moved to an adjacent tree – perhaps to free up branch space for future exploration. There wasn’t much going on elsewhere along the Arkansas River. Pictured here is one of two Osprey that I saw flying around with a pet fish. Neither the Red-tailed Hawk nor the Cooper’s Hawk moms were visible near their respective nests but I guess everyone needs a break now and again.

  

  

  Sightings:
  Birds: Wood Ducks, Mallard, Double Crested Cormorants, Canada Geese, Starlings, Ospreys, American Kestrels, Doves, Great Horned Owls, American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Swallows, Northern Flickers, White-crowned Sparrows, Woodpecker
  Critters: Tree Squirrels, Mule Deer, Prairie Dogs

  Gear: OM System OM-1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm, Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight

  

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• 
  April 22, 2025

  Environment:
  Start Time: 6:55 AM Temperature: 43 degrees Sky: Mostly Sun.

  One benefit of getting an early start is that the Great Blue Herons are still at work when I arrive at the Anticline Pond. This is how I captured today’s featured image of this big blue stalking the shoreline for something edible. There was also a Belted Kingfisher working the same area but that one proved to be too elusive to photograph. Elsewhere in the Canyon I found the Cooper’s Hawk pictured here looking pretty intense in the morning light. Another highlight of the outing was the appearance of an American Beaver who was slowly working its way up the Arkansas River with no apparent worries. I checked in on the baby owls who have not yet started to branch out of the nest – but I don’t think it is going to be long until they do.

  

  

  Sightings:
  Birds: Wood Ducks, Mallard, Double Crested Cormorants, Canada Geese, Starlings, Ospreys, American Kestrels, Doves, Great Horned Owls, American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cooper’s Hawk, Wild Turkeys, Red-tailed Hawk, Swallows, Barn Swallows, Blue Jays, Northern Flickers, Belted Kingfisher
  Critters: Tree Squirrels, Mule Deer, Prairie Dogs, Beaver

  Gear: OM System OM-1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm, Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight

  

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• 
  April 21, 2025

  Environment:
  Start Time: 7:40 AM Temperature: 44 degrees Sky: Mostly Sun.

  

  With holiday travel and a mini snowstorm all in the rearview mirror it felt great to get back on the trails in Rock Canyon. The Arkansas River is starting to run high which is keeping all but the bravest waterfowl on land. The non-water birds are still mostly involved with either nesting or child rearing. Mother Owl is still staying close by while (what I now think are) three Owlets keep getting bigger in the nest. Featured is an exciting (for me, anyway) shot of a Red-tailed Hawk in her (?) nest. She made a few adjustments and then settled right down to keeping things warm. Pictured here is a Cooper’s Hawk in a favorite spot not far from its nest site.

  

  Sightings:
  Birds: Wood Ducks, Mallard, Double Crested Cormorants, Canada Geese, Starlings, Ospreys, American Kestrels, Doves, Great Horned Owls, American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cooper’s Hawk, Wild Turkeys, Western Meadowlarks, Red-tailed Hawks, Swallows, Barn Swallows, Blue Jay, Northern Flickers
  Critters: Tree Squirrels, Mule Deer, Prairie Dogs

  Gear: OM System OM-1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm, Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight

  

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• 
  April 17, 2025

  Environment:
  Start Time: 7:50 AM Temperature: 50 degrees Sky: Sun.

  Picture perfect is the only way to describe walking conditions this morning. Spring continues to dominate with much nesting and childrearing going on. Featured is one of the brave Power Pole Osprey working on its nest. Pictured here is a hen Wood Duck heading for the river after a quick nest check. She was flying alone so I don’t know if dad was on duty or simply out with the boys. And the baby Great Horned Owls were kind of active today. After I was watching for a while, mother owl moved off of her perch and into the nest. My best guess is that there was something to eat in the nest and the earlier Owlet activity was them picking at their food. Mom seemed to come in to finish off what was there. Another cool thing that I saw was the female Cooper’s Hawk chase off a tree squirrel who was getting kind of close to the hawk’s nest.

  

  Sightings:
  Birds: Wood Ducks, Canada Geese, Ospreys, Great Horned Owls, Starlings, Wild Turkeys, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Robins, American Kestrel, Western Meadowlarks, Sparrows, Turkey Vulture, Wild Turkeys, Cooper’s Hawk
  Critters: Tree Squirrels, Deer

  Gear: OM System Om-1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm, Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight

  

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