Environment:
Start Time: 7:40 AM Temperature: 51 degrees Sky: Sunshine with increasing breeze.
What started out as very pleasant walk ended as a battle between myself and a very stiff breeze (wind?). Even so I did not cut the outing short. There was not a lot of nearby bird activity so all of today’s product was shot at some distance hence everything is a little fuzzy. Today’s featured image is an American Kestrel perching above its nest with what looks like a grasshopper in its clutches. Below is the same bird moments later flying overhead with its catch. This bird really seemed to be having fun – it was actually spinning on its body axis in the wind. The Kestrel wasn’t the only one with a morning meal – posted here is an Osprey who was having trouble getting comfortable on its perch so it could finish off the fish s/he was eating. At the bottom of the post is a group of Blue-winged Teal (Teals?) who were very interested in whatever was to be had in a really foamy section of the river. Speaking of the Arkansas River it has been running higher and faster over the last few days. I guess the runoff is underway.
American Kestrel flying high at Lake Pueblo State Park, Colorado April 29, 2022
Sightings:
Birds: Mallards, Wood Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, Canada Geese, Osprey, American Robin, European Starlings, Double-crested Cormorants, White-crowned Sparrows, Mourning Doves, Turkey Vultures, Great Blue Heron, Northern Flicker, American Kestrel, Western Kingbird
Critters: Tree Squirrels, Mule Deer
Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Panasonic Lumix 100-300mm
Blue-winged Teal feeding furiously in some foaming water on the Arkansas River at Lake Pueblo State Park, Colorado April 29, 2022