Environment:
Start Time: 3:40 PM Temperature: 43 degrees Sky: Sunny to start.
As I continue to recover from a tenacious virus I am re-posting this date from last year. I was kind of surprised that I didn’t make it out then until the fifth. I guess I shouldn’t fee too bad about this year’s delay.
My first 2023 outing is now in the books. I finally got a day that wasn’t too cold, dark or windy. Thing is, it wasn’t too birdy. I still got some good sightings but not many photo opportunities. The best moment came when I accidentally flushed a Great Horned Owl from its perch and it flew past me. I was surprised when it took flight since I had not seen it at all. S/He flew right past me at eye level no more that 15 feet away and I was amazed at the sound (none) produced by the passing. Later on I heard two owls having a conversation across an open space but was not able to locate either of them visually. Today’s featured image is one of a trio of White-breasted Nuthatches who were feverishly working over a Cottonwood tree. The photo below of a Cooper’s Hawk was shot today but not during my walk. This bird has been keeping a close eye on my backyard bird feeder for some reason.
Sightings:
Birds: Gadwalls, Gulls, Mallards, Canada Geese, Northern Flicker, Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, White-breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Juncos, Great Horned Owls, Great Blue Heron, Starlings, American Robin
Critters: Mule Deer
Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Lumix 100-300mm
Cooper’s Hawk shot in my backyard in Pueblo, Colorado. This bird is very interested in my bird feeder. January 05, 2022