Environment:
Start Time: 6:45 AM Temperature: 59 degrees Sky: Mostly sunny. Light breeze.
The Sun was finally able to muscle through the haze and clouds this morning and shed some glorious light onto Lake Pueblo State Park. A light breeze made walking quite pleasant. Even though birding was pretty much limited to the usual suspects, there was one bit of excitement on the banks of the Arkansas River. A Belted Kingfisher had caught what looked to me like a crayfish and was flying over to a perch when a Grackle (I think) swooped in to try and steel the Kingfisher’s prize. Some fancy flying ensued and the intrepid fisherman managed to land and start dining (picture below) on his catch. He didn’t get very far into the meal when the Grackle took another shot at the steal – he failed again and the Kingfisher made a clean getaway. Today’s featured image is what I (and Google) believe to be Canada Wild Rye which was so nicely lit by the low morning Sun that I couldn’t resist taking a shot. Also posted is another Redheaded Woodpecker – this one was smaller than others that I have seen so I suspect he is a fresh one.
Sightings:
Birds: Mallards, Starlings, Osprey, Barn Swallows, Cormorants, Western Kingbirds, American Robins, Canada Geese, Belted Kingfisher, Common Grackle, Mississippi Kite, Mourning Dove, Red-winged Blackbirds, Orchard Oriole, Western Wood Pewee, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Northern Flicker
Critters: Cabbage Butterfly, Prairie Dogs, Mule Deer
Gear: Lumix GH4, 100-300 mm
