Environment:
Start Time: 7:20 AM Temperature: 54 degrees Sky: Mostly Sunny.
First full day of Summer arrived with some very welcome sunshine and cool-ish temperatures. Today’s featured image is a clump of Colorado Four O’Clock wildflowers blooming – there were several patches of the colorful blooms. There was a lot of Osprey action this morning – I think some of the new ones have taken flight. Not only that but I got to watch one adult Osprey make several close and very vocal passes at a Great Blue Heron that was perched near (I guess too near) the Osprey nest. A couple of frames from the confrontation are presented at the bottom of this post. The heron stood its ground and only left after its attacker gave up. On a sadder note I found that the barn swallows (Betty and Barney) that have been trying to nest at the informational kiosk by the Anticline Fishing Pond have had their third nest destroyed (below). Also posted is a shot of a Brown-crested Flycatcher who seemed to be enjoying the morning Sun.
Barn Swallow Nest in ruins at the informational kiosk at Lake Pueblo State park, Colorado June 22, 2022
Sightings:
Birds: Mallards, Osprey, European Starlings, Canada Geese, Double-crested Cormorants, Western Kingbirds, Eastern Kingbird, Mourning Doves, Bullock’s Oriole, Swallows, Barn Swallows, Wren, Belted Kingfisher, Blue Jay, Common Grackle, Great Blue Heron, American Robins, Northern Flickers, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Red-winged Blackbird, American Kestrel
Critters: Mule Deer, Cabbage White Butterfly, Prairie Dog, Tree Squirrels, White-tailed Deer
Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Panasonic Lumix 100-300mm
A perched Great Blue Heron keeps a wary eye on a circling Osprey at Lake Pueblo State Park, Colorado June 22, 2022 
An Osprey dives at a perched Great Blue Heron at Lake Pueblo State Park, Colorado June 22, 2022