Birds Sightings Wildlife
December 28, 2021

December 28, 2021

Environment:Start Time: 3:25 PM Temperature: 42 degrees Sky: Clouds, sunshine and a breeze A potentially terrific day for walking and birding was severely damaged by a wickedly cold “breeze”. From the bright sunshine and limited cloud cover it looked perfect but it was really worse than yesterday. I set out to try shooting some video of birds on the Arkansas River but it was too cold to sit still so I did a short walk instead. There was a little action to be seen. I saw three or four Great Blue Herons and a couple of Northern Flickers who were…

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Birds Sightings Wildlife
December 27, 2021

December 27, 2021

Environment:Start Time: 3:40 PM Temperature: 41 degrees Sky: Heavy cloud-filtered sunshine Winter is finally starting to make its appearance. My fear is that it may be too late for some of the trees as demonstrated in the image below of a Starling perching in a Cottonwood that appears (to me) to be well into the Spring budding process. When the cold eventually shows up I don’t think things are going to go well for this – and quite a few other – tree. But there are still birds to be photographed. Posted here is a White-crowned Sparrow who waited patiently…

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Birds Critters Sightings Wildlife
December 20, 2021

December 20, 2021

Environment:Start Time: 3:45 PM Temperature: 60 degrees Sky: Sunshine with a slight breeze Great walking conditions are hanging on at Lake Pueblo State Park. Staff at the park are continuing cleaning up from last week’s big wind storm and things are getting back to normal. I’m not sure but I’m thinking the wind blew away a lot of birds. Some are still around, though. Posted here is another Hawk in flight shot but this one is certainly a Red-tailed Hawk. Below is a group of Common Goldeneye ducks who seem to be settling in and calming down – they didn’t…

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Birds Landscapes Sightings Wildlife
December 18, 2021

December 18, 2021

Environment:Start Time: 3:35 PM Temperature: 40 degrees Sky: Sun: 1 Clouds: 0 Kind of a cold afternoon but since I’ve been cooped up for two days I decided to go for it. Once again I misjudged what proper attire should be. I finished the whole two miles but as I write this 1.5 hours after returning home I am still cold. Tomorrow is forecast to be warmer. Despite all my suffering this outing was a huge success tinged with a little sadness. Today’s featured image (above) is an American Bald Eagle marking (for me) the official opening of Eagle Season….

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Infrared Photography Landscapes Sightings
December 13, 2021

December 13, 2021

Environment:Start Time: 3:05 PM Temperature: 55 degrees Sky: Sunshine with few clouds. Today’s outing was another visit to the South shore of the Arkansas River. Birding was not particularly exciting with only brief appearances of what is probably going to be the standard set of avian subjects. I got a couple of shots of a Great Blue Heron and a Killdeer. Fortunately I also brought along my infrared camera which kept me entertained. I got a number of shots featuring the Arkansas River and its surrounding Winter scenery – one of which is today’s featured image. A second example is…

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Birds Sightings Wildlife
December 11, 2021

December 11, 2021

Environment:Start Time: 3:05 PM Temperature: 49 degrees Sky: Sunshine and clouds. A later afternoon outing found me on the South bank of the Arkansas River today. I switch banks on afternoon walks since that puts the Sun at my back as I walk along the river. What I don’t like is that there isn’t a good loop to walk so I have to travel the same country out and back which bothers me for some reason. Even so, I got some interesting shots in both directions. For one thing I got a new bird. Posted below is a Mountain Pipet…

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Birds Sightings Wildlife
December 09, 2021

December 09, 2021

Environment:Start Time: 9:05 AM Temperature: 46 degrees Sky: Sunshine with few clouds. Pleasantly warm temperature lured me back to the morning shift and my regular route today. A pretty nice selection of avian subjects were around though not many who were interested in being posted on the Internet today. Today’s featured image (above) is a Killdeer who I surprised on the river bank before he could hide. Below is the only other cooperative (and close) subject I saw – an American Kestrel. Looking back at last year on this day I see that I had much better luck as you…

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Birds Landscapes Sightings Wildlife
December 08, 2021

December 08, 2021

Environment:Start Time: 3:05 PM Temperature: 58 degrees Sky: Sunshine with clouds and wind. I changed things up a bit today by walking on the South shore of the Arkansas River. I walked East from the Highway 96 parking area along the trail that winds around the group of watersheds known as Valco Ponds. Today I was wearing a jacket since the Sun was behind a bank of clouds when I set out. As soon as I was away from the car the Sun popped out and proceeded to roast me. Not only that but the stiff breeze that was there…

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