Revealing the Hidden Beauty of Colorado
Environment:Start Time: 7:10 AM Temperature: 45 degrees Sky: Sunshine with increasing breeze. Sightings:Birds: Canada Geese, Mallards, Buffleheads, American Coots, Common Goldeneye, Gadwalls, Gulls, Great Horned Owl, Starlings, Sparrows, Wren, Belted Kingfishers, American White Pelican, American Kestrel, Red-tailed HawkCritters: None KINGSYARD HEAVY DUTY METAL MESH BIRD FEEDER Gear: OM System OM-1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm; Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight
Environment:Start Time: 7:30 AM Temperature: 36 degrees Sky: All sunshine. What could have been a carbon copy of yesterday’s stellar walking conditions was blown away (literally) by an ever increasing breeze that made walking pretty uncomfortable. There was a pretty good variety of waterfowl out on the Arkansas River (see Pied-billed Grebe photo below) and two or three Great Blue Herons working hard at avoiding me. Featured is a young Mule Deer Buck who just could not take his eyes off of me. I was likewise fixated on his nice starter rack. Pictured here is a male Belted Kingfisher who…
Environment:Start Time: 8:30 AM Temperature: 34 degrees Sky: All sunshine. Sightings:Birds: Canada Geese, Mallards, Buffleheads, American Coots, Common Goldeneye, Gulls, Great Horned Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flickers, Cooper’s Hawk, American KestrelCritters: Mule Deer KINGSYARD HEAVY DUTY METAL MESH BIRD FEEDER Gear: OM System OM-1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm; Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight
Environment:Start Time: 4:30 PM Temperature: 66 degrees Sky: Mostly sunshine. Today’s outing was brief with my only intention to see if walking conditions were improving in the warmer weather over the last couple of days. Things are better but there is still ice and plenty of mud around. I was not dressed for the conditions so I just mosied around the Osprey Picnic Area to see what was what. I did take a quick detour to the Arkansas River where I caught the female Belted Kingfisher that is today’s featured image. This is a preferred spot for this little lady…
Yet another snow day today. Last year was a lot better – in many different ways. Here is another walk down Memory Lane. Environment:Start Time: 7:20 AM Temperature: 29 degrees Sky: Sunshine. Sightings:Birds: Ducks, Buffleheads, Common Goldeneyes, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Mallards, Red-breasted Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers, Green-winged Teal, American Coot, Pied-billed Grebes, Canada Geese, Gulls, Great Blue Herons, Starlings, White-crowned Sparrows, Wild Turkeys, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Crows, Northern Flickers, Mourning DoveCritters: Mule Deer, Tree Squirrels, Prairie Dogs, Cottontail Rabbit KINGSYARD HEAVY DUTY METAL MESH BIRD FEEDER Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Lumix 100-300mm, Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight
Environment:Start Time: 9:05 AM Temperature: 33 degrees Sky: More clouds than Sun. The morning temperatures this day in 2024 inspired me to stay in bed. Here is what was happening last year on this day. As you can see, the bird selection is about the same as this year so far. Stay warm! Sightings:Birds: Mallards, Common Goldeneye, Killdeer, Gulls, Dark-eyed Juncos, Woodpeckers, Northern Flicker, Great Blue Herons, Canada Geese, American Kestrel, hawks, Belted Kingfisher, Crows Critters: Mule Deer Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Lumix 100-300mm, Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight
Environment:Start Time: 8:05 AM Temperature: 37 degrees Sky: Sunshine. Sightings:Birds: Mallards, Common Goldeneye, Gadwalls, Hooded Mergansers, Canada Geese, Gulls, Starlings, Belted Kingfishers, Western Bluebirds, Sparrows, Great Blue Heron, American Bald Eagles, Northern Flickers, Wild Turkeys, Great Horned OwlCritters: Mule Deer, Tree Squirrels Gear: OM System OM-1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm; Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight
Environment:Start Time: 7:50 AM Temperature: 28 degrees Sky: Sunshine. Sightings:Birds: Mallards, Common Goldeneye, Canada Geese, Gulls, Starlings, Belted Kingfisher, Hooded Mergansers, Sparrows, Great Blue Heron, Red-tailed HawkCritters: Mule Deer Gear: OM System OM-1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm; Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight
Environment:Start Time: 7:55 AM Temperature: 32 degrees Sky: Sunshine. A truly beautiful morning greeted me as I arrived at my normal parking spot by the Anticline Fishing Pond. The freezing temperature was nicely mitigated by the radiant heat from the Sun. Most of the birding action was to be had in or around bodies of water. Featured is a male Belted Kingfisher making a stab at the Arkansas River. The only shot I got of his entrance into the water was a splash. I could not tell if the dive was successful or not. Also on the Arkansas River were…