Revealing the Hidden Beauty of Colorado
Environment:Start Time: 8:10 AM Temperature: 31 degrees Sky: Sunshine. Sightings:Birds: Mallards, Gadwalls, Common Goldeneye, Buffleheads, Canada Geese, Gulls, Starlings, Belted Kingfisher, Sparrows, Northern Flickers, American Robins, Great Horned Owls, Greater Roadrunner, American KestrelsCritters: Mule Deer Gear: OM System OM-1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm; Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight
Environment:Start Time: 9:10 AM Temperature: 38 degrees Sky: Sunny with light wind. Sightings:Birds: Pied-billed Grebes, Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers, Red-breasted Mergansers, Mallards, Gadwalls, Bufflehead, Gulls, Starlings, Ospreys, Bewick’s Wren, American Kestrel, Double Crested Cormorants, Canada Geese, American Robin, Great Blue Herons, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, possible Turkey VultureCritters: Prairie Dog, Tree Squirrels Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Lumix 100-300mm
Environment:Start Time: 9:10 AM Temperature: 34 degrees Sky: Sunshine. Sightings:Birds: Pied-billed Grebe, Common Goldeneye, Mergansers, Gulls, American Bald EaglesCritters: None Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Lumix 100-300mm
Environment:Start Time: 2:50 PM Temperature: 45 degrees Sky: Sunshine, wicked breeze. What looked like a unseasonably warm January afternoon ended up delivering an uncomfortably cold walk. I am amazed at my ability to head out into nature with the wrong clothes on. I could have put on my jacket but the first bit of breeze hit me when I was some distance from my car and I decided (wrongly) to tough it out. I did do my regular full tour and I was very happy when I made it back to the warmth of the car. The real bummer of…
Environment:Start Time: 2:40 PM Temperature: 49 degrees Sky: Sunshine, few clouds, light breeze. Yet another terrific day to be out in nature. A lot more of the smaller birds were active today as you can tell by the “small” gallery posted below. I was also using a more appropriate camera today than I was yesterday – but it was still heavy. Instead of a featured image I am trying to sneak in a featured video – hopefully posted above. If you can’t see it here on HSC.com try viewing it here. What it is is a group of ducks –…
Environment:Start Time: 2:30 PM Temperature: 55 degrees Sky: Cloud filtered sunshine little breeze Clouds were muting the sunlight this afternoon but I ventured out just the same. Really good walking weather all in all. Lake Pueblo State Park was not as busy – people-wise – today. Also bird-wise. But I still managed to get a great shot of a Great Blue Heron in flight (featured image) and a shot of the same bird moments before he decided to launch into the sky. Of course, the reason he launched was because I was trying to get even closer than I already…
Environment:Start Time: 3:25 PM Temperature: 64 degrees Sky: Cloud filtered sunshine. Sightings:Birds: Mallards, Common Goldeneye, Buffleheads, Gulls, Canada Geese, Starlings, American Robin, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-crowned Sparrow, Sparrows, Northern Flicker, Black-capped Chickadee, Belted KingfisherCritters: Prairie Dogs, Mule Deer Gear: Nikon D5600, 55-200mm
Environment:Start Time: 8:30 AM Temperature: 43 degrees Sky: Sunny with light breeze Morning temperatures are getting much more tolerable allowing me to get out even earlier. The stars of today’s outing turned out to be some Merganser ducks. The Arkansas River played host to both Red-breasted Mergansers (below) and Hooded Mergansers (above). As always, Mallards and Buffleheads were in good supply. The Osprey were quite active as well. I caught a nice shot of one of the big birds out collecting material to patch up the nest. I guess the honeymoon is over. Sightings:Birds: Canada Geese, Buffleheads, Mallards, Gadwalls, Osprey,…
Environment:Start Time: 3:05 PM Temperature: 49 degrees Sky: Sunshine, light breeze Two days in a row! Things are starting to look up weather-wise. Not so much bird-wise. I had a good long walk but really only saw any birds along the Arkansas River and even there pickings were slim. My one photographic “triumph” is today’s featured image – a male Bufflehead. Really not the best photo I’ve ever taken but I did manage to get him into the light at such an angle as to highlight his iridescent colors in the head and neck areas that often appear to be…
Environment:Start Time: 9:35 AM Temperature: 46 degrees Sky: Sunny, high thin clouds, moderate breeze Starting to get cool again. Temperature kept me waiting this morning but finally decided to break into the forties so I could walk. Even at the lower temp it was a great day to walk. I can’t say the same for bird or scenic photography. Not that I came home empty handed. Posted below is about the best shot of Bufflehead Ducks that I’ve been able to capture. This group was far enough away that they didn’t feel obligated to fly away the second I arrived…