Revealing the Hidden Beauty of Colorado
Environment:Start Time: 3:15 PM Temperature: 52 degrees Sky: Cloud filtered sunshine. Sightings:Birds: Mallards, Common Goldeneye, Canada Geese, Gulls, Starlings, Belted Kingfisher, American Kestrels, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Robins, Northern Flicker, Great Horned Owl, Great Blue Herons, Wild Turkeys, possible Bald EagleCritters: Mule Deer, Tree Squirrels Gear: OM System OM-1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm; Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight
Still on Christmas break. Here is last year’s post for 12/28. Looks like things were pretty slow back then too. Environment:Start Time: 9:35 AM Temperature: 32 degrees Sky: Occasional sunshine. Very chilly to start the day at Lake Pueblo State Park. I waited at home as long as I could hoping for some warmth but had to come on out before the Sun got too high in the sky. Not that that mattered much. Activity remains low. I did get a (very) long shot of the Cooper’s Hawk pictured here. I didn’t realize until I cropped the image that it…
Environment:Start Time: 3:15 PM Temperature: 68 degrees Sky: Mostly sunshine. Sightings:Birds: Ducks, Gadwalls, Canada Geese, Gulls, Starlings, Sparrows, American Kestrels, Cooper’s Hawk, Great Horned Owls, American Robins, Northern Flickers, White-breasted Nuthatch, Wild Turkeys, Belted Kingfisher, Pied-billed GrebeCritters: Mule Deer, Prairie Dogs Gear: OM System OM-1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm; Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight
Environment:Start Time: 3:25 PM Temperature: 57 degrees Sky: Mostly sunshine. Today’s start was a bit late but at least I got out on the trail. Morning temperatures have been a bit too cold for my old bones for sure. Though I didn’t see a lot of birds this evening I can say that the ones I captured were Great. Pictured here is a Great Blue Heron that seemed to be settled for the night. The Great Horned Owls that start and end this post are (I believe) the two adult Owls that were raising a family in the old hawk…
Environment:Start Time: 7:05 AM Temperature: 42 degrees Sky: Sunshine and clouds. Sightings:Birds: Mallards, Gadwalls, Buffleheads, Gulls, Canada Geese, Starlings, Ospreys, Northern Flickers, American Robins, Great Horned Owls, Western Grebe, Blue JaysCritters: Prairie Dogs, Mule Deer, Tree Squirrel Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Lumix 100-300mm; Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight; Canon Powershot G12
Environment:Start Time: 7:30 AM Temperature: 41 degrees Sky: Clouds and sunshine. Sightings:Birds: Mallards, Gadwalls, Gulls, Starlings, Osprey, Double Crested Cormorant, Northern Flickers, Belted Kingfisher, White-crowned Sparrows, Wild Turkeys, American Robins, Great Blue Herons, Woodpeckers, Great Horned OwlCritters: Mule Deer, Prairie Dogs, Cottontail Rabbit, Tree Squirrel Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm; Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight
Environment:Start Time: 7:20 AM Temperature: 52 degrees Sky: Hazy filtered sunshine. Haze remains a mitigating factor to the morning sunlight but it isn’t too big of a problem. Things were kind of quiet today with not a sign of an Osprey anywhere. I would think this would bring out the Red-tails and the Cooper’s Hawks but they, too, were absent. Featured is a Great Horned Owl who was appreciating the quiet atmosphere while snoozing happily high up in a tree as the morning sunlight warmed its big belly. The Great Blue Heron whose portrait is posted here allowed me to…
Environment:Start Time: 7:05 AM Temperature: 55 degrees Sky: Sunshine. Today’s post showcases three of my favorite birds of prey in three different phases of their day. Featured is a Great Horned Owl calling it a day and hunkering down on a favorite perch to get some shut-eye. Here in the middle is a female Belted Kingfisher getting things going with a stakeout on the Arkansas River. And finally there is an Osprey lifting off of the river with a tight, one-handed grip on a nice looking fish for breakfast. Sightings:Birds: Mallards, ducks, Double Crested Cormorants, Gulls, Canada Geese, Ospreys, Starlings,…
Environment:Start Time: 6:30 AM Temperature: 58 degrees Sky: Sunshine and a few clouds. Sightings:Birds: Mallards, Double Crested Cormorants, Canada Geese, Gulls, Ospreys, Starlings, Swallows, Great Blue Herons, Cooper’s Hawk, Common Grackles, Northern Flickers, Great Horned Owl, Western Wood PeweeCritters: Grasshoppers, Mule Deer, Cabbage White Butterflies, Prairie Dogs, Rock Squirrel, Tree Squirrel Gear: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Lumix 100-400mm; Olympus EE-1 Dot Sight
Environment:Start Time: 6:35 AM Temperature: 70 degrees Sky: Sunshine and clouds. The Arkansas River has really perked up lately. It is running lower and smoother than it has all Summer. I saw quite a few ducks (Mallards), Cormorants and Geese as well as Killdeer and Spotted Sandpipers. And five Great Blue Herons all working the same stretch of water. Very exciting. Featured is none of these water-related birds but an Osprey flying by with a plump looking fish in one hand. Pictured here is the back end of a Great Horned Owl flying into the trees. I was pushing into…