Yum! Yum!

Talk about flying in the catch of the day. Admittedly not the best focused shot I have ever arranged, but when I saw the Osprey crossing the sky in the distance I new I had to start shooting. Here is what the bird looked like in my view finder before cropping:

So for a damp overcast day I was fairly pleased with the result. I really enjoy getting to see birds engaging in the activities that they need to do on a daily basis. There is always something new to see. In this case I was below the dam at Barr Lake State Park, and when I spotted the Osprey it was already a good ways off from the lake, and continued flying until it was lost from view. While I am not surprised that an Osprey could catch and fly with a large catch, I was not aware that they would just leave the vicinity of the lake. It passed many mature trees on its way to its chosen location. In any event it was a great sight to see live, and even better when in closer detail on the monitor.

More from Barr Lake State Park and the Fall count later.

Creekside Lunch

I had a chance to spend a few long minutes along the banks of Coal Creek at lunch today. It was just about perfect. The temp was perfect, not too hot, not to cold. There was a hint of a breeze to move the leaves just enough to give life to the spots of sunshine that made it through the canopy.
The creek softly babbled as it made its way through the rocky part of its course just to my side, pleasant to hear, but not so loud as to drown out the noises of birds and creatures in the area.

The birding wasn't spectacular for fall migration - I had a group of Northern Flickers fairly close at all times, and am confident but not certain that an Orange-Crowned Warbler was briefly over my shoulder and up-sun from me. In the end though, it didn't matter. I had a moment of pure peace in an otherwise hectic day. I got to savor Mother Nature at her finest, in a spot that is often passed but rarely appreciated or given more than a passing glance. I will be back, new found lunch spot; for the experience, for the calm, but most of all for the birds.

My Visit to Walden Ponds - Shorebirds and a Snowy

One of the highlights of yesterday's hike was a few minutes spent at a small pond just before sunset. It was the place to be if you were a shorebird. With my usual disclaimer, (I may be way off on shorebird IDs), enjoy and feel free to correct me where appropriate.

The Solitary Sandpiper, above, was one of a group of three - not feeling so solitary, apparently.


While the Wilson's Snipe was foraging all by itself.

Of course Killdeer were everywhere, and the Snowy Egret below was in the same pond, and just looking too good not to include here.

Good birding all!

My Visit to Walden Ponds - Non Birds

While at Walden Ponds yesterday I had many non-bird encounters. There was a Mule Deer to welcome me as I arrived. The dragon flies were everywhere, and my hands bear evidence to the numbers of mosquitoes that became active at dusk.

Many fish were jumping, and this one, (Bluegill perhaps?), was clearly visible in the sunlight.

I also had a great closeup look at this Snapping Turtle. I watched something dramatically moving vegetation as it approached the shore, and was able to wait quietly until it reached the shore below me.

Very cool, bird pics to follow.

My Visit to Walden Ponds - Grebes and Ducks

I had an early morning start at work yesterday, which meant a long free afternoon! I spent it at the Walden & Sawhill Ponds complex in north Boulder. There were lots of birds out and about, I tallied 32 species, one of which - American Bittern - was a lifer, but remained unphotographed. (I saw two individuals fly overhead at dusk and was unable to relocate them in the lake where they landed amongst the log grasses). The waterfowl as always were prolific. I had Wigeons, Blue-winged Teal, Wood Ducks, Canada Geese, and the Pied-Billed Grebes and Mallards pictured in this post.

The little grebe below is still showing the facial markings and orange bill of a hatchling. I stumbled upon it rooting in the muddy waters of a small pond. I was surprised that it was able to dive and resurface in more open water on the other side of some vegetation in what appeared to be only inches of water.

Enjoy, the signs of fall are beginning to show.

2009 Count: 181

Lifetime: 189

Live from Las Vegas - Exotic Swimmers?

Not those kind of exotic swimmers - pull your mind out of the gutter!


These were Chinese Geese, swimming happily in the large pond at Sunset Park in Las Vegas. They are certainly not countable, as they are a released captive flock that are fed and supported by the park staff. They are cool looking birds though, and ran a wide spectrum of light to dark color variation.

There were also some domestic Mallards thrown in the mix. At the time I thought I was on to a hotbed of leucism in Mallards until I read that the white coloring is an attribute of the domesticated varieties of this species.

They made an interesting and colorful alternative to the countless Canada Geese that are so prevalent at every pond, lake and reservoir in Colorado.

Fall Migration Flop

Yesterday I finally got back out to see if I could stumble upon any fall migrants. I have been distracted since my Las Vegas trip and haven't been out in the field with camera at all over the holiday weekend.
I did see some early signs of fall, so I believe I had the timing right. Even so, the birds were not present. I still had a beautiful walk along Coal Creek in the evening sunshine - but had a very pedestrian list when complete.

When a Mourning Dove is my sole avian contribution to the post it was clearly a common species day. There were a couple of Red-tailed flyovers and a nice singing Belted Kingfisher, but after a layoff my camera focusing wasn't dialed in and I couldn't seem to get on the birds.

Today is another day, and with an early start to my workday I should have a chance to spend some good hours in prime Boulder habitat. If nothing else I should refresh some skills before I participate in a fall bird count on Saturday.