After several hard rains, I went out to Sand Creek, expecting to see lots of birds. Oddly enough, it seemed they'd all gone to lunch or taken vacation or something.
Just as I was leaving, I rounded a corner to walk over a bridge, and there was a Night Heron sitting on the dam. I'd seen him before in this exact same place and took photos of him until it became obvious he was never going to move, and I needed to get home.
This time, I was determined to wait him out. So I sat down and just watched him, not bothering to be terribly quiet. After a lot of throat clearing on my part, a young lad appeared with his two dogs. I pointed to the bird and said that I wished he would take flight. This kid immediately charged up the bank with his dogs until he was above the bird, looking down at him.
Of course, the diversion worked, and this HUGE bird took to the air.
He soared
and swooped
and made my day.
Considering the fact that no other birds came to the party, it was a successful photo session - and worth sharing.
RAM
It's been awhile. I kind of lost my heart for writing. It had become work, which was contrary to the lifestyle I'd envisioned for myself. I've become drawn to birdwatching, but the social media page (which shall remain unnamed) I've been using has gotten too complicated for my liking. I was telling my sister-in-law about my frustration over being unable to post photos and videos easily, and she suggested I go back to the blog. It's basic. It's simple. There's nobody continually fucking with it and changing the rules. I still know how to use it, and it's still here. So, OK.
There's a park called "Sand Creek" very close to our home. Not the Sand Creek where early Cavalry troops massacred an Indian village in 1864. This one is a regional greenway - a lazy little creek that connects the Highline Canal with the South Platte River. A few months ago, I began walking every day to build my stamina. I chose the creek for its wealth of wildlife and its photographic opportunities.
My first day there, I spotted a goose-sized bird swimming by himself. He was totally odd looking, and my telephoto lens is sadly lacking in the power to pull subjects in close enough. There seems to be some water ballet going on in this shot.
And here, it appears that a hitchhiker might be grabbing a ride.
I posted these shots on a forum for plant, animal photo enthusiasts, and was told that this guy is a Clark's Grebe. I was also informed that I had spotted a "pretty good bird", and that seeing one is a somewhat rare event. I did a search and found that Grebe chicks often ride on the parents' backs as they're swimming. That got me excited enough to continue visiting the spot.
The next time I went to the creek, I was treated to a Grebe pair swimming serenely.
As usual, they were swimming on the far side of the pond. The always sunny, no trees, no shade side, where my crappy little telephoto couldn't pull in the detail I wanted. I've heard they have bright red eyes.
As I walked further, I looked to my left and saw several pelicans partying on a sand bar.
They were all cool until I approached, and then one of them saw me and freaked out.
He just could not get airborne fast enough...
And the others quickly followed behind.
They took to the air and treated me to an aerial display.
Once the pelicans were out of sight, I went further to the bridge and looked over the edge. This Great Blue Heron was hanging out on what looked to be a beaver dam.
I was hoping he'd take wing, but despite my rather noisy presence, he never did anything more than turn his head.
And glare at me as if I was annoying him.
Then he'd sigh and look away. We will have future encounters.
RAM
