In the Rockies…
The great parks and public lands of the Rocky Mountains are almost literally Michael Felz’s backyard, so it is natural that he has numerous bird photos from many of those places. Scroll down to enjoy.
Lazuli Bunting, taking flight, Clear Creek Canyon, Colorado
Double-crested Cormorant, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver, CO
Lazuli Bunting, in shadows, Clear Creek Canyon, Colorado
Swainson's Hawk, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver, CO
Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Clear Creek Canyon, Colorado
Black-necked Stilt, John Martin Reservoir State Park
Black-necked Stilt, John Martin Reservoir State Park
Wilson's Phalarope, John Martin Reservoir State Park
Red-tailed Hawk, on the road south of Las Animas
Great Blue Herons, St. Vrain State Park
Great Blue Heron, St. Vrain State Park
Great Blue Heron, St. Vrain State Park
Spotted Towhee, Red Rocks Amphitheater
Black-necked Stilt, Kountze Lake
Yellow-headed Blackbird, Jim Hamm Reserve
Red-tailed Hawk, with fresh rabbit, Chatfield State Park
American Pipit, scouring the beach, Chatfield State Park
Killdeer, one of three, on the shore at Chatfield State Park
Western Meadownlark, Chatfield State Park
Cooper's Hawk, Chatfield SP (Audubon Trails), Colorado
Red-tailed Hawk, Chatfield SP, Colorado
Red-winged Blackbird, Audubon ponds, Chatfield SP, Colorado
Double-crested Cormorant, with nest material, Kountze Lake, Belmar Park, Lakewood, Colorado
American Dipper, with white eye feathers, Clear Creek, Golden, Colorado
American Coot, St. Vrain SP, Longmont, CO
American White Pelican, St. Vrain SP, Longmont, CO
Great Blue Heron, St. Vrain SP, Longmont, CO
Osprey with stick for nest, Walden Ponds, Boulder, CO
Lesser Yellowlegs, Walden Ponds, Boulder, CO
Red-winged Blackbird, Walden Ponds, Boulder, CO
Red-shafted Northern Flicker, Walden Ponds, Boulder, CO
American Dipper, Clear Creek, Golden, CO
Steller's Jay, Elk Mountain Park, Evergreen, CO
Mountain Bluebird, Elk Meadow Park, Evergreen, CO
American Robin, Elk Meadow Park, Evergreen, CO
American Avocet, Kountze Lake, Belmar Park, Lakewood, CO
Hooded Merganser, non breeding make, Bluff Lake Nature Preserve, Denver, CO
Cinnamon Teal, Bluff Lake Nature Preserve, Denver, CO
Gadwall pair, Bluff Lake Nature Preserve, Denver, CO
Green-winged Teal, Bluff Lake Nature Preserve, Denver, CO
Double-crested Cormorant, Bluff Lake Nature Preserve, Denver, CO
Belted Kingfisher, Kountze Lake, Belmar Park, Lakewood, CO
Black-capped Chickadee, Kountze Lake, Belmar Park, Lakewood, CO
Belted Kingfisher, with fish, Kountze Lake, Belmar Park, Lakewood, CO
This backlit Snowy Egret’s (Egretta thula) feathers haven’t settled yet after flying in to defend its feeding territory at Kountze Lake in Belmar Park, Lakewood, CO. Those feathers were once, in the late 1800s, in such demand for fashionable hats that the feathers were valued at twice the price of gold. Hunted to near extinction, the Snowy Egret made a sustained comeback until the late 1900s when wetland loss has led to sustained population declines.
Barn Swallow, chicks, feeding, Lakewood, CO
Song Sparrow, Washington state
Short-eared Owl, Lakewood, Colorado
Bald Eagle, female, Bear Lake, Colorado
Peregrine Falcon, Bear Lake, Colorado
American Kestrel, male, Bear Lake, Colorado
Avocet, Belmar Park, Lakewood, Colorado
Harris's Hawk, Bear Lake, Colorado
Mourning Dove, Walden Ponds Wildlife Refuge, Boulder, CO
American Crow, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Greater Prairie-chicken, males fighting, McCook, Nebraska
Great Horned Owl, Lakewood, Colorado
Red-winged Blackbird at Walden Ponds, Boulder, Colorado
American White Pelicans fronting the Elkhead Mountains, Yampa River Valley
Swainson's Hawk, Craig, Colorado
Greater Sage Grouse, Walden, Colorado
Double-crested Cormorant, with fish, Walden Ponds, Boulder, CO
Say's Phoebe, Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat, Boulder, CO
Great Blue Heron, St. Vrain State Park, Longmont, CO
Mountain Bluebird, Evergreen, CO
Mallard, female, Sprague Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Bald Eagle, immature, Chatfield State Park, CO
Red-tailed Hawk perched along the South Platte River, CO
Ring-billed Gull, with fish, St. Vrain State Park, CO
Bald Eagle, Chatfield State Park, CO
Canada Goose, ice landing, Longmont, CO
Canada Geese, Longmont, CO
Osprey, exiting water after dive, St. Vrain State Park, CO
Franklin's Gull on approach, Loveland, CO
Red-naped Sapsucker, approaching nest, Maryland Mountain, Blackhawk, CO
Red-winged Blackbird, St. Vrain State Park, CO
Ring-billed Gull, St. Vrain State Park, CO
Ring-billed Gull, St. Vrain State Park, CO
American Kestrel, Chatfield State Park, CO
Red-shafted Northern Flicker, female, along Deer Creek near the Chatfield Reservoir, CO
Bald Eagle, perched at the Chatfield Reservoir, Chatfield State Park, CO
Northern Harrier, Boulder, CO
Red-shafted Northern Flicker, Boulder, CO
Northern Flickers, Boulder, CO
American Wigeon, Boulder, CO
American Robin, Boulder, CO
Hooded Merganser, Boulder, CO
Great-tailed Grackle, female, Boulder, CO
Common Raven, Chatfield State Park, CO
Song Sparrow, St. Vrain State Park, CO
American Coot, Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat, Boulder, CO
Red-winged Blackbirds, Barr Lake, CO
Western Meadowlard, Rabbit Mountain, CO
American Kestrel, Barr Lake, CO
European Starling, Barr Lake, CO
Double-crested Cormorant, Barr Lake, CO
Killdeer, Barr Lake, CO
American Coot, Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat, Boulder, CO
Red-shafted Northern Flicker, juvenile female, Evergreen, CO
Common Grackle, Evergreen Lake, CO
Mountain Bluebird, female, Elk Meadow Park, CO
Mountain Bluebird, hunting for invertebrates, Evergreen Lake, CO
Wild Turkey, Walden Ponds, Boulder, CO
American Avocet, Walden Ponds, Boulder, CO
Northern Shoveler, Walden Ponds, Boulder, CO
Red-winged Blackbird, Walden Ponds, Boulder, CO
Wood Duck, Belmar Park, Lakewood, CO
Redhead Duck with turtle, Lakewood, CO
Double-crested Cormorant, Lakewood, CO
Common Merganser couple, Chatfield Reservoir, CO
American Kestrels, Chatfield Reservoir, CO
Lazuli Bunting, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO
Solitary Sandpiper, Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat, Boulder, CO
American White Pelican, Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat, Boulder, CO
American Robin, with seed, Teller Farms, Boulder, CO
Steller's Jay, Dedisse Park Trail, Evergreen, CO
Belted Kingfisher, female, Belmar Park, Lakewood, CO
Thick-billed Longspur, Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado
Spotted Sandpiper, Walden Ponds, Boulder, Colorado
Red-tailed Hawk, Walden, Colorado
Sharp-tailed Grouse, Craig, Colorado
American Kestrel, Craig, Colorado
Greater Sage Grouse, back feathers, Walden, Colorado
Barn Swallow, Oakley, Kansas
Northern Harrier Hawk, Craig, Colorado
Greater Sage-Grouse, standoff on the lek, near Walden, Colorado
Cedar Waxwing, Walden Ponds Wildlife Refuge, Boulder, CO
At Walden Ponds, near Boulder, CO, I followed this Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) through 3 perches and around 2 lakes to get a closer photo. When I catch up, I lift 10+ lbs of camera and lens just to find a branch in the hawk’s face. I mutter my complaint, and as if hearing, it leans its head to my right for a clear shot. Seldom works out that way!
Broad-tailed Hummingbird, at the Chatfield Farm Botanic Garden (Denver Botanic Garden).
They may be relatively common, but I don’t often see Black-crowned Night Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) here in Colorado, largely because they are most active during early dawn and late dusk when light is dim. It was a bonus today when I saw two, an adult here with a freshly-caught fish, and a juvenile further along the pond settling in for its nap. This adult was distracted by its fish so I was able to creep close and photograph it through deep brush along the shore.
It's late September, so migration is bringing the Yellow-rumped Warblers (Setophaga coronata) to lower elevations, this one and a modest amount of others to St. Vrain State Park near Longmont, CO. This was formerly known as Audubon’s Warbler, but was lumped with the Myrtle Warbler in 1973 after it was found that the two species were genetically similar and aptly created hybrids.
Such a treat to see the aspens at peak color and a clear view of Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park! At this elevation the Ponderosa Pines are plentiful, which means the Pygmy Nuthatches (Sitta pygmaea) require only a little patience to find. This one appeared to be looking for insects in the Ponderosa’s reddish jigsaw-like bark
I went looking for Wood Ducks this morning to no avail, but found some nice photo opportunities along a reservoir near Littleton, CO. This Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) aggressively flew at me several times as I was walking the trail photographing Red-winged Blackbirds eating seeds in weed patches. I wished I had my 100-400mm instead of the 600mm I was carrying. They come fast and large, so it startles a bit.
I was going to pass by this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), but decided to check the reflections in the water. Sure enough, the aspens turned the water into a sea of fire, and the heron caught its fish.
Ring-billed Gull diving for fish at the reservoir at Chatfield State Park.
American Coots, Cherry Creek Reservoir
American Dipper, with leaf for nest, Clear Creek, Golden, CO
Yellow-breasted Chat, Audubon trail, Chatfield State Park
Northern House Wren, Audubon trail, Chatfield State Park
Downy Woodpecker, Audubon Trail, Chatfield State Park
Spotted Towhee, Audubon Trail, Chatfield State Park
Tree Swallow, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver, CO
Canada Goose, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver, CO
Swainson's Hawk, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver, CO
American White Pelicans, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver, CO
Gadwall, male, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver, CO
Gadwall, female, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver, CO
Dark-eyed Junco (male, red-backed), Maxwell Falls
American Robin, Maxwell Falls
Barn Swallow, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver, CO
Snowy Egret, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver, CO
Pied-billed Grebe, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Denver, CO