patient fisherman focus is on the present misses tries again
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I watched this Great Blue Heron for several minutes as it slowly moved along in stealth mode. They fish without a lure but wade slowly while stalking their prey in shallow water or flooded meadows, and will strike using their neck to throw their sharp, dagger like bill at their prey. On this morning they actually had a three for three success rate for small fish while I watched. An adult heron can easily consume up to 1 lb of fish per day. Their diet consists mostly of fish, but also frogs, salamanders, turtles, snakes, insects, rodents, birds.
Since I’m learning to identify more birds I am giving you my best guess at what each one is. This is one of those guesses. Some birds it’s no problem but these birds are all so related, hang out in the same family, sound alike, fly similarly and look just like their cousin. Anyway if this is not a spotted towhee, forgive me. 😁 Have a great weekend!
If you will stay close to nature, to its simplicity, to the small things hardly noticeable, those things can unexpectedly become great and immeasurable.
Unknown to me, White-faced Ibises wander through our area during the warmer months of breeding. I do not know that I’ve ever seen them before simply because I pay more attention to this book of nature now. In fact I enjoy reading it. I just sat and watched them with wonder. I found these birds along Weld County Road 13 in a marshy area with no name on any map I could find. Both images from Saturday afternoon.
I’ve had for 20 plus years two pairs of binoculars that I seldom pickup because they are a pain in the a$$ to use. I’ve carried one pair in the car and keep the other in my condo. Since I’m spending more time in nature, I am wanting a closer look at this world around me. So, a couple weeks ago I did some research on birding binoculars and learned why these binoculars I have are such a hassle to use.
I learned most birders prefer using 8×42 binoculars. The ones I have are 10×24, which makes them small and lightweight but difficult to use. The first number is the magnification and and the second number is the diameter of the glass. The larger magnification causes a lot of shake while the smaller glass reduced the amount of light and field of view.
The most recommended pair in my price range was the Nikon Prostaff S3 8×42. I made a visit to Jax Surplus to look at a pair, liked what I saw and made the purchase, knowing I could return them if they did not work for me. Wow, what a difference. These binoculars weigh in at 19.9 ounces, are rated at 377 ft/1,000 yd Field Of View, and are waterproof and fogproof. It is interesting to use them in tracking a bird in flight, something impossible previously. I’ve even taken them for walks without my camera because I enjoy just watching/studying the birds. Or, as I’ve read, “Studying the book of nature.” Yep, new optics! 😁
Storm clouds were on the eastern horizon enticing me to head out of town to find open areas for an image or two. Before I knew it I was on a course heading north to the Soapstone Natural Area. I did get a few cloud images but I also was gifted with a few unexpected images of this beautiful landscape and a few bison images.
This natural area is the biggest one the City of Fort Collins maintains. It is 48 square miles of wide open vistas, nearly pristine grasslands, miles of trails and cultural resources. The trails are a mix for hiking, biking and horses. Thankfully they have restricted access to some areas to keep them free of man’s destructive tendencies. During excavations in the 1930s by the Smithsonian and Colorado Museum of Natural History they conclusively dated human habitation in in this area to at least 10,000 years. You can go online and find many stories about the early homesteaders, mostly ranchers and sheepherders, in this area as well as the American Indians.
In November of 2015 they introduced a herd of bison on over 1,000 acres of pasture land which is inaccessible to the public. However, the main entrance road, Rawhide Flats Road, and Cheyenne Rim Trail, follow along the edge of this pasture which gives an opportunity to observe them and even get a few photographs, if they are close enough. I find these animals so intriguing.
And of course this area is a haven for my favorite bird the meadowlark. It is also a place for many other birds, such as red-tailed hawks. The Fort Collins Audubon has a bird checklist that’s two pages long. You will find coyotes, fox, rabbits, prairie dogs, deer, antelope, and elk and of course a few snakes. I don’t go there often enough and it is always an uplifting experience for my soul when I go. It’s nice to come home with a few images but just spending time there, listening to the silence, transforms me in some wonderful way. Experiencing nature’s touch.
ominous storm clouds in the east rain, hail and wind hidden within we watch in silence, the hawk and I
