Waterton Canyon, November 2014 Redux

I've been digging my short little wildlife photography trips around the Denver area lately. No major time commitment, and I've always found something worth shooting. So today I decided to head back to Waterton Canyon for another go at the bighorn sheep.

Right at the start of the trail, a western scrub jay was thoughtful enough to pose for me.  Sometimes it takes me a while to actually take my first shot when I'm out.  Today I had to be ready right away!

Two poses before flying off -- my best snaps of this particular bird ever.  Anything else would now be gravy, which is a nice way to start any excursion.

The sheep were a little farther in today than on my last trip -- about 2.5 miles.  And with the warm sun, they were not doing much moving.  Just some half-hearted grazing and a lot of soaking up rays.  This big boy looked like he'd earned some rest anyway.  Quite a curl on those horns!

I struggled with the light and with focus today for some reason.  The light was all about getting a late start.  The focus was just me.

The whole group had a very zen vibe going on.  No rutting behavior of note.  Just serenity.

Not wanting to harsh their mellow, I didn't stick around all that long.  Sunbathing doesn't typically yield the most dynamic shots, anyway.  But a five-mile walk on a crisp late fall day is tough to beat, especially when it includes some time with these magnificent creatures.