South Platte Park, January 2022

We were supposed to drive back home to Texas on New Year's Day, but a snowstorm kept us in Colorado another day.  That gave me the opportunity to shoot some wintry conditions right where we were staying in Littleton instead of driving up to the mountains.  With lots of options to choose from, I decided to try South Platte Park.

The forecast called for skies to clear throughout the afternoon, but when I started clouds still covered the whole sky.  That made black and white seem like the right choice for this shot of the cascades just north of C-470.

I decided to head south first to the outskirts of Chatfield State Park.  The sun was starting to burn a little brighter, and the waterfowl were enjoying the steam coming off the South Platte River.

I love shooting straight down bridges.  Don't know why.

I set my tripod up another footbridge to try and shoot some more cascades, but the railing was so tall that I couldn't get my camera high enough to shoot down as much as I wanted to.  The shot on the left was the best I could manage.  Then I tried something I'd seen online -- I used my cell phone to take a panorama, but panned from low to high instead of from side to side.  I was nervous about dropping my phone in the water, but fortunately didn't.  The shot on the right was the result, and I'm pretty happy with it!

Back to my DSLR for yet another shot of the same cascades from a different angle.

The sun had burned all the way through as I turned and headed back north to scout sunset.  Along the way I spotted a Swainson's Hawk glide in to a tree.

I tend to have one of two experiences when I try to shoot pictures of raptors; either they're really skittish and fly away before I get close enough to take a decent photo, or they pay no attention to me whatsoever.  This bird chose the latter, so I never got a really clear view of his face.

Bluebird skies and fresh snow make just about any scene worth capturing.

Throw in a mirrorlike reflection, and you've got everything you need.

I found my sunset spot on the shore of Eaglewatch Lake.  I found it about half an hour before the sun was scheduled to go down, so I just waited in the fading light and snapped once in a while when things looked interesting.  I took the battery out and kept it in my pocket between shots so it didn't die from the cold.

I was a little surprised that the clouds which had covered the sky just a few hours earlier were almost completely gone by sunset, so there weren't going to be any dramatic displays of color.  Still, I'm not in any way disappointed with what I got.

We don't typically see much of winter in North Texas -- last February being a notable exception -- so I was really glad that I got this extra chance at seeing snow on our visit!

Sterne Park, October 2014 Redux

I thought I'd gotten wood ducks out of my system with my trip to Sterne Park last week. But every day since my visit I've seen more wonderful shots of them on the Front Range Wildlife Photographers Facebook group. Knowing that fall colors wouldn't be reflecting off the water for much longer, I decided to head over one more time.

There were already three other photographers when I arrived, and two more showed up while I was there including birder extraordinaire and all-around swell guy Peter Pereira.  We all had a great time watching the assembled fowl compete for crab apples.

There's one tree remaining on shore with red leaves.  When a duck swam through its reflection, it was a real treat.

I learned to tell when a male was about to rear up and flap its wings.  The saying that you make your own luck is definitely true.  There's no substitute for preparation.

This guy appears to be admiring his own reflection.  Can't say that I blame him.

For little guys, they sure can create quite a commotion on the water.

Look, ma!  No hands!  Literally.

A small flock of Canada Geese eventually crashed the party.  But at least they made a dramatic entrance.

Seriously, I'm completely on top of the wing-flapping thing now.  I love how barrel-chested they appear when they do this.

The girls weren't putting on as much of a show today.  I did get one nice portrait pose on a rock, though.

In chatting with Peter he mentioned that he'd seen Great Horned Owls over at South Platte Park, which is where I'd planned to go next anyway.  We headed over together and sure enough he spotted this one in the Northern Wildlife Area.  We respected his privacy and stayed a good distance away so as not to disturb him.  He didn't really seem all that bothered by us, in any event.

Now am I done shooting wood ducks for the season?  I suppose only time will tell. :)

South Platte Park: May 2014

I'm one of three photographers vying to contribute a new photo for a mural in the Carson Nature Center at South Platte Park. They're looking for a riparian shot similar to what they currently have, but at a time of year when the vegetation is thick and green. Which is now. So this past Saturday morning I was up before 5:00 to catch the first light of dawn on the river and see if I could come up with something that will work.

I almost missed the best color just struggling to get to the river after entering the park in a different spot than I normally do.  I had an aerial map photo and a shot of the current mural on my phone, but still went in the wrong direction a couple of times.  Maybe I should have stopped for some coffee on the way to clear the cobwebs.  But like I said, I only almost missed the color.  Like I tell my kids, that's the same as not missing it at all.

The sun's rays cutting through some light mist and illuminating the trees and grass of the northern wildlife area was beautiful.

The river coursed around a lone rock, with turbulence rendered silky by a slow shutter speed on one side and relative calm on the other.

What I originally thought was a spiderweb turned out to be a wildflower seed of some sort.  But I shot it anyway because it looked cool.

I spotted this beaver from a fair distance -- the first one I'd ever seen in the wild.  As I moved close enough to get in position for a decent shot he decided he didn't want me to have one and moved off.  That unfortunately leaves this as the best beaver photo I've ever taken.

Mama Killdeer clearly had a nest nearby, because she gave me the whole broken-wing routine trying to steer me clear of the area.  It was pretty fascinating to watch, and I respected her wishes by not sticking around too long.

I'm not sure if I got anything that will work for the mural.  But I'm certainly happy with what I did get!

South Platte Park: January 2014

Saturday's snow and a forecast for clear skies this morning gave me hope for a sunrise worth shooting. And when I left the house around 6:30 to hear over to South Platte Park it seemed like I might get one. Alas, the clouds rolled in quickly and the snow returned before the sun actually broke the horizon. But I wasn't about to let that stop me from finding beauty.

The lack of color this time of year and in that sort of weather practically begged for every shot to be black and white.

The bitter cold temperatures left crystalline snow atop frozen ground.

Unsurprisingly, the absence of other tracks in the snow indicated I was the first one to cross the footbridge into Chatfield State Park this morning.

The small cascades I'd enjoyed a few months earlier were just as captivating now.

Hard to believe traffic was speeding down C-470 just a few feet from this tranquil spot.

I meandered off the main trail on my way back to my car and was obliged to cross this dubious-looking structure, which actually held together.

As the sun rose higher it made an effort to shine through the clouds.  Feeble, but enough to add another element of interest to the scenery.

It was a bit tricky to find clear views that included the sun but excluded power lines that parallel the South Platte River for much of its course through the southern part of the park.  Tricky, but not impossible.

Most of the Canada Geese I came across were wide awake and moved away at my approach, either through the water or the air.  But this bunch must have been out partying.

It was nearly 9:30 by now, and nearly the whole group was still fast asleep!  So much so that they had an accumulation of snow on their feathered backs.  Who's tougher than a Canada Goose?  Not I, for certain!

An enjoyable and peaceful morning, if a frigid one.  I've just about gotten all the feeling back in my fingers and toes now, though.  So it was all worthwhile!

South Platte Park: April 2013

It had been way too long since my last visit to South Platte Park.  So with mostly clear skies all afternoon this past Sunday, I grabbed my camera gear around 6:00 and decided to make a quick trip over.

Right when a big, gray cloud perched in front of the setting sun.

Oh, well.  When life gives you lemons, right?

The light was fairly flat and the vegetation not all that vibrant.  But some other clouds helped create an interesting view down the river.

Red-winged blackbirds were preparing to roost for the night.

An American Kestrel glided by me with what I was thought was some nest material in its talons.  I followed it to a nearby tree only to discover that what I was thought was a strand of grass was actually the tail of its dinner.

Dragged Zak and Taryn back for a quick afternoon visit two weeks later, and finally saw signs that spring was coming.  More than a month after it officially started, and much later than last year when by this time the trees were already pretty well leafed out.  But I suppose that's what a cold, snowy April gets you.

The cattails had yet to get the memo.

And neither had one poor Canada Goose.  We've got a bunch in our neighborhood, but I never see them alone.

Looking forward to getting back again when things are hopefully a little greener!

South Platte Park: December 2012

Looking for a little fresh air and exercise on this Christmas Eve brought me back to South Platte Park, accompanied by Zak and Danelle's brother's family -- him, his wife and three sons. We decided to head south towards the lakes from the parking lot and see what we could see.

What we saw on the river was a lot of waterfowl -- Mallards, Wood Ducks, Canada Geese and Mergansers among them.  Most as usual were a little too skittish to sit still enough for pictures in range of my lens.  But I was able to at least get a decent shot of this female Barrow's Goldeneye.

I'd seen reports of adult Bald Eagles on the west side of Eaglewatch Lake recently.  Sure enough, my sister-in-law Joanne spotted one.  He let me creep fairly close, but as I shifted to the right to try and get a view without a branch dissecting his head he flew off.

A Great Blue Heron that had flown off as we approached on our walk up the river decided to be more accommodating as we came back down, letting me get right up to the opposite shore to capture a solid shot.

One last little surprise as we prepared to get back in the car -- an American Kestrel on the same set of trees by the Carson Nature Center where I'd seen a young Northern Flicker a couple of months earlier.

A nice stretch of the legs, with some nice spottings as usual to make the visit a memorable one!

South Platte Park: October 2012

I noticed that the light was good late Saturday afternoon, and having no other commitments decided to head over to the park and see what pictures were there to be taken.  Upon my arrival, a northern flicker greeted me from a tree right by the visitor center.

The still waters of this section of the South Platte provided a mirror-like reflection of the trees on the shore.

A group of mallard males alternated between swimming lazily around the river and getting into some flapping, squawking squabbles.  I assumed the one rising up out of the water and puffing out his chest afterwards was the winner ...

... and the one who went off to "lick his wounds" and have a scratch was the loser.

The Bufflehead Lake blind looked inviting in the warm glow just before sunset.  The lake itself, however, was already in deep shadows.

A small flotilla of coots patrolled Eaglewatch Lake

The setting sun didn't provide the rich array of colors it sometimes does, but still made for a pretty sight.

The not-quite full moon didn't look so bad, either.

I was only gone from my house for two hours, but in that time managed to get a nice heaping dose of the beautiful Colorado fall outdoors.  Sure beats flicking around the channels looking for something decent on TV!