Since moving back to Colorado from Texas, one of the things I've been delighted to recommence is my membership in the Mile High Wildlife Photography Club. The monthly meetings provide a wonderful opportunity to meet other photographers, view gorgeous images and learn the stories behind them, and improve my craft. And yesterday, it also provided the chance to get out in the field with other shutterbugs as the club arranged an outing to St. Vrain State Park.
I'd never been to St. Vrain, and was slightly surprised by the park's proximity to I-25. You could not only hear the traffic, but also see vehicles whizzing by from the park's eastern boundary. But the park is chock full of ponds, which attract birds like this Great Blue Heron in abundance.
This particular heron was the star attraction on Sandpiper Pond for a while, hunting along the shoreline.
Most of the folks in attendance were hoping to get a shot of one of the resident Osprey diving for fish. I don't think that ever happened, but it was great to see one fly by with a meal.
I left my second camera body with a wide-angle lens and tripod that I use for landscape shots in the car, thinking the hand of man was too visible. Then I went for a walk on one of the trails and took in this view up Boulder Creek. Well, telephoto landscape shots aren't all bad.
A leg of the trail dead-ended at a nesting platform with another watchful Osprey that didn't much seem to want me hanging around. So I took a couple of quick shots and gave it back its privacy.
This Barn Swallow stayed on its millet perch long enough for me to get a solid capture.
I saw American White Pelicans on Blue Heron Reservoir. Not on Pelican Lake, presumably because birds can't read.
Canada Geese may not be rare, but they are almost always willing subjects.
After one pelican flew by...
A really great morning chatting and shooting with other MHWPC members and making my inaugural visit to another of our wonderful state parks!
