Birds and Nature

Though a little far away for good pic of these small bird, these fledglings were just too cute all lined up on a branch especially with the one facing the opposite direction to pass up for a passable pic. SeEtta

I spotted this Common Yellowthroat skulking around in the cattails in the John Martin Reservoir State Wildlife Area. I love their very bright yellow plumage. SeEtta

While driving on H50 in Bent County I spotted some small animals right beside the highway ahead of me. Since I take active measures to avoid hitting animals, I slowed down and honked lightly when I close enough to scare them away from traffic. At first I thought they were probably racoons, but as I passed I saw that they were badgers. I turned around as soon as I could to get a better look and hopefully some pics. As I had scared them, they had retreated about 20 feet from the highway which is where I got the top pic. It was late in the afternoon with a overcast sky so the light wasn't good and I had to take my photos quickly before they got away (that's ok, I'd rather keep them off the highway than get close-up photos). Everything on the web describes American Badgers as solitary except during mating and raising young so I expect that these are 3 young sibling badgers. In support of this, these 3 stayed close together like seen in the top pic (they were all 3 togethe

This is a very interesting segment of a 60 Minutes report, including great photography, about Iraq's major wetland area that Saddam tried to destroy. Well worth the few minutes to view--just click on the arrow on the bottom left. SeEtta Watch CBS News Videos Online

I went to the Canon City Riverwalk tonight to try to videotape the Green Heron that is in the previous posts. I left my dslr camera and took the camcorder and the tripod. It was almost dark by the time I was able to get to a position to video the Green Heron after the people moved away so it isn't as clear as I would like but the previous pics provide good views and this shows the fish catching and swallowing. The heron, after perching virtually motionless for several minutes, quickly strikes out and catches a good size fish. It then works it around into position so it can swallow it. After the fish is down, the heron takes two sips of water to help wash the fish the rest of the way down. All the stuff flying around are the very active insects and 'cotton' from the cottonwood trees. SeEtta

In the top pics the Green Heron makes the final adjustments of the fish before swallowing it in one large gulch. The bottom pic is right after it swallowed the fish--looks like a very satisfied heron. Be sure to double click on any of the Green Heron pics to get a super close-up view. SeEtta

I photographed this Green Heron on a small pond on the Canon City, CO Riverwalk. There have been Green Herons fishing at this pond for a number of years. Sometimes I have found 2 adult Green Herons in this pond at one time and several years ago I saw one carrying nesting material (which, had it been during a Breeding Bird Atlas survey year, would have been considered confirmed breeding). Thoug I have never found an immature Green Heron at this location nor further evidence of breeding, I can't imagine that there would be Green Herons at this location year after year if they weren't breeding either here or somewhere not too far away. As is not uncommon, this bird was out in the open while many people were walking by; but as it stood motionless for much of the time no one, except me, saw it. I took this pics handheld with the heron about 60-75 feet away on the other side of the pond and it was a good thing as when I returned from going the few hundred yards back to my car for