Birds and Nature

Though with the 400mm lens I use, a 1.4 extender and the multiplier for my dslr camera because it is not 'full frame', which gives the equivalent of about 900 mm (about 18 X the normal view) zoom, the Vermilion Flycatcher was too distant for very good pics (and it was 6:30 pm so the lighting wasn't good either). The pics were taken from about 90 feet but when I tried to get 20 feet closer the bird fly further away. I tried unsuccessfully to refind her.  However, the darkish mask and streaked underparts are visible.  And the bird dipped it's tail, phoebe-like, which is the first thing I saw that with it's light coloration made me think this was a Vermilion.  The light yellowish wash on it's lower belly and vent area instead of a salmon/pinkish coloration is indicative of first year birds.  SeEtta

Late today I spotted this first year female Vermilion Flycatcher in the Canon City,CO area.  A rarity here and much of Colorado, there have been only 1 or 2 other records since I found the first Vermilion which was also a first year female.  Two more pics to come.  SeEtta

Last week I drove back out to Lake Holbrook which is north of La Junta. The water level has been fairly low providing good shoreline that has been occupied by a number of shorebirds including several Snowy Plovers. I was lucky that these Snowy Plovers landed fairly close, maybe 30-40 feet from my car, where I was videotaping a large flock of Marbled Godwits that were further away. Snowy Plovers are a species of conservation concern in Colorado so I am always delighted to see these little fast-running fluff balls. I was surprised to watch one of the Franklin's Gulls chase one of the Snowy Plovers away from the area where a number of these gulls were loafing. I can't imagine why this gull did this since these little plovers are so much smaller and cannot be a threat to them. SeEtta Moss