Between seasons in the Canyon is the time after the ice starts to thaw and the eagles have other options for hunting and fishing. We had hoped for a big day of bald eagle photography but it was not to be. We saw only one eagle, and that was his tail feathers as he ducked behind the canyon wall and disappeared.
Mama at the Nest
I was happy to see that the mama eagle is still in the nest though. Any eagle watching from this point on will probably be most successful at the nest as the little ones grow. It’s still possible to see an eagle upstream, but it can’t be counted on like in the dead of winter.
Osprey and Falcons on the Way
The interim season isn’t long though, soon osprey, peregrine falcons and great blue heron will be lining the banks of the South Platte River. Osprey have been in flight for five weeks already, on their way from their winter refuge back to the canyon to raise a new family of chicks. Heron too will return to nest along the river as they wade up and down the shallow water fishing for trout.
Hawks, Deer and Muskrat
The day wasn’t a bust though, we saw plenty of other wildlife including red-tail hawks, mule deer and a lone muskrat working hard upstream. If fact it was a great day for hawk sightings… I had to go down to Woodland Park, saw three on Highway 24 and four along highway 67, one by Mueller and three up on Gillette Flats.
The one on the Flats gave me my best shot of the day, as a matter of fact! I also saw a small herd of elk along highway 67, and got a few captures in a snow squall that are kind of interesting. Anyway, here’s a few more from the day, enjoy!
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