Finally getting to my May newsletter, after a month of hard work on my new substack presence. May has been an exciting month, with the end of the long Colorado winter and the return of many species of birds to the high country rivers and lakes.
Osprey and blue heron have returned to their nests after their long winter stay in warmer climates, but have been difficult to find as they tend to their nests and raise their young. However for the diligent and dedicated, these great birds have to leave their nests in search of food to sustain their young families, when they can be photographed with wings fully spread. This beautiful osprey circled overhead with a sharp eye on the water below, as he searched the depths for trout.
Other wild animals are also raising new families, including this beautiful female fox and her kits. I went by their den often, hoping for the perfect capture. Eventually, the young ones and their parents stopped appearing, and I can only assume she moved them, or they will soon be seen in the local prairie grass hunting on their own.
Bears also have left their dens with their young, and will be found scouring the countryside for fresh chokecherries and grubs.
Our local bald eagles are busy raising their two new chicks, which are rapidly maturing and will be achieving flight in the coming weeks. Both osprey and eagle adults continue to occupy their nests following the big event, helping to feed their young as they grow proficient in providing for themselves.
Eventually the eagle parents will disappear, leaving the young ones in the nest to fend for themselves. It isn’t clear where they spend their autumn, but they will return in November or December to prepare their nest for the next breeding season.
The osprey adults will depart in late August or early September, giving photographers an opportunity to observe and capture as they energetically patrol the lakes and rivers for fish. Eventually the young ones will instinctively understand that winter is coming, and will fly south to their winter locations in South America. Osprey return annually to their nests to meet their mates and lay eggs, but the young will remain in South America to mature and prepare for their own search for a lifetime mate in a couple years.
Wildlife Advocacy
This has also been a busy month for wildlife activists as the government prepares to gut the Endangered Species Act, and allow an unprecedented slaughter of wolves and grizzly bears. If you would like to help out signing petitions or donating to wildlife causes, please consider joining my Facebook Page to find groups and organizations to support. Also, please identify your state’s politicians and write and call incessantly until we can compel them to listen and act responsibly.
Wolf Reintroduction
The Colorado wolf reintroduction project has hit a few snags, along with vitriolic opposition from ranchers and hunters. A fourth wolf from our latest release has been found dead, presumed gunned down by a rancher or poacher despite their protected status in Colorado. I fear if nothing is done, these selfish fringe elements on the western slopes will not stop until they kill every wolf in the state. Please consider purchasing one of the new Born to Be Wild Colorado license plates to help fund the project and ensure it’s eventual success.
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Steven W. Krull is a renowned photographer and author who has been photographing and writing of the beauty and wildlife of the Colorado Rocky Mountains for over two decades. Please visit his website at S.W. Krull Imaging to view his work, including thousands of prints for sale, stock images for commercial use, and his library of published books.
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Colorado Photographer / Author / Wildlife Advocate | Steven W. Krull 