Pic of the Day

American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana

Pawnee National Grasslands; Grover, Colorado

     American Avocet – Pawnee National Grasslands, Grover, Colorado:  In winter American Avocets gather in the tens of thousands along the gulf coast, but as spring arrives these shorebirds wing north to the central prairies to nest and rear young.  This avocet and its mate established a breeding territory on the Pawnee Grasslands just south of Grover, Colorado.  I photographed this bird feeding in runoff ponds that straddled a county road.  This image was shot as it flew from one side of the road to the other.  Typically the avocet wades through water shifting its upturned bill left and right snatching-up insect larva.

Nikon D300, 500mm f4, Digital Capture ISO200

Pic of the Day

       Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris  – Pawnee National Grasslands, Colorado:  Driving the county roads in Pawnee National Grasslands is a great way to see birds.  Though birds of the open short grass prairies are easily spooked by curious photographers stumbling over the landscape, they seem to be oblivious to auto traffic roaring up and down the roads.  So, using my van as a blind to photograph grassland birds was a no brainier.

   I spotted this horned lark hundreds of feet ahead of me as I was driving one of the numerous dirt road that crisscross the grasslands.  Anticipating that the birds might fly to fence posts as I approached, I rolled my window down, attached a window mount tripod head and camera.  As I approached the birds I turned the engine off, put the van in neutral and coasted to a stop right beside this bird.  The stealth approach allowed me to get a half dozen shots before the lark flew off. 

   Fortunately this bird lifted the two feathers on each side of its brow as I shot, revealing the “horns” from whence it name is derived.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 500mm f4, Digital Capture ISO 200

Recently Published Work

     In the winter issue of Living Bird magazine is a one page article with photos titled, Great Birding Escapes. The GBE is about Pawnee National Grasslands, and is the fourth GBE I have written. Look for a GBE about Sarett Nature Center located in Benton Harbor, Michigan in the spring issue. To read this and other GBEs, join the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, or see Living Bird online, go to (http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1085)

Pic of the Day

   Lark Bunting – Pawnee National Grasslands, Colorado: A number of years ago I visited Pawnee National Grasslands in July, when the weather was hot and dry, then cold and hailing, then raining, then hot and dry—all in the course of 45 minutes. The ground was parched and birds were sparse. I was not impressed with the landscape or birdlife, but I also knew that I was there at the wrong time. I decided then, that I would return when conditions were more favorable.  

Last spring was that time when everything seemed to come together. I arrived on the grasslands the second week of June, after weeks of rain had brought the land to life. Grasses and wild flower carpeted a landscape filled with birds, rabbits, pronghorns, and coyotes. That parched barren grassland of late July was now a smorgasbord of bounty to the native wildlife and migrants.

I found Lark Buntings plentiful along the county roads that traversed the grasslands. At first, the buntings were wary every time I got out of the vehicle to set-up my tripod. After working with a group of a dozen or so birds for an hour, they became quite accustom to me and allowed me to approach their favorite perches resulting in this shot and many other images. This shot was taken using a Nikon D200 camera, 500mm lens with a 1.4 teleconverter.