Odds and Summer Ends

Yep, summer is over. I think I must have been some kind of bird, butterfly, or migrating animal in a former life. There always comes a day, usually in mid-August, when the shadows, temperature and maybe wind, just say to me, summer is over. Better move along. I don't necessarily like the experience as I don't winter well. Spring and summer are my seasons. Anyway, here's a few odds and ends from the end of the summer of 2010.

And, by the way, until I started this bird photography thing, I guess I never really noticed how early in the summer birds start to migrate. Out at one of my fav birding spots, East White Ranch Open Space, just north of Golden, the place is filled with birds in May and June. By late July you notice a marked decrease, and by mid August about the only thing there are a few year round residents. And spring migration is so different from fall migration. In the spring it's waves of birds, but in the fall it's more like a trickle.

Before I get to the photos, folks ask me what kind of gear I shoot on. Most of the time I'm on my beater Nikon D200 with battery grip, and either my Sigma 300mm f2.8 with a 1.4 teleconverter, or my Sigma 500mm f4.5. Infrequently, I'll handhold the 300, but most the time have the rig is on my heavy-duty Benro tripod and Jobu gimbal head. The camera body and lenses weigh about 11 to 13 pounds, depending on the lens, and the tripod and head about the same. I recently picked-up a used Nikon P6000 point and shoot to stuff in my pocket for incidentals. Does a great job with macro shots.

Explored Mary's Pond over on Sheridan and 104th the other day. Didn't see a single bird, but did see this large dragonfly. I'd been trying to get a good dragonfly shot for sometime, and this one cooperated nicely. Amazing insects.

Visited Kountze Lake over behind Lakewood City Hall the other morning. Again, very few birds, but did see this Black-crowned Night Heron. I spooked him near the north end of the lake, but watched him fly over by the decks. Found him up under some bushes. About the only other bird activity were some mother Wood Ducks and Mallards with juvies.

Connie has a Butterfly Bush in her backyard. Man, that thing does attract butterfliea. One Sunday afternoon lately there was a beautiful Two-tailed Swallowtail and a Monarch on the bush at the same time. And, up in the fir tree, a very still Mourning Dove. There's a pair that nests in her yard every summer.

Up the street from her house at Lake Arbor I caught this nice Great Blue Heron the other afternoon. Wonder when they'll head south?

Went up to the Colorado and William Fork Reservoir a couple weeks back. Not very birdy, and very stormy. Spent a lot of time in the camper reading, but did find a few things. First day was sunny, though, and I marveled at the end of summer wildflower display. The hills were just yellow with Rabbit Brush, and there was this nice display of Butter and Eggs and Lupine.

And on the way home, I stopped at my fav drive-in in Hot Sulphur Springs for a corn dog. She makes them fresh. God, they're good! This Chipmunk family was very busy nearby gathering seed heads for the winter. They'd fill up their pouches, run into their burrows, and come back for more. Summer ends.