Flipin' you the birds

Photography is like hunting.

Now, don't be so quick to draw conclusions - I don't have cammo pants, an orange vest, a gun or animal urine to mask my scent. What I do have for these early hunts are the essentials: A loaded breakfast burrito, a large cup of hot coffee, big lenses and a tripod. I should be a hunting guide for those weak city slickers who don't like the outdoors.

Now, what to hunt?

A few years ago a couple ospreys found a home near the Boulder County Fairgrounds outdoor arena. Apparently, they like monster trucks, tractor pulls, demolition derby and rodeo. I mean, what living creature doesn't? Rumor has it they stow away a six pack of Miller High Life and a tin of chewing tobacco for those special weeks in July and August. Anyway, some wildlife experts come in every once in a while to move their nest. Not to mess with the monogamous couple that comes back each year, but rather to keep them safe.



As I stalked my elusive prey my eyes began to wander. A gaggle of Canada geese passed nearby with their goslings, foraging for food. So, with one eye on the osprey nest, another eye on an osprey perched on nearby pole looking for trout and the other eye (yes, sometimes I have three eyes) on the geese, I managed to walk away with a couple photos of our feathered friends.

Not only did I make some photos, but I learned a lesson as well. Bring more coffee and masking your scent is obviously not for the birds.