Today was colder still than yesterday and with a brisk wind to boot. I almost opted for my winter hat but figured I could tough it out with just my baseball cap. I was hoping to see a Bluebird today and spent a lot of time just standing around and watching a small scrubby patch of woods near the east side baseball diamonds. The only thing I saw there was a Downy woodpecker.
Shortly after though, I did spot my first Tree Swallow of the year. He was perched out on a dead tree with a nice round hole in the side. More than once the Swallow flew up to the opening and peered inside, checking out whether it would make a good home or not. I wanted to get a better photo and I decided to walk in towards the tree. The ground is very low and wet here so I was careful where to step. I'd only gone roughly 15 feet off of the paved trail when there lying at my feet was a very large Deer Antler! It was lying with the tines sticking upward and I could barely believe my eyes. I half thought that maybe somebody was playing a prank on me and I peered over both shoulders behind me to see if anyone else was around but there wasn't.
I've looked and looked and looked for antler sheds at the park with no luck whatsoever and here today a little bird led me right to one! I always told myself that if I ever found one I would take a picture of it before I picked it up. I did so but only had my zoom lens with and wasn't able to get a very wide shot showing the surroundings. It does show however how easily it probably blended into the background against the dead cattails and grasses of the same color.
It was the first shed I've ever found and it couldn't have been a nicer one! As I carried it with me around the rest of the park, lots of people came up to me to see it and ask questions. One couple walking past said "I bet you didn't find that today" to which I replied "I DID actually!" I think most people assume that Deer shed their antlers much earlier in the year. I'm no expert, but around here in the city -and Palmer Lake Park specifically, I've seen Deer with full antlers pretty late in the season. Last year I remember quite well spotting a Buck with antlers on March 28th. Maybe further north in the state, they drop them earlier? I don't know for sure. Regardless, I now firmly believe that my previous shed-hunting efforts have been much to early. Towards the northern end of the park I walked off the trail again, heading towards the sound of a bunch of Crows that had obviously found a raptor of some kind to bother. Eventually I flushed out the Raptor but it flew directly away from me and I couldn't tell exactly what it was. When I popped back out on the trail, another park goer was looking at my camera and asked me if I wanted to see an Owls nest.
I followed him back out of the park to a tree just barely inside the park. About half way up, he pointed out what looked like a rather small, old Squirrel's nest and there sitting on it was a Great Horned Owl! I felt a bit bad being this close and I certainly didn't want to spook it, as it was obviously sitting on either eggs, or possibly even newly hatched chicks! I took just a couple of photos and then headed back. It was the first nesting Owl I've ever seen.
Shortly after though, I did spot my first Tree Swallow of the year. He was perched out on a dead tree with a nice round hole in the side. More than once the Swallow flew up to the opening and peered inside, checking out whether it would make a good home or not. I wanted to get a better photo and I decided to walk in towards the tree. The ground is very low and wet here so I was careful where to step. I'd only gone roughly 15 feet off of the paved trail when there lying at my feet was a very large Deer Antler! It was lying with the tines sticking upward and I could barely believe my eyes. I half thought that maybe somebody was playing a prank on me and I peered over both shoulders behind me to see if anyone else was around but there wasn't. 
I've looked and looked and looked for antler sheds at the park with no luck whatsoever and here today a little bird led me right to one! I always told myself that if I ever found one I would take a picture of it before I picked it up. I did so but only had my zoom lens with and wasn't able to get a very wide shot showing the surroundings. It does show however how easily it probably blended into the background against the dead cattails and grasses of the same color. 
It was the first shed I've ever found and it couldn't have been a nicer one! As I carried it with me around the rest of the park, lots of people came up to me to see it and ask questions. One couple walking past said "I bet you didn't find that today" to which I replied "I DID actually!" I think most people assume that Deer shed their antlers much earlier in the year. I'm no expert, but around here in the city -and Palmer Lake Park specifically, I've seen Deer with full antlers pretty late in the season. Last year I remember quite well spotting a Buck with antlers on March 28th. Maybe further north in the state, they drop them earlier? I don't know for sure. Regardless, I now firmly believe that my previous shed-hunting efforts have been much to early. Towards the northern end of the park I walked off the trail again, heading towards the sound of a bunch of Crows that had obviously found a raptor of some kind to bother. Eventually I flushed out the Raptor but it flew directly away from me and I couldn't tell exactly what it was. When I popped back out on the trail, another park goer was looking at my camera and asked me if I wanted to see an Owls nest. 
I followed him back out of the park to a tree just barely inside the park. About half way up, he pointed out what looked like a rather small, old Squirrel's nest and there sitting on it was a Great Horned Owl! I felt a bit bad being this close and I certainly didn't want to spook it, as it was obviously sitting on either eggs, or possibly even newly hatched chicks! I took just a couple of photos and then headed back. It was the first nesting Owl I've ever seen.
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