#BirdsSeenln2026

Photo by Kort Duce A female Cooper’s hawk perches over her catch—a female house finch taken while hunting along the riparian corridor of St. Vrain Creek in Longmont, Colorado. In this vertical color photograph, a large branch angles gently across the frame from lower left to lower right. The hawk stands over its prey, some of the finch’s feathers already plucked. Facing the camera, the hawk hunches over its meal with its head raised, its slightly open beak suggesting a recent bite. Sunlight from the left illuminates the scene, catching the bird’s intense red eyes. The background dissolves into a soft bokeh of green leaves and blue sky.

A female Cooper’s hawk perches over her catch—a female house finch taken while hunting along the riparian corridor of St. Vrain Creek in Longmont, Colorado.

#BirdsSeenln2026 #BirdOfTheDay #bird #birds #birdphotography #ECK #EastCoastKin #hawk #hawks #riparian #habitat

Photo by Kort Duce A female Cooper’s hawk captures a female house finch while hunting along the riparian corridor of St. Vrain Creek in Longmont, Colorado. I had been photographing the male when she suddenly flew in, landing within 30 feet of me—where this image was made. In this horizontal color photograph, the hawk perches with its prey on a substantial branch that angles from the upper right to the lower left of the frame. A smaller branch rises from it and exits the frame. The Cooper’s hawk clutches the house finch in its right talon, the finch’s eye barely open. The hawk is shown in left profile, its head turned slightly farther left. A shadow from a nearby branch crosses its chest and wing, while a shaft of sunlight catches its red eye, making it glow. The background is a soft blur of riparian forest—tree trunks, layered foliage in varying shades of green, and a faint hint of blue sky. A powerful reminder that nature is, at its core, about survival. Ok

A female Cooper’s hawk captures a female house finch while hunting along the riparian corridor of St. Vrain Creek in Longmont, Colorado.

I had been photographing the male when she suddenly flew in, landing within 30 feet of me.

#BirdsSeenln2026 #BirdOfTheDay #bird #birds #birdphotography #ECK

Photo by Kort Duce Double-crested cormorants are silhouetted in a dead tree at a nature area as the sun sets behind Longs Peak and Mount Meeker in Rocky Mountain National Park, outside Longmont, Colorado. In this vertical color photograph, a large dead tree rises from the lower right and dominates the frame. Four cormorants perch at different heights—one preening while the other three, beaks open, appear to be calling. The air is alive with insects, subtly filling the scene. In the lower left, a pair of trees begin to leaf out, hinting at the changing season. The sun hovers just above the horizon, about to drop behind the peaks, with a few clouds drifting overhead. The entire image is washed in a warm yellow-orange glow, creating a quiet, peaceful atmosphere.

Double-crested cormorants are silhouetted in a dead tree at a nature area as the sun sets behind Longs Peak and Mount Meeker in Rocky Mountain National Park, outside Longmont, Colorado.

#BirdOfTheDay #WhatTheFlock #Petals&Perches #EastCoastKin #ECK #bird #birds #birdphotography #BirdsSeenln2026

Photo by Kort Duce A Cooper’s hawk stretches after finishing a small bird along St. Vrain Creek in Longmont, Colorado. In this horizontal color photograph, the hawk stands in left profile on a large branch, beak open, body hunched as it extends its right talon. The background dissolves into a soft bokeh of the riparian forest, shaded in greens, yellows, and warm earth tones.

A Cooper’s hawk stretches after finishing a small bird along St. Vrain Creek in Longmont, Colorado.

#BirdsSeenln2026 #BirdOfTheDay #bird #birds #birdphotography #EastCoastKin #ECK

Photo by Kort Duce A western kingbird flies to its nest with a catch to feed its young in Longmont, Colorado. In this vertical color photograph, the viewer looks straight up at the bird’s underside as it angles through the sky. Its right wing and a sliver of tail feathers are cropped from the frame, emphasizing motion. The wings are fully extended as it glides with a flying insect clasped in its beak. Its signature yellow belly is strikingly visible against the vivid blue sky—one of the many clear, sun-filled days Colorado is known for.

A western kingbird flies to its nest with a catch to feed its young in Longmont, Colorado.

#BirdOfTheDay #ComeEatWithMe #Turdidae #EastCoastKin #ECK #bird #birds #birdphotography #photography #photograph #BirdsSeenln2026

Photo by Kort Duce Last year's cattails anchor this image as a great blue heron fishes in Longmont, Colorado. In this horizontal black-and-white photograph, two cattails left of center stand in sharp focus, their silhouettes set against the bright, reflective surface of the pond. Nearby, a great blue heron is frozen in silhouette, standing near a post of a fishing pier. The water around it glows with high contrast. The upper portion of the frame falls into deep shadow from the opposing shoreline, creating a stark, moody backdrop that heightens the drama of the moment. A power line pole is reflected on the far left mimicking the pier post.

Last year’s cattails anchor this image as a great blue heron fishes in Longmont, Colorado.

#ClassicMono #Monochrome #BW #BlackandWhite #BirdOfTheDay #bird #birds #birdphotography #EastCoastkin #ECK #photograph #photographs #heron #herons #BirdsSeenln2026

Photo by Kort Duce A great blue heron catches a small fish and flips it into position to swallow it headfirst in Longmont, Colorado. In this vertical black-and-white photograph, the heron is shown in right profile, standing in water up to mid-leg. The lower body is cropped at the legs, emphasizing the upper form and feeding action. Its neck curves into an elegant “S” shape as its head dips downward, beak open in the moment of capture. A small fish appears briefly displaced in the struggle before being quickly secured and swallowed headfirst. The heron is surrounded by rippling water, while the upper portion of the frame shows the opposite shoreline with scattered rocks in soft focus.

A great blue heron catches a small fish and flips it into position to swallow it headfirst in Longmont, Colorado.

#BirdofTheDay #ComeEatWithMe #Turdidae #ClassicMono #Monochrome #BW #BlackandWhite #EastCoastKin #ECK #bird #birds #birdphotography #heron #herons #BirdsSeenln2026