Western Fence Lizard: Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2026 — Showing the seldom seen blue throat patch (or at least the blue throat patch which I have seldom seen). Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at about 600mm equivalent. Program with birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Rufous Hummingbird; Randell Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico. July 2026 — Another hummer from Randell Davey Audubon Center—the most numerous and aggressive of the 4 species common there. A male Rufous will hang out sometimes many yards away from the feeder and then come swooping in when any other hummingbird presumes to come in for a snack. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at about 600-800mm equivalent field of view crop. Processed in Photomator.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Randell Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2026 — While the Santa Fe Kid was playing on the climbing structure and having a blast, grandpa was attempting to photograph hummingbirds and having a blast. This Broad-tail was feeding a fledgling around these flowers, so it was faithful all morning. The adobe wall behind it makes for a nice contrast. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at about 600mm effective field of view crop. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

We went to Randall Davey Audubon Center in the hills above Santa Fe yesterday. The Santa Fe Kid enjoyed the huge wood and rope play structure—for hours—while grandpa photographed hummingbirds and bugs and regular birds—and the deer that come by to graze the tender grasses. That is the Santa Fe Kid’s mom, of course, first up on the play structure with the Kid, and then trying to retrieve the Kid from a runaway when her school friend had to leave. That is when the deer decided to visit. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary. Auto mode for the play structure. Bird and wildlife modifications for the deer. Processed in Photomator.

The Santa Fe Kid is a climber. Confident and bold. And she is familiar with all the climbing options at the local park. It is all a grandpa can do to keep up (and that is with grandma to help). Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary. Auto. Processed in Photomator.

So we have, courtesy of a delayed flight, moved from Colorado to New Mexico and are in phase two of visiting the grandchildren. This Santa Fe kid defies being defined by any one photo, so we begin with a bunch. Sony a6700 with Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at 74mm equivalent field of view. Auto. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.

For the girls, the main attraction at any park is the playground, and Horseshoe Park has a great one. And since we are off to Albuquerque and Santa Fe for the second segment of visiting the children today, here are a few more playground shots of the Colorado Kids. Sony a6700 and Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at various focal lengths for framing. Auto. Processed in Photomator.

Prairie Dogs: Aurora, Colorado, USA, July 2026 — We took the girls to a new (to us) park and were surprised to find a large, healthy-looking Prairie Dog town right behind the park. There were hundreds of burrows and possibly a thousand Prairie Dogs. Despite the drought, they seemed well-fed, and there were lots of young. Of course, we kept our distance. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at anything from 450 to 700mm crop. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Something different today. We visited the Butterfly Pavilion yesterday with our Denver grandkids. The Pavilion houses one of the largest collections of tropical butterflies in the US, free flying in a simulated rainforest enclosure, as well as displays of tropical fish and coral, and tropical insects. They also have extensive outside gardens with water features, and a large inside play area for kids. To be honest, many of the butterflies look a bit cage-worn, and I would always prefer to see them in the wild, but it is an experience for sure. The pale red-tailed hawk was perched over the entrance. I rarely take selfies (for obvious reasons), but the girls wanted me to record the two butterflies who found my hat an interesting resting place. Sony a6700 with Sigma 16-300 Contemporary and Sony a7CR with Viltrox 14mm f/4. Program with Insect modifications and Auto on the a7CR. Processed in Photomator.

Honeybee in Russian Sage: Aurora, Colorado, July 2026 — Another shot from Jewell Wetlands. Russian Sage is, of course, a non-native plant, popular in landscaping, but it is very attractive to honeybees and other pollinators. Is this a good thing? Depends on who you ask. While the bees are busy with the Russian Sage, they might not, of course, be busy with some equally deserving native plant. The bees, on the other hand, do not seem bothered. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at about 600mm equivalent field of view crop. Program with insect modifications. Processed in Photomator.