Pawnee National Grassland in late May

Drove out from Fort Collins before dawn. Pawnee at the end of May is peak short-grass prairie — McCown’s and Chestnut-collared Longspurs displaying over nothing but grass, Mountain Plovers on dirt patches where the cattle have flattened the ground. I worked the auto tour roads from the kiosk and also walked a small loop near Crow Valley. Ferruginous Hawk on a power pole stayed put long enough for a decent frame.

The wind on the prairie is the defining feature. I shot everything at 1/2000 or better and still had motion in some of the grass.