Dawn Wilson Photography

Dawn Wilson Photography Professional wildlife, travel and nature photographer and outdoor writer based in Estes Park, Colo.

It was an eye-popping, colorful morning today. When you try to sleep in a bit because the winds are howling but instead ...
06/01/2026

It was an eye-popping, colorful morning today. When you try to sleep in a bit because the winds are howling but instead talk yourself out of bed and get into the park to see this explosion of color happen, you remind yourself it is just a little wind. 😁🌄💨 The image worked best as a panoramic because the sky was so full of drama and the clouds shrouded the peaks a bit. Going wide reduces that loss of mountain tops and helps you enjoy how massive this scene was in all its beautiful spring glory.

Do you have a timed entry? I think he wanted to be first in line.
05/29/2026

Do you have a timed entry? I think he wanted to be first in line.

For a few days this week, a group of six bighorn sheep rams (only five in this photo) were hanging out in a visible area...
05/28/2026

For a few days this week, a group of six bighorn sheep rams (only five in this photo) were hanging out in a visible area of Rocky Mountain National Park. This is pretty typical behavior for this time of year, as they band together in bachelor herds (starts after the rut ends each December), spend the winters at lower elevations and then migrate up to higher destinations for the summer to escape the heat and bugs. Late each May they come through the area near Sheep Lakes. This was quite a nice looking group of rams.

Stunning view this morning in Estes Park, Colorado. A breath of fresh air is always an optimal way to start a day. Hope ...
05/27/2026

Stunning view this morning in Estes Park, Colorado. A breath of fresh air is always an optimal way to start a day. Hope this brings a bit of fresh air into your world to help you have a wonderful day.

My first elk calf of the season. Actually, there were three and they had fun running and romping with each other until t...
05/26/2026

My first elk calf of the season. Actually, there were three and they had fun running and romping with each other until this one ran out of steam. Amazing that at only a day or two old they can spring around like that.

I spent a good chunk of yesterday on Mount Blue Sky. I survived nearly two years without access to my favorite spot in C...
05/24/2026

I spent a good chunk of yesterday on Mount Blue Sky. I survived nearly two years without access to my favorite spot in Colorado so the U.S. forest service, Colorado Department of Transportation, Denver Mountain Parks and the Federal Highway Administration could fix the whoopty doos on the road near Summit Lake. They were bad, caused by frost heaves that would take out the bottom of your vehicle if you weren’t paying attention. After a two-hour delay to open the gate at Summit Lake so the plow crew could remove fresh snow and drifts from the storm the night before, we started the trek up. Not a ton of wildlife, which isn’t unusual this early in the season, but great to be back up at 14,000 feet.

Elk calving season has arrived. Although I have only heard of one calf so far, I am sure a couple more were born out the...
05/21/2026

Elk calving season has arrived. Although I have only heard of one calf so far, I am sure a couple more were born out there somewhere. The peak of the calving is usually the last week of May and first week of June. Here are a few tidbits of info about elk calving season in my latest blog post. Link in the comments.

Time to feed the babies! The first of the dipper nests I have been watching this season hatched earlier this week. There...
05/20/2026

Time to feed the babies! The first of the dipper nests I have been watching this season hatched earlier this week. There are five babies in the nest!! This will be a very busy pair of parents.

Excited to share that the latest issue of Colorado Life (March/April) includes my photo on the cover. There is another i...
05/19/2026

Excited to share that the latest issue of Colorado Life (March/April) includes my photo on the cover. There is another image on the interior pages as well as part of the photo essay on mountain bluebirds. Thanks to the team at the publication for the inclusion. Such beautiful birds. Glad they gave the icon of spring here in a feature. The issue is in newsstands now.

During the recent snowstorm, there were dozens of western bluebirds along the shore of Lake Estes. They converged on wha...
05/15/2026

During the recent snowstorm, there were dozens of western bluebirds along the shore of Lake Estes. They converged on what may have been the only area where bugs were accessible — the shoreline and open water. It was fascinating to watch them scoop bugs from the surface of the water, but a hard shot to get. Here are a few of the images I did manage to create.

Address

Fort Collins, CO

Telephone

+19705676109

Website

https://www.creeksandcritters.com/shop-art, https://www.ccnaturetours.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dawn Wilson Photography posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Dawn Wilson Photography:

Shortcuts

Share