Category Archives: Wildlife
Motherhood
Friends, this baby is getting some nutrition from his momma, i love these kind of shots especially since these are wild horses found in the badlands of North Dakota (Theodore Roosevelt National Park). These horses and their ancestors have always roamed the hills during my lifetime. I don’t like the term “feral” and i prefer the term “wild” as these horses have run free in the badlands for several generations. Below is an image of the herd stallion, Singlefoot. til Tomorrow MJ
Two New Foals
Friends, now that i am home from the hills and perusing my new images, i had almost forgotten this image of two foals that were posing together on top of a hill. the little buckskin in the foreground appears to be a stud colt and younger than the sorrel in the back. They are with a band of horses led by the Stallion, Copper. Below is an image of Copper in all his glory. til Tomorrow MJ
The Magpie Story
Friends, we were perched on a bridge watching a magpie flirting with another magpie. As i shot this image, a coyote appeared in my field of view. A coyote hunter of local legend tells us that when he calls coyotes in, often a magpie will appear before the coyote comes into view. These creatures seem to have a relationship. Yes, i know the coyote is out of focus and the prairie dog behind is even more unsharp, but still wanted to share this with all of you. The image below shows the coyote out on prairie dog town trying to fool a dog into making a fatal mistake. til Tomorrow MJ
Baby Bison
Friends, this is not a cow, but a baby bison. They are born orange in color and really stand out in the spring green. This one is only a few days old and when we appeared he ran to hide alongside his momma. These were the first bison calves that we saw this year. The mams tend to hide their babies in the thick brush until it is time to venture across prairie dog town to the river. Have to go find some more bison, til Tomorrow MJ
Pronghorn on Prairie Dog Town
Friends, this male Pronghorn is taking a short cut thru prairie dog town, no brush, green grass, and a flat ground makes for easy strolling. We are enjoying wonderful weather, sunny skies and great clouds. The badlands are beckoning, so off we go again today. Found some wildflowers so time to go nose to nose with the blooms. til Tomorrow MJ
Talking back
Friends, this big boy is complaining about something, maybe the cloudy day, maybe the presence of the photographer, maybe the wind blowing. Whatever his complaint, he is perched high on a flat hilltop right in the middle of a prairie dog town with lots of dirt to roll in. You can see his winter coat that is sloughing off in large patches. til Tomorrow MJ
Not a duck- grebe
Friends, this small bird is not a duck, but a pied-billed grebe. I love this image not for the bird, but the lovely patterns on the water. Reflections of a partly cloudy sky or partly sunny, how do they differentiate between partly cloudy and partly sunny, guess it depends on whether the weather person is a pessimist or optimist 🙂 I myself prefer partly sunny , til Tomorrow MJ
Common Loon
Friends, this black bird is a Common Loon, but he is far from commonly found. He and she only nest on lakes with no acidity, wilderness birds that rely on clean water and fresh air. They are difficult to photograph unless the light is directly on them, because their dominant color is black and a very dark green on their heads. When they are diving for food, they sit very low in the water. This one fishes in a channel where he passes very close to the road. We thank him for the wonderful image and move on, soon the loon couple will be carrying a chick on their backs as they swim the lake. til Tomorrow MJ
Dancing Cranes
Friends, these greater Sandhill Cranes have just arrived from the south, and are so happy to be up north again. They are dancing and celebrating the coming of spring weather. Watching them dance inspires me to celebrate as well, so i turn up the country music playing on my radio 🙂 til Tomorrow MJ
Hooded Merganser
Friends, it was a rough day on the water when this little male Hooded Merganser decided to appear in front of my camera. He is one of the first ducks to arrive on Crex in the spring and has found some food underwater. As he rose from his dive, he was startled by my presence and his white and black crest was raised in alarm. In this image the hood is still being raised as he motors away. I had to focus quickly and hope that i was on the right target. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 