Blog Archives
Along the River
Friends, most of the badlands in North Dakota are very dry (arid) except the area directly adjacent to the Little Missouri River. The Whitetail deer are found mainly along the river while Mule deer are found in the drier areas. This Whitetail buck posed for us in the fall with his antlers polished and ready to chase the girls. White tails are smaller than mule deer and get their name from the white underside of their tails that they flag when they flee from danger. The bucks grow antlers every spring and summer, then shed their antlers every winter to begin the cycle over again. The whitetails have antlers with tines coming off a main beam. In this image you can see his all white tail and his antlers are quite typical for a whitetail buck. Below image is the Little Missouri River bottom. til Tomorrow MJ
The Gumbo Lily
Friends, this bloom is locally called the Gumbo Lily because it arises out of the clay gumbo on mud flats in the badlands. It is officially known as the Evening Primrose and blooms out of very pink buds, quickly turning white in the strong spring sunshine. This wildflower grows very close to the ground so I had to lie flat on the dried mud to snap this macro shot. Good thing it was dry that morning. til Tomorrow MJ
Pentstemon-blue or pink
Friends, this tiny bloom of the badlands can’t decide whether it wants to be pink or blue, so when it first opens it is a mixture of these two colors. When the bloom has been open for a few hours in the spring sunshine, it is bright blue. The fifth stamen (pentstemon) is orange, densely- covered with hairs and this flower is often called a beard tongue. The red lines on the lower lip of the bloom is thought to guide pollinating insects inside to the treasures within. I am experimenting with high key images (over bright) to convey the spring sunshine effect with this macro shot. I like this effect, how about you? til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge: Two Subjects
Friends,Two American Bison heading up the side hill to greener grasses. While this may look like a couple, they are actually two males, the one in the front being a younger version of the one in the back. An early snowstorm in September had painted the sage and brush with white and as the snow melted, the clay on these slopes became very slippery. The whole herd was progressing very slowly with an occasional stall when an animal had difficulty moving to the higher ground. The Bison have been reintroduced to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park and thrive within the fenced region. Cattle of the badlands they compete with wild horses, elk, deer, antelope and other grazers for the lush grasses. Even the prairie dogs eat the grasses. til Tomorrow MJ
Prickly, pear blooms
Friends, the badlands are not barren wilderness, but are an arid climate and so cactus are numerous. Not the tree-like cactus of the desert southwest, but small prickly pear that hug the ground and don’t have a warning bell when you step into them and get a boot full of thorns. The top image shows the bright yellow blooms and the bottom image shows the bloom from the side, in the bottom right hand corner of the bottom image, you can see their formidable thorns. These plants often bloom in June and you have no trouble finding them. They are everywhere!!, til Tomorrow MJ
Paint Brush-Castilleja
Friends, another wildflower, the Indian Paintbrush. This plant grows both in the badlands and here in Wisconsin on the sandy barrens. Over 200 species of Castilleja are found in many diverse environments. Another plant that concentrates selenium and can at the same time, be a nutrient and toxic depending on the amount ingested. A groups shot above and a close-up portrait below. With this flower, the photographer almost needs to subtract saturation from the image to make it realistic. This is one of my favorite wildflowers. til Tomorrow MJ
Butte Candle
Friends, This wildflower is called a butte candle and it grows right out of the scoria rocks that you can see in the background. This plant has several stems as seen above, and below image shows the whole plant orientation.
Typically many of the plants that grow in scoria are capable of concentrating selenium within their tissues. Selenium is a mixed bag as it is a required nutrient for some animals and at the same time, toxic in large doses. Selenium concentrations have been responsible for bird and fish poisoning. While its effect on cattle is well known, the effect on grazing wildlife is not well studied. The tiny hairs on this plant probably repel the grazers in the badlands and these plants are not abundant. Are the badlands wildlife safe from selenium? A research question. til Tomorrow MJ
Wildflowers-Miniatures
Friends, these tiny blooms (Globe Mallow) are often overlooked because they are very tiny and sit very close to the ground in the North Dakota badlands. To get this macro shot, one needs to lie on the ground with your nose very close to the blooms. The camera was fitted with a 90 mm macro lens. I did a little post-processing work to give it a fine art look, you know what that is, background dark and out of focus. 🙂 I love the bright orange colors and the blooms in all stages of opening, from the closed buds with their fine hair coverings to the full bloom. The insects must also like them as evidenced by the pollen spilled onto the petals. til Tomorrow MJ
Easter Lily-Badlands Style
Friends, This is the Sego Lily that blooms in the Badlands in late June. The solitary plants grow among the grasses on tall stalks and are best viewed in the early morning after a over-night rainstorm. The raindrops and early light accentuate the colors and provide diffuse light for good wildflower photography. We had watched the sunrise at Scoria Point and on our way back to camp, found these lovely blooms. During this season when we are all looking at Easter Lilies, I thought I would show you my Lily in the Badlands. So Happy Easter! til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Journey
Friends, this was a journey across the river near sunset and into evening. She was bawling for her calf who meandered across the Little Missouri a few feet ahead of her, She is a mature Bison cow and her splashing in the river got my attention. I was photographing the sunset in the opposite direction and heard her behind me, I did not test her patience and made my way back to the vehicle. When it comes to the Bison, I always give them the right of way, living to photograph another day. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 