Friends, curves as in lumps of clay layers, this moonscape landscape is from the North Dakota Badlands and is composed of primarily soft mud layers. When we visited this spring, the wet gumbo kept us from exploring more of these formations. I did venture into this area a little too early before they were completely dry and wound up falling in the goop. My camera still has little patches of clay attached but not in any critical parts. How embarasing !! I see you laughing!, til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, moments in nature are fleeting, this coyote who was hunting in prairie dog town briefly stalked across the green of the prairie and looked up at us for a moment in time. til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, this little Eastern Kingbird knows where he is safe from humans, within the borders of Crex Meadows he is protected by the state of Wisconsin. Too bad the fox, coyote, skunks, badgers,eagles, hawks, and other predators can’t read. til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, this rough-legged hawk has escaped from our summery weather back to his frosty north land. This is a dark phase hawk who hung around later than usual this spring. The dark patch in the wrist area is the id mark that i look for to identify this bird. We are also escaping, running away to the badlands where it is typically hot and dry, a desert area with clay ridges and cliffs. til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, the feather patterns of the sharp tail grouse are stunning when you can see them up close and personal. Most are white triangles edged in brown, and serves as great camouflage against the brown brush of spring. If the birds are not dancing and just sitting still, they can be very hard to spot especially in the light before dawn. til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, birders have a culture that includes an addiction to anything birdy, some list birds, watch birds, feed birds and photograph birds. and some like me sit by the marshes waiting for a bird to just show up, this morning i went to see if I could find the loons that i had seen yesterday, but the only bird present in the fishing hole was this tiny grebe, I thought at first that it was one of hundreds of Pied billed grebes that are always around and almost drove past, but just for giggles i put my binocs on it and shreeked for joy, I have never seen the horned grebe up close, but here he is in all his breeding finery, I love his yellow earmuffs, enjoy, I sure did, til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, look up in Crex Meadows early in the spring or late in the fall and you will see Greater Sandhill Cranes gathering in flocks. In the sunset sky they land on their roost, and in the spring they land and dance on the brown reeds and sedges. In the early summer they pair off and go to their nesting site to raise their young. This time of year, they soar down to land in groups, and when landing, the dancing begins. They pop up and down like popcorn, trying to find the right place to land without disturbing the residents who are already in the spot. til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, change is in the air, the Sandhill Cranes are returning to the northland, the sky is not very blue yet, but the ice and snow are slowly leaving the meadows of Crex. I am more than ready for the warmth of spring, cause over the weekend we got another 2-3 inches of heavy wet snow. Today it is dripping off the eaves, so maybe we won’t have to snowblow this stuff off the driveway. We both have vehicles designed for maximum traction, so driving is not a problem, but walking is big problem. til Tomorrow MJ
Friends, the word color means blooming flowers to me, I had to travel 90 miles and go to a giant greenhouse to photograph these Asiatic Lilies, I used a softer effect to show the flower within a flower, one of my favorite subjects, don’t really like the rusty hue against the pink petals, but nature made it that way so I share with you, til Tomorrow MJ
Mar 31
This gallery contains 6 photos.
Friends, a day in my life is sometimes a bit fictional, but i try to be in Crex at Sunrise when the Cranes are flying from their roost to the fields, I also like to do my WordPress blog, photograph some birdies, post-process some images with photoshop and last but certainly not the least, […]
