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Dakota Reflections

    Connecting Children with Nature


    Welcome to Dakota Reflections

    Nature Photography, Education and Conservation

    &

    Stephen L McDonough Family

    Wildlife Conservation Fund

     


    Photo of the Day


    Three  in Focus!



      Mallards

    Missouri River, McLean County, North Dakota

     

    Photo of the Day- 1/11/2021



    I have never photographed Mallards in North Dakota in January but our winter has been very mild. They appear to be in breeding plumage and I was shocked to see this. I hope they will delay nesting because we could have very cold weather in February. For more Mallard photos, please see Dakota Waterbirds page in Dakota Region tab


    What is New in 2021!



    Photo of the Day


    1/11/2021 Mallards

    1/6/2021 American Bald Eagle

    1/5/2021 American Bald Eagle

    1/1/2021 Frosty New Year's Day


    Ecuador page in South America tab modified with enlarged photos and bird information added

    Over 29 photos added to Dakota Region in 2021 as of January 16, 2021


    Photo of the Year- 2020


    Mom is Feeding her Baby!


    American Kestrels

    Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota


    Photo of the Day- July 3, 2020

    Photo of the Month- July 2020

    Photo of the Year- 2020


    Hiding in plain sight!  I had been looking for an American Kestrel nest for Four Years and it turned out that it was very close to a road that I had driven many times.  I felt that there was one in the area that I had seen Kestrels but I had not been able to find it.  In June 2020, after delaying arrival to Theodore Roosevelt National Park to photograph a red fox, I witnessed and photographed a male Kestrel feeding his mate.  By watching the area for several hours, I saw this activity repeated and was able to follow mom to their nest!

    What was New in 2020!


    Stephen L McDonough Family Wildlife Conservation Fund program announcement- please see in Endangered Species tab!


    Photo of the Day

    12/19/2020 Saturn and Jupiter Conjunction

    12/18/2020 American Bald Eagles

    11/6/2020 Snow Geese

    11/3/2020 Tundra Swans

    10/26/2020 Whooping Crane

    10/13/2020 Greater White-fronted Geese

    10/12/2020 Great Horned Owl

    10/11/2020 Great Horned Owl

    10/10/2020 American Bald Eagle

    10/8/2020 Ring-necked Pheasant

    10/6/2020 Common Grackle

    10/5/2020 Red-tailed Hawk

    10/4/2020 Yellow-rumped Warbler

    9/30/2020 Sandhill Cranes

    9/29/2020 American Avocet

    9/21/2020 Yellow-rumped Warbler

    9/17/2020 Sandhill Cranes

    9/16/2020 Pied-billed Grebe

    9/13/2020 Belted Kingfisher

    9/12/2020 Red-tailed Hawk

    9/11/2020 Long-billed Dowitchers

    9/10/2020 Merlin

    9/9/2020 Great Blue Heron

    9/8/2020 American Avocet

    9/4/2020 Great Blue Heron

    9/3/2020 Swainson's Hawk

    9/1/2020 Swainson's Hawk

    8/29/2020 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

    8/22/2020 Golden Northern Bumble Bee

    8/17/2020 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

    8/16/2020 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

    8/15/2020 Southern Sky

    8/3/2020 Lazuli Bunting

    8/2/2020 Indigo Bunting

    7/31/2020 Cedar Waxwing

    7/27/2020 Eastern Bluebird

    7/25/2020 American Bison

    7/24/2020 Comet Neowise

    7/18/2020 Comet Neowise

    7/16/2020 Eastern Kingbird

    7/12/2020 Canada Geese

    7/11/2020 American Kestrels

    7/8/2020 Red Fox

    7/5/2020  White-tailed Deer

    7/4/2020  American Goldfinch

    7/3/2020  American Kestrels

    7/2/2020  Lazuli Bunting

    7/1/2020  Lark Sparrow

    6/28/2020  Least Chipmunk

    6/27/2020  Swainson's Hawk

    6/26/2020  Eared Grebes

    6/23/2020  Double-crested Cormorant

    6/21/2020  Yellow Warbler

    6/20/2020  American Kestrel

    6/18/2020  Western Grebes

    6/17/2020  American Coots

    6/14/2020  Feral Horses

    6/12/2020  American Kestrel

    6/11/2020  American Kestrels

    6/10/2020  American Kestrels

    6/7/2020  Black-crowned Night-heron

    6/5/2020  American Avocet and Black-necked Stilt

    6/4/2020  Red Foxes

    6/3/2020  Common Tern

    6/2/2020  Red Fox Kit

    5/31/2020  Great Horned Owlet

    5/30/2020  Yellow Warbler

    5/29/2020  Red Fox Kits

    5/27/2020  Bobolink

    5/26/2020  Great Horned Owls

    5/23/2020  Great Horned Owls

    5/22/2020  Red Fox Kit

    5/21/2020  American Avocet

    5/18/2020  Great Blue Heron

    5/17/2020  Red Fox Kits

    5/15/2020  Great Horned Owls

    5/14/2020  Red Fox

    5/12/2020  Western Meadowlark

    5/11/2020  Golden Eagles

    5/10/2020  Red Fox Kits

    5/8/2020  Red Fox Kits

    5/7/2020  Western Meadowlark

    5/6/2020  Red Fox Kits (tie)

    5/6/2020  Great Horned Owl (tie)

    5/3/2020  Great Horned Owls

    5/2/2020  Great Horned Owls

    5/1/2020  Great Horned Owls

    4/30/2020  White-face Ibis

    4/29/2020  Great Horned Owls

    4/28/2020  American Bittern

    4/27/2020  Muskrat

    4/26/2020  Great Horned Owls

    4/25/2020  Beaver

    4/24/2020  Wood Ducks

    4/22/2020  White-face Ibis

    4/19/2020  Whooping Cranes

    4/18/2020  Wilson's Snipes

    4/17/2020  Bald Eagle

    4/16/2020  Bald Eagle

    4/15/2020  Northern Pintail

    4/12/2020  White-faced Ibis

    4/10/2020  Wood Duck

    4/9/2020  Common Grackles

    4/7/2020  Northern Shoveler

    4/5/2020  Bald Eagle Lunch

    4/4/2020  Northern Harrier

    4/3/2020  Muskrat

    3/31/2020  Northern Shovelers

    3/30/2020  Mallards

    3/29/2020  Golden Eagle

    3/28/2020  Mountain Bluebird

    3/23/20  White-breasted Nuthatch

    3/22/20  Red-breasted Nuthatch

    3/21/20  Red-breasted Nuthatch

    3/17/20  Pine Siskin

    3/13/20  Black-capped Chicadee

    Previous Photos of the Day can be found in Gallery Page

    2/9/2020- Nature 2 Book now available!

    4/19/20- New Beaver page in Dakota Region- 19 Photos!!

    6/13/20 New American Kestrel page in Dakota Region- 124 photos

    7/20/20 New Night Sky page started in Dakota Region

    photos

    8/18/20 Ruby-throated Hummingbird photos added to Hummingbird page in Dakota Region tab

    Over 1095 photos added to Dakota Region in 2020 as of January 1, 2021



    Photo of Month- December 2020


    Striding Forward and Still Together at the End of 2020!


    For more photos, please see Dakota Raptors page in the Dakota Region tab


    American Bald Eagles

       Burleigh County, North Dakota


    Photo of the Day- December 18, 2020

    Photo of the Month December 2020


    Photo of the Month- November 2020


    Soulmates!


    Tundra Swans

    Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota

    November 3, 2020



    Photo of the Month- October 2020


    Stay Out of My Neighborhood


    Red-tailed Hawk and Common Grackle

    McKenzie Slough, Burleigh County, North Dakota


    Photo of the Day- October 6, 2020

    Photo of the Month for October 2020



    Photo of the Month- September 20


    Heading South!


    American Avocets

    McKenzie Slough, Burleigh County, North Dakota


    Photo of the Day- September 11, 2020

    Photo of the Month- September 2020



     American Avocets breed in west-central states east of the Rocky Mountains and into Canada.  They winter in coastal areas of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico and Central America.



    "Singing to His Babies"


    Mountain Bluebird photo selected by the Theodore Roosevelt Nature History Association in the 2020 Theodore Roosevelt National Park Calendar for the Month of May 2020 (Mountain Bluebird page in Dakota Region tab)



     "Singing to His Babies"


    selected for 2020 Theodore Roosevelt National Park Calendar!


    This Mountain Bluebird Dad was photographed in June 2019 singing to his babies as to say "Don't worry babies, Mom is bringing more food and I will go out to catch more bugs for you!" Mountain Bluebirds are devoted parents and try to feed each of their 6 babies twice a hour- lots of mouths to feed! This is the second year that one of my photos was selected for the national park calendar, last year was a porcupine.

    "Will You Be My Friend?"

    Children's Book Nature Series


    available now!



    Roxy, Leo and Moxy are baby red fox babies who love to play and explore together!  Photographed in North Dakota.


    "Foxy Babies" is a book about sibling releationships, playing with other and getting along.  The book is soft cover and 30 pages long, all with actual photographs of wild red foxes.




     

    Baby Giant Panda Xian Long (Little Dragon) gets help from his sister Bao Bao (Treasured Baby) in learning to climb a tree!  Photographed in China.


    "Baby Panda Adventure" is a book about sibling releationships and helping each other to learn a skill.  The book is soft cover and 30 pages long, all with actual photographs of baby Giant Pandas in Panda reserves in Chengdu.




    Baby red foxes Moxy and Leo live in Foxy Town USA.  Count the Baby Foxes and see how they greet their Mom!  Photographed in North Dakota.


    "Foxy Town USA" is a book about learning to count and family releationships, .  The book is soft cover and 30 pages long, all with actual photographs of wild red foxes.


    Mike and Molly are Mountain Bluebirds.  See how they build their nest and feed their babies! Photographed in North Dakota.


    "Seven Reasons to Love Mountain Bluebirds" is a book about parental responsibility and family.  The book is soft cover and 30 pages long, all with actual photographs of wild Mountain Bluebirds.



    Leo is a baby Red Fox who needs to learn to go potty in the right place!  Advice is given on potty training.  Wild animals were photographed throughout the world.


    "Time to Go Potty" is a book about learing the skill of going potty with photographs of animals going potty.  The book is soft cover and 30 pages long, all with actual photographs of wild animals including mammals and birds.





    Garud (King of Birds) and Gangi (Sacred) are green bee-eaters who discuss conservation and animals in India!  Photographed in India


    "There are More than Tigers in India" is a book about conservation and animals found in India.  The book is soft cover and 30 pages long, all with actual photographs of wild mammals, reptiles and birds.




    Nature Book Series


    Nature


    “Nature” is a 60-page book with hard cover and photographs with informative captions about animals and landscapes throughout the world.  Photographs include: brown bears (7), polar bears (3), arctic fox, African elephant, Kilimanjaro, giraffe (2), cheetah (2), Denali, guanacos, Fer-de-Lance, black caiman, great egret, white-faced ibis, snowy owl (2), little blue heron, sharp-tailed grouse, Cooper’s hawk, osprey, red-tailed hawk, moose, magnificent hummingbird, slaty flowerpiercer, long-tailed silky flycatcher, brown-throated three-toed sloth, chestnut-colored woodpecker, roseate spoonbills, Sumatran rhinoceros (2), bighorn sheep, St. Mary Lake- Glacier National Park, Badlands sunset, American bison skeleton, icebergs (2), Paine Grande- Torres del Paine National Park, Pleneau Bay- Antarctica, Southern elephant seals (2), Gentoo penguins (4), Antarctic fur seals, orca, leopard seal, Mt. Fitz Roy- Los Glaciares National Park, dragonfly, purple-throated woodstar, collared incas.  Countries included in the book include: United States- Alaska, North Dakota, Florida, Montana; Canada- Manitoba; Africa- Tanzania; South America- Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru; Central America- Guatemala, Costa Rica, Belize; Asia- Indonesia; Antarctica, Falkland Islands and South Georgia.  Photographs included in the book were taken from 2007 to 2015.





    Nature 2


    “Nature 2” is a 111-page book with hard cover and photographs with informative captions about animals and landscapes throughout the world.  Photographs include: giant pandas (3) brown bears (2), black bear, wolf, coyote (2), American bison (2), moose (2), bighorn sheep (2), American badger (2), sandhill cranes (4), whooping cranes (2), sarus cranes, red-tailed hawks (5), Northern caracara, ferruginous hawk, Swainson's hawk (2), American bald eagle, rough-tailed hawk, Northern harrier (3), great-horned owl (3), burrowing owl, snowy owl, sharp-tailed grouse (4), Eastern bluebird (2), mountain bluebirds (6), blue jay, black-headed grosbeak, red-headed woodpecker (2), great blue heron, scissor-tailed flycatcher, black-crowned night-heron (2), white-faced ibis, American bittern, American avocet, Northern shovelers, American  crow, black-tailed prairie dogs, porcupine, pronghorns, total eclipse of the sun, diamond ring eclipse, red foxes (4), barn swallows, Western kingbirds, Western grebes (2), white-throated kingfisher, common kingfisher, green bee-eater, bar-headed geese, Bengal tigers (2), greater one-horned rhinoceros, African elephants (5), wood ducks, marbled godwit, squirrel cuckoo, black-striped capuchin, hyacinth macaw (2), sunbittern (2), ringed kingfisher (2), rufous-tailed jacamar, green kingfisher, giant river otters (2) and jaguars (4).  Countries included in the book include: United States- Alaska, North Dakota, Texas, Montana and Wyoming; South America- Brazil; Asia- India and China.  Photographs included in the book were taken from 2016 to 2019.





    Photo of the Month- August 2020


    Sweetness!


    Ruby-throated Hummingbird

    Mandan Agricultural Research Station, Morton County, North Dakota


    Photo of the Day- August 29, 2020

    Photo of the Month- August 2020



    Ruby-throated hummingbirds are amazing: wing beats 50 per second, heart beat 1260 beats per minute, breaths 250 per minute and they fly 20 hours straight as they cross the Gulf of Mexico during their migration.



    Photo of the Month- July 2020


    Mom is Feeding her Baby!


    American Kestrels

    Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota


    Photo of the Day- July 3, 2020

    Photo of the Month- July 2020

    Photo of the Year- 2020


    Hiding in plain sight!  I had been looking for an American Kestrel nest for Four Years and it turned out that it was very close to a road that I had driven many times.  I felt that there was one in the area that I had seen Kestrels but I had not been able to find it.  In June 2020, after delaying arrival to Theodore Roosevelt National Park to photograph a red fox, I witnessed and photographed a male Kestrel feeding his mate.  By watching the area for several hours, I saw this activity repeated and was able to follow mom to their nest!


    Photo of the Month- June 2020



    Food for our Babies!


    American Kestrels

    Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

     June 10, 2020


    Photo of the Month for June 2020


    "This is for You, My Love!"


    This photo is one of my favorites, all time. I sat in my car, dumbfounded, as a I watched and photographed the male American Kestrel on the left fly to a tree and then give his mouse to his mate, on the right, who flew to the tree for this gift. I have witnessed parent animals feed their babies but I have never seen one adult bird give its food to another adult bird. Males American Kestrels do this during courting, nesting and when feeding babies. What a devoted couple!



    Photo of the Month May 2020




    I've Got This!


    Red Fox Kit with Bull Snake

    Burleigh County, North Dakota

    May 10, 2020


    Photo of the Month for May 2020



    Photo of the Month April 2020



    Coming Back to her Babies!


    Great Horned Owls

    Oliver County, North Dakota


    Photo of the Day- April 26, 2020

    Photo of the Month for April 2020



    Photo of the Month March 2020



    Mountain Bluebird in Flight with Food!


      Mountain bluebirds are my favorite badlands bird and to see and photograph one in flight with food was very fortunate.  Please see more photos at Dakota Region- Mountain Bluebirds 


    Photo of the Day for March 28, 2020 and Month of March 2020


    Photo of the Month January 2020




    Little Cutie!


    Actually not so little, this female calf is probably 1 1/2 years old when photographed in Yellowstone National Park.  Moose calves grow quickly from their birth weight of around 35 pounds.  They gain about 2 pounds a day and weigh 10 times their birth weight by 5 months of age.  By 1 1/2 years, they can weigh 500 to 700 pounds.


    https://www.thealaskalife.com/outdoors/nursing-moose-calves/

    https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/education/wns/moose.pdf

    https://www.livescience.com/27408-moose.html


    Photo of the Month October 2019



    Photo of the Day for October 19, 2019


    Northern Harriers are the most owl-like of hawks (though they’re not related to owls). They rely on hearing as well as vision to capture prey. The disk-shaped face looks and functions much like an owl’s, with stiff facial feathers helping to direct sound to the ears.


    https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/overview


    Photo of the Month September 2019



    Not an Easy Animal to Photograph!


    The jaguar is often described as nocturnal, but is more specifically crepuscular (peak activity around dawn and dusk). Both sexes hunt, but males travel farther each day than females, befitting their larger territories. The jaguar may hunt during the day if game is available and is a relatively energetic feline, spending as much as 50–60 percent of its time active.  The jaguar's elusive nature and the inaccessibility of much of its preferred habitat make it a difficult animal to sight, let alone study.  It ranges across a variety of forested and open terrains, but its preferred habitat is tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest, swamps and wooded regions. The jaguar enjoys swimming and is largely a solitary, opportunistic, stalk-and-ambush predator at the top of the food chain. As a keystone species it plays an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating prey populations.


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar


    Photo of the Day for September 10, 2019


    Photo of the Month August 2019


    Breakfast in Bed!


    The Western Grebe Mom on the left had three babies.  The bed for the babies was Mom's back, a floating bed that can move toward food.  Every other time that I had seen Dad feeding the babies, fish was on the menu.  In fact, only fish was on the menu.  Sometimes it was a medium size fish but often it was a menu.


    Apparently, dragonflies are also on the menu.  Dad on the right had found a large dragonfly.  After several attempts, one of the babies was able to grasp the dragonfly and have a wonderful breakfast.


    For additional photographs, please see the Water birds page in the Dakota Region tab.


    Photo of the Day for August 14, 2019

    Photo of the Month April 2019


    Back from the Brink!


    After being pushed to the brink of extinction by unregulated hunting and loss of habitat to just 21 wild and two captive whooping cranes by 1941, conservation efforts have led to a limited recovery. The total number of cranes in the surviving migratory population, plus three reintroduced flocks and in captivity, now exceeds 800 birds.


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whooping_crane


    For additional photographs, please see the Cranes page in the Bird tab.


    Photo of the Day for April 19, 2019


    Photo of the Year 2019


    #1 Photo of 2019 "Bond of Love!"


    Well, this is my favorite photo of 2019. A baby Asian Elephant- walking trunk to trunk with its older sibling as they grazed on grasses in Kaziranga National Park in India in March. We watched this family group for nearly 1 hour and I was surprised that the baby preferred to hang out with its siblings as opposed to being attached to its mom. The adults, however carefully watched their children and maintained a protective perimeter. This multi-generational family loves and cares for each other!!


    Photo of the Year 2018


    That's My Mom!


    This grizzly bear cub looked back as me as to say "no worries, I am with my mom."  The photograph was taken in September 2018 in Denali National Park.


    This was my favorite photograph from 2018!



    Photo of the Year 2017


    “Is it My Turn?”


    A Red Fox Mom can nurse up to 8 babies at one time.  These two were asking her if they could join their siblings for breakfast.  She said “Yes!” 




    Photo of the Year 2016



    Clash of Yellow and Purple!


    I was sitting in a blind at Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge watching sharp-tailed grouse dance at a lek when a feisty western meadowlark decided the crash the party.  Although much smaller than the sharp-tailed grouse, the western meadowlark had no trouble saying “stay out of my territory!”


    Photo of the Year 2015



    Fighting Incas!


    These collared inca hummingbirds were photographed fighting over access to a feeder in Ecuador.  The hummingbirds are shown in different body planes with open beaks.


    Photo of the Year 2014



    Best Friends!

     

    These Southern elephant seal calves were photographed in South Georgia.  They were 3 weeks old and weighed nearly 150 pounds.  Their moms had returned to the sea briefly to replenish their energy stores.  The babies were very curious and friendly and affectionate to each other.


    Photo of the Year 2013


    As were were leaving Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, we were very lucky to find these Guanocos standing in front of the famous three towers, Los Torres.  The Guanocos stood there for a few minutes and then moved on.  Timing is everything.


    photographed October 25, 2013



    How is Your Math?

    For Children Ages 4-6 Years

    Have Fun with Preschool Math!

    Count the Baby Foxes!

    Found in Dakota Region- Red Fox Page

    What is New in 2021!

    • 11 photos added to Gallery page
    • 22 photos added to Dakota Raptors page, 5 photos to Dakota Waterbirds page, 1 photo to Dakota Songbirds page, 1 to Dakota Region Page
    • 3 Presentations to 3rd grade classes in Bismarck, North Dakota

    What was New in 2020!


    • June 30, 2020 Information on initiative in conservation- The Stephen L McDonough Family Wildlife Conservation Fund in association with the Conservation Centers for Species Survival (C2S2)- please see tab on Endangered Species
    • 177 photos added to Gallery page
    • 2 Presentations to 3- 3rd grade classes
    • 16 Moose photographs added to Yellowstone page in National Parks tab- total 36 photos to Yellowstone page
    • 5 Ermine photos added to Yellowstone page (first weasel-like photos)
    • Major additions to Dakota Region tab- 97 Dakota Raptors, 135 Dakota Songbirds, 315 Dakota Waterbirds photos, 122 Red Foxes, 8 Sharp-tailed Grouse, 114 Owls, 27 Beavers, 23 Mountain Bluebirds, 21 Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, 141 American Kestrels  
    • 26 Feral Horse photos added to Badlands page in Dakota Region tab along with 10 Muskrat, 2 Moose, 4 Least Chipmunk and 6 American Bison
    • First photographs of Blue Grosbeak in North Dakota!
    • First photographs of Indigo Bunting in North Dakota!
    • Beaver Page added in Dakota Region with 19 photos on 4/20/20- 8 on 4/26/20
    • Watch the Babies Grow Up! 108 Great Horned Owl nest photos!!  Please see Owl page in Dakota Region tab!
    • Baby Fox photos- first since 2017- 5 dens photographed in 2020- 114 photos please see Red Foxes in Dakota Region!
    • New Page of American Kestrel photos (141) in Dakota Region- see Baby Kestrels!!
    • New Page of Night Sky added to Dakota Region tab on 7/19/20- 17 photos!
    • 8/18/20 Ruby-throated Hummingbird photos added to Hummingbird page in Dakota Region tab (22)
    • Completed Nature 2- a 111 page nature book
    • 18,685 visits to website- an average of 103.8 visits a day (range 53- 281) from January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020
    • 35,000 visits to website- an average of 95.9 visits a day (range 48- 281) from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020


    What was New in 2019!


    • 46 photos added to Gallery page
    • 30,266 visits to website- an average of 83 visits a day (range 22- 293) from the following areas: United States- 18,067; Canada- 295; Central America- 40; South American- 144; Europe- 3768; Russia- 342; Asia- 2054; Africa- 76; Southeast Asia- 131 and New Zealand/Australia- 180 
    • Now Here!  5 new children's books and one Nature Book!
    • "Singing to His Babies" Mountain Bluebird photo selected by the Theodore Roosevelt Nature History Association in the 2020 Theodore Roosevelt National Park Calendar for the Month of May 2020
    • In Progress- photographs from the world's largest wetlands- The Pantanal! Including Jaguar (29) and Giant River Otter (20) photos, flying primates, reptiles and many birds including the rarely seen Agami Heron and 8 photos of the Sunbittern- one of the most beautiful birds in the world!
    • Baby Grebes!  25 photos of Baby Western Grebes (Dakota Region- Waterbirds)
    • Count the Baby Foxes!- Updated photos for Red Fox (Dakota Region- Red Fox)
    • Sharp-tailed photos (8) added (Dakota Region- Sharp-tailed Grouse)
    • Baby Mountain Bluebird photos (7)! (Dakota Region- Mountain Bluebirds)
    • Spring Yellowstone photographs (88) including baby Sandhill Cranes; Bison-Crane confrontation; Badger-Badger fight, Badger hunt, Grizzly Bear nursing; my first Black Bear photos; "Red Dog" Bison
    • Mountain Bluebird photographs (8) added showing Nest Building (Dakota Region- Mountain Bluebirds)
    • Whooping Crane photographs added (8) including take off! (Bird page- Cranes)
    • Sandhill Crane photographs added (35) including Bison versus Crane! (Bird page- Cranes)
    • American Badger photographs added (15)- Yellowstone page under National Parks tab
    • Presentations to 5- 4th grade classes and to 3- 3rd grade classes and to 1- 5th grade class
    • Expanded photos (46)- winter Yellowstone National Park- including a long distance view of a wolf pack attack on elk.
    • New Page - India page (153) added under Asia tab with 153 photographs including 36 mammal photos (Greater one-horned rhinos (5), Tigers (7), Asian Elephants (8), Smooth-coated otters (3)); 4 reptile photos and 113 bird photos.
    • Changes to home page- "Do you know?" "Photo of the Day" "Photo of the Month"
    • Website Visits- January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2019- 16,588


    What was New in 2018!


    • 28 photos added to Gallery page
    • New page- Mountain Bluebirds in Dakota Region
    • New page- Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge in National Parks and Refuges
    • Expanded photos- Denali National Park
    • Expanded photos and information- Dakota Raptors, Elk and Coyotes in Dakota Region
    • Porcupine photograph selected for Theodore Roosevelt National Park 2019 Calendar 
    • Featured in KXMB "Someone you should know"
    • Presentations to 6- 4th grade classes and 2- 3rd grade classes and one community presentation to children
    • 18,692 website visits- 51 per day


    What was New in 2017!

    • Presentations to 4- 4th grade classes and 2- 3rd grade classes and one community presentation to children
    • Giant Panda photographs from China added
    • 18 Photographs entered on Gallery Page
    • 25,559 website visits- 70 visits per day


    What was New in 2016!

    • 7 photographs added to Gallery Page
    • Red Fox photos; Yellowstone and Denali photographs added
    • 9,162 website visits- 25 visits per day


    What was New in 2015!

    • Website established on October 6, 2015
    • 27 Photographs added to Gallery Page
    • Pages established for Tanzania (2007) Denali (2009) Peru (2010) Katmai (2010) Polar Bears (2011) Indonesia (2012) Iceland (2013) Patagonia (2013) Indonesia (2013) Belize (2014) Antarctica (2014) Florida (2014) Costa Rica (2015) Katmai (2015) Ecuador (2015)
    • 705 website visits- 9 visits per day



    Test Your Knowledge

    &

    Enjoy these Photographs of Birds, Mammals and Landscapes in the Northern Plains and

    Our Magnificent World



    Do you know?

    The Brown Bear Mom is One on the Most Dedicated Mammal Moms and will Nurse Her Cubs for 2 to 3 Years

    Shown with One of Her Four Cubs

    Photographed in Katmai National Park, Alaska

    Conservation Status- Least Concern



    Do you know?

     Four Brown Bear Cubs in a Litter is Uncommon

    Photographed in Katmai National Park, Alaska

    Conservation Status- Least Concern


    Do you know?

    The Polar Bear is the Largest Bear and Very Threatened by Climate Change

    Photograhed near Hudson Bay, Manitoba, Canada

    Conservation Status- Vulnerable


    Do you know?

    The Giant Panda eats Bamboo- a Plant that Few Other Animals Eat!

    For more information- please see Giant Panda page  

    Photograhed in Chengdu, China

    Conservation Status- Vulnerable



    Do you know?

    There are more Tigers in Captivity than in the Wild but This is Not One of Them!


    This 10-month-old Bengal Tiger was photographed in Bandhavgarh National Park in India in March 2019.  More tiger photographs and information found in India page under Asia section 

    Conservation Status- Endangered


    Do you know?

    There were fewer than 200 Indian Rhinos (also called Greater One-horned Rhinoceros) 100 years ago but now there are more than 3000.


    The Government of India and many conservation organizations such as the International Rino Foundation have lead the Rhino recovery.

    This Greater One-horned Rhino Mom and her Calf were photographed in Kariranga Nationa Park in India in March 2019

     More Rhino photographs and information found in India page under Asia section 

    Conservation Status- Vulnerable



    Do you know?


    Asian Elephants form Lifelong Friendships and can Live for Decades in the Same Family Group!


    One expression of love is for an Asian Elephant to hold another's tail with their trunk as this young elephant is doing to a baby sibling or cousin.

    These Asian Elephants siblings or cousins were photographed in Kariranga Nationa Park in India in March 2019

     More Asian Elephant photographs and information found in India page under Asia section 

    Conservation Status- Endangered



    Do you know?

    The Three-toed Sloth is the Slowest Mammal in the World!

    They travel 0.003 miles per hour- only 100 feet during the day!!

    Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth Photographed in Costa Rica

    Conservation Status- Least Concern



    Do you know?

    The Cheetah is the Fastest Land Animal with speed up to 70 mph!

    Photographed at White Oak Conservation Center Yulee, Florida

    Conservation Status- Vulnerable



    Do you know?

    Sharp-tailed Grouse will Gather in the Spring at Leks to Dance and Select Mates

    Photograhed at Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge

    Burleigh County North Dakota

    Conservation Status- Least Concern



    Do you know?

    The Western Meadowlark is the state bird of six states: Montana, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming.

    Western Meadowlark and Sharp-tailed Grouse

    Photographed at Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge North Dakota

    Conservation Status- Least Concern



    Do you know?

    The Solar Eclipse Totality

    Was Watched in Person or Electronically by 215 Million People in United States

    Corona photographed in Southeast Wyoming

    August 21, 2017



    Do you know?

     Total solar eclipses are rare events. Although they occur somewhere on Earth every 18 months on average, it is estimated that they recur at any given place only once every 360 to 410 years, on average.

    Diamond Ring and Solar Prominence photgraphed in Southeast Wyoming

    August 21, 2017



    Do you know?

    There were only 15 Whooping Cranes Alive in the 1940s!

    Photographed in Burleigh County, North Dakota April 19, 2019

    Conservation Status- Endangered


    Do you know?

    The Red-tailed Hawk can be Seen from Alaska to Panama

    Photographed in Morton County, North Dakota April 19, 2019

    Conservation Status- Least Concerned



    Do you know?

    Mule Deer Fawns will Stay with Their Mom for One Year

    This Mule Deer Mom and Her Two Fawns were photographed in

    Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Dakota

    Conservation Status- Least Concern



    Do you know?

    Guanocos have Four Times as Many Red Blood Cells as Humans which Allows Them to Graze at 13,000 feet (4000 meters)!

    These Guanocos were photographed before The Three Towers in

    Torres del Paine National Park, Chile

    Conservation Status- Least Concern



    Do you know?

    The King Penguin is the 2nd Largest Penguin (after Emporer Penguins)!

    These King Penguins Mom and Baby were photographed at

    South Georgia

    Conservation Status- Least Concern



    Do you know?

    The Gentoo Penguin is the Fastest Swimming in Water Penguin and can Reach Speed of 22 mph (386 km/h)

    This Gentoo Penguin was photographed at 

    Falkland Islands

    Conservation Status- Least Concern



    Do you know?

    Roseate Spoonbills gets Their Pink Color from the Crustaceans that They Eat (containing pigments called carotenoids) 

    These Roseate Spoonbills were photographed in 

    St. Augustine, Florida

    Conservation Status- Least Concern



    Do you know?

    The Badger can Dig Faster than any Animal in the World!  

    This American Badger was photographed in 

    Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Dakota

    Conservation Status- Least Concern



    Do You Know?

    Birds can Talk to Their Babies before They are Born!


    There is emerging evidence that baby chicks can hear their parents while still in the egg!  Canada Geese are fierce protectors of their nest and babies.  This photograph was taken at Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge from my car.  Mom may have been saying "Don't worry babies, I won't let him come close."  I stayed away and used a telephoto lens to capture the conversation.

    Conservation Status- Least Concern


    https://www.allaboutbirds.org/baby-birds-learn-calls-from-their-mothers-while-still-in-the-egg/




    Do You Know?

    Female Mountain Bluebirds are the nest builders.  


    Males sometimes enact a kind of symbolic nest-building—miming the act of bringing nesting material to the cavity, but actually carrying nothing, or else dropping their burdens en route. The female builds the insulated nest by herself, usually working hardest in the early morning. She entirely fills the cavity floor with coarse, dry grass stems and other vegetation, hollowing out a cup just large enough to allow her to cover her eggs snugly, with a maximum interior diameter of about 2 inches. The cup is usually greater than 2 inches deep, and placed as far as possible from the entrance hole. Cavity size determines the nest’s exact external dimensions. The female lines the cup with finer plant material, such as fine grass stems and narrow strips of soft bark, and also in some cases with wool or feathers. The whole process can take several days to more than a week. Mountain Bluebirds often reuse nest cavities within and between breeding seasons, and accumulating nesting material can pile up to the level of the entrance hole.

    Conservation Status- Least Concern


    https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/lifehistory


    Do You Know?

    Dad Mountain Bluebird stand Guard as Mom builds the nest


    Athough female Mountain Bluebirds are the nest builders, her mate stands guard and make sure the coast is clear as she flies to the nest.  He often signs to her and calls her to the nest.  Both males and females will fiercely defend the nest.  The female will stay on the eggs for 14 days.  Once born, the babies will stay in the nest for 18-21 days.


    Conservation Status- Least Concern



    Do You Know?

    Sandhill Crane Chicks are Born Ready to Go (Precocial)


    The chicks are precocial; they hatch covered in down, with their eyes open, and able to leave the nest within a day. The parents brood the chicks for up to three weeks after hatching, feeding them intensively for the first few weeks, then gradually less frequently until they reach independence at 9 to 10 months old.  The chicks remain with their parents until one to two months before the parents lay the next clutch of eggs the following year, remaining with them 10–12 months. After leaving their parents, the chicks form nomadic flocks with other juveniles and nonbreeders. They remain in these flocks until they form breeding pairs at between two and seven years old.


    Note: Although able to walk on the first day, the baby on the right had trouble navigating deep bison mud holes and tripped.


    Conservation Status- Least Concern


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandhill_crane


    Do you know that Jaguars are the Third Largest Cat?


    How Big are the Big Cats?  


    • Tiger- male and female tigers weigh 100–306 kg (220–675 pounds) and 75–167 kg (165–368 lb) respectively
    • Lion- male and female lions typically weigh 150–249.5 kg (331–550 lb) and 110–182 kg (243–401 lb) respectively
    • Jaguar- weighs normally in the range of 56–96 kg (123–212 lb). Exceptionally big males have been recorded to weigh as much as 158 kg (348 lb). The smallest females weigh about 36 kg (79 lb). Females are typically 10–20 percent smaller than males.
    • Leopard- males weigh 37–90 kg (82–198 lb), females may weigh 28–60 kg (62–132 lb)
    • Snow Leopard- usually weigh 22 to 55 kg (49 to 121 lb), with an exceptional specimen reaching 75 kg (165 lb)


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_cat


    Jaguar conservation status- Near Threatened 15,000 in the wild



    Why is the Giant River Otter called the "River Wolf" (Lobo del Rio in Spanish)


    1. The Giant River Otter is a fierce hunter and apex predator like the Wolf
    2. Giant River Otters live in groups (called Holts) while Wolves live in Packs
    3. Both Giant River Otters and Wolves hunt together in groups
    4. Both Giant River Otters and Wolves have sharp teeth and claws
    5. Giant River Otter Holts consist on a monogamous pair and their offspring as does a Wolf Pack
    6. Baby Otters are called pups as are Baby Wolves
    7. Both Giant River Otters and Wolves dig dens where they have their babies
    8. Both Giant River Otters and Wolves establish and defend their territories


    Giant River Otter conservation status- Endangered 5,000 in the wild



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