Connecting Children with Nature
Welcome to Dakota Reflections
Nature Photography, Education and Conservation
&
Stephen L McDonough Family
Wildlife Conservation Fund
Photo of the Day
"A Cheerful Bird!"
Black-capped Chickadee
Burleigh County, North Dakota
Photo of the Day- 2/25/2021
For more Black-capped Chickadee photos, please see Dakota Songbird page in Dakota Region tab
What is New in 2021!
Photo of the Day
2/25/202 Black-capped Chickadee
2/22/2021 Cedar Waxwing
2/4/2021 Canada Geese
2/3/2021 Mule Deer
2/2/2021 River Otter
2/1/2021 Coyote
1/31/2021 American Bison
1/30/2021 American Bald Eagle
1/29/2021 Golden Eagle
1/28/2021 Elk
1/23/2021 Rough-legged Hawk
1/16/2021 American Bald Eagles
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
66 photos added to Dakota Region in 2021 as of March 1, 2021
49 photos added to Yellowstone page in the National Park tab in 2021 as of February 13, 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!
What was New in 2020!
What was New in 2019!
What was New in 2018!
What was New in 2017!
What was New in 2016!
What was New in 2015!
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?
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)
Giant River Otter conservation status- Endangered 5,000 in the wild
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