Photo of the Day

Comet Neowise!

for more photos, please see Night Sky page in Dakota Region!

 Comet Neowise

 Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

Photo of the Day- July 18, 2020

What is New!

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

Photo of the Day

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

Over 969 photos added to Dakota Region in 2020 as of August 2, 2020

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

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!

"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- 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 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

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