Sandhills Crane

Sandhills Crane, 2022 The light was pretty good for this mid-morning shot. Not too hot yet, and the birds were active. This photo was taken at the Wildlife Safari Park near Ashland, Nebraska. The drive-thru park has a wide variety of animals, all native to Nebraska except for the lonely Black Bear. Animals have plenty … Continue reading Sandhills Crane

Love Birds

Downy Woodpeckers There has been an unusual amount of traffic at the suet feeder this spring, both in numbers and variety. This looked like a "date" between these two Downy Woodpeckers (male with red spot). This is a lousy picture (above)-- taken from a trail cam on a windy day. But the video shows a … Continue reading Love Birds

Kestral

American Kestral - 2022 One of the more colorful raptors found in the Central Plains states is the American Kestral. The bird stands about 9-12" tall (roughly the size of a Mourning Dove) with a wingspan of 24". Becuase of its relatively small size for a bird-of-prey, it is sometimes called a Sparrow Hawk. Their … Continue reading Kestral

Perpetual Care

Barn Owl This barn owl looks healthy and full of life, but it wouldn't last long in the wild. He was hit by a moving vehicle, taken to the Raptor Woodland Refuge at the Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, and saved. He is healthy now, but can't fly well enough to feed himself. This is one … Continue reading Perpetual Care

Back Scratcher

Blue Heron - 2018 How do you get to that itch on your back that's just beyond your reach? Back up to a wall's outside corner and do the "Hokey Pokey". But, Mother Nature gave the Blue Heron a long neck so he could avoid the Hokey Pokey. Thought for the Day: I believe in … Continue reading Back Scratcher

Big Ears

Mule Deer Ever seen such big ears!? This mule deer doe must have sensed I was no threat, her fear instinct did not overtake her curiosity. But, she was cautious, only allowing one camera shot before returning to her breakfast. Even though she wasn't looking at me while grazing, her ears always pointed in my … Continue reading Big Ears

Alpaca

Sheep Protector During our ATV tour of the Comstock game reserve we came across this adorable alpaca. Good natured and easily approachable, I thought he was part of a "petting zoo" application that might appeal to young families. Not exactly. The alpaca was there to protect the sheep from coyotes. Thought for the Day: As … Continue reading Alpaca

Giraffe

An interesting animal, the giraffe. Exotic color and markings, obscenely tall (over 15') with spindly legs, surprisingly quick and agile, gentle demeanor, and a very particular eater. Its main food source is the thorny acacia tree, consuming 100 lbs of leaves and twigs per day. This photo was taken in the in Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater, … Continue reading Giraffe

Oh! Deer Me!

Young Doe I was surprised as she was. Our eyes met simultaneously and the realization of what we saw froze us both. The young doe seemed more curious than afraid, no flight instinct was apparent. She just stood there while I took several pictures, as if modeling for the paparazzi. After a while she sauntered … Continue reading Oh! Deer Me!

Ready for Take Off

This is the Black Swallowtail butterfly that was clinging to the railing of my deck.  (click here).  I just rotated the image 90 degrees to get a level front view.  It reminded me of a large airplane at the end of the runway. Since then, it has snowed almost 4 inches; hope he got cleared … Continue reading Ready for Take Off

Monarch Hatching

This is my second butterfly "raised" and released, DP-2.  Like clockwork, it hatched on the 10th day of pupation. When the larva (caterpillar) pupates, it spins a cocoon-like shell around itself hanging from the bottom of a milkweed leaf or the top of the jar in my case.  The chrysalis (cocoon) is green as I … Continue reading Monarch Hatching

DP-1 Lift Off

I started this little science project with a Monarch larva (caterpillar) on August 11th, when  DP-1 was less than 1/4" long.   It grew to over 1 1/2" long before it pupated on August 29th. After ten days in the pupa stage, a magnificent female Monarch butterfly hatched around noon on September 8th.  When we opened the … Continue reading DP-1 Lift Off