View allAll Photos Tagged Prairie
"Tallgrass prairie once covered 170 million acres of North America. Within a generation the vast majority was developed and plowed under. Today less than 4% remains, mostly here in the Kansas Flint Hills. The preserve protects a nationally significant remnant of the once vast tallgrass prairie and its cultural resources. Here the tallgrass prairie takes its last stand. " -From the National Park Website
When I moved to the suburbs of Chicago four years ago, I noticed that a boundless area in the western outskirts was coloured green on the map. It's named Glacial Park. I had thought of going there someday, but had forgotten about it.
A month before we moved out, one of the local photographers that I follow posted pictures of sunflowers and scenery at Glacial Park. Sunflowers are my favourite flowers. I never see them in my neighbourhood. The park looked attractive. I asked her the location of the sunflower field (thank you, Michelle). I went to both the field and the park two weeks before moving out.
This is the first sight of the park I had from the highway. The barn may look close, but it is about half a mile ahead of me. This may look like a small scale field, however, it is boundlessly wide and large. Due to the strong backlight, my fatigue, and the rural scenery I saw on the way to the park, I still have a vivid and striking impression of this sight.
A Prairie Coyote (Canis latrans) on the prairie landscape of the National Bison Range near St. Ignasius, Montana, U.S.A.
14 October, 2011.
Slide # GWB_20111014_3151.CR2
Use of this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission is not permitted.
© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.
Prairie smoke, or pink plumes (Geum triflorum) usually has three rose colored flowers hanging down from a reddish, hairy stalk. The most apparent parts of the blooms are bracts and sepals, while the petals are pale pink, yellow or white and may not be visible without handling the flowers. When the seeds develop the blooms turn upright and splay out “plumes,” actually elongated styles (female part of the flower) that suggest smoke when breezes toss the stalks back and forth. In “Wild About Wildflowers” the flowers ready to disperse seeds are likened to “miniature versions of Dr. Seuss’ truffula trees.”
Dense populations of prairie smoke can produce a rose hue in moist meadows.
Some days there are gorgeous sunrises and awesome bears or moose to photograph...then there are prairie dog days. Beats sitting on the couch I guess... :)
The Museum at Prairie Fire is a rather uniuqe and colorful building to say the least. It celebrates the living history of this region and the whole world. If you look closely you can see a T Rex hidden in the left corner inside the complex.
Mike D.
Certainly not a rare wildflower in the remnant and restored tallgrass prairies around here, but during our visit to the restored prairie on the grounds of the Herbert Hoover Birthplace National Historic Site I found the nicest display I have seen-both purple and white.
WooHoo! More beauties out front in God's new garden! This is not a life bird for my yard, but a great bird for my yard here in Orlando. Having fun with Fall Migration and that the birds are enjoying my brand new native/Florida friendly front yard! WooHoo, thank you, Jesus!
Black-tailed prairie dogs on top of their burrow, they are somtimes posing in such a funny way. Rocky Moutain Arsenal NWR, CO
Prairie homes dot the landscape of the northern Great Plains, abandoned as farms grew larger and the descendants of the original owners built new, modern homes. Still, they stand silent and slightly foreboding, guarding the stories of trial and tribulation faced by the pioneers.
A Prairie Coyote (Canis latrans) chows down a rodent it captured in a small meadow near the Town of Jasper in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
22 October, 2012.
Slide # GWB_20121022_1290.CR2
Use of this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission is not permitted.
© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.
Ranging from the Upper North Eastern states and down into Florida, this warbler is found in swamps, bogs and brushy areas .... but not even close to being in the Prairies, so the name doesn't describe its habitat preferences.
Josone Park
Varadero, Cuba
Delaware State Forest, Pennsylvania
Playing back the male warbler's song on an iPhone is super lame, obviously, but it's how (I suspect) most folks get those warbler images everyone loves to ooh and aah about. I don't use camo, blinds, bait, or playback in my photography, but I thought it would be good to demonstrate the ridiculousness of playing back calls. Select a perch you like, hit play, wait a few seconds, et voilà!
They're all gathered at their burrow because an alarm was sounded for some threat. This time, I think it was someone walking near.
It's interesting to watch them develop. Just a week ago, they never wandered further than a few feet from the burrow. Now, they're out foraging, maybe up to 50-feet away. Still, they're all alert for threats and scurry back to the burrow whenever an alarm is sounded. I think there are unique alarms for things like birds of prey vs. people walking or a car nearing. They react with different degrees of caustion.
Markham park
Thanks for the visits, faves and comments its greatly appreciated.
The prairie warbler is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. These birds have yellow underparts with dark streaks on the flanks, and olive upperparts with rusty streaks on the back; they have a yellow line above the eye, a dark line through it, and a yellow spot below it. Wikipedia
I was thrilled to get some great looks at this beautiful Prairie Warbler as he went about foraging in the scrub. It was a comfortably cool morning blessed with great light on the eve of our first blast of 90 degree temps.
Prince William Co. VA
Second in my small critter series is this shot of very typical Black-tailed Prairie Dog interaction.
These little guys and gals kiss and hug each other very frequently. The behavior has several likely purposes, including greeting, identifying each other, reinforcing social bonds and even posturing during a dispute.
Watching these charming rituals never gets old.
This sentinel refused to review my references from a local Richardson's Squirrel colony, and thus limited my access to its confreres during my brief recent visit.