Happy Easter!

An early start to prairie color, this pasque flower is living up to its name. They should open up over the next few days.

Scent Post

 

Some of us read the local news each morning. Coyotes check their scent posts for the latest  information. Occasionally the news is updated.

Technical: Reconyx Ultrafire cameras are placed in selected Scientific and Natural Areas under a special permit from the MN DNR.

Diversity

This view from the top of a prairie knob shows both a remnant of the virgin prairie and the current status of the prairie restoration. The image below was taken on the same property showing the diversity of this scientific and natural area: Cedar Mountain SNA. The name is somewhat of an oxymoron since this "mountain" is within in a mile of the Minnesota River, in the heart of the valley.

Winter Coat

Not needed today. The longer it stays warm the happier this guy will be. Red squirrels and grays tend to sleep in cold weather but fox squirrels are out most of the winter, benefiting from more fur and body fat. The red squirrels we see at feeders are taking advantage of a free meal and in the process giving us a few hours of entertainment.

Three blind mice

The title is the first thought that comes to mind when I see this camera trap image. When watching them scurry around I can understand how that term was coined. There was near constant motion for around this pile acorns nestled at the base of the log. About 2500 files were captured over a 2 week period. The task of reviewing them for unique content or other creatures has been completed so now the fun of putting a video together is the next step.  It will be M rated, definitely not for those who are squeamish at the sight of a mouse.

Fox squirrel at the knot

I love this pose. Squirrels frequently stopped for a picture on their in and out of this log. Shots coming out are much more appealing than those going in. I thing these are the second most colorful animals in the woods with the red fox being number one. I have yet to capture one of those in a camera trap here. That seeks to their scarcity in the habitat or extreme shyness. My guess is the former.

Technical: It could be argued the squirrel is centered but I think the composition works because of the depth provided by the distant trees.

Gray Squirrel Framed

A little light on blogging recently but should be getting into the swing of it again. I was unable to get my camera trap for a couple weeks and had a few thousand files to review, among other things. Most files were mice at night but a few were squirrels during the day. This hollow log is a treasure chest for squirrels where they eat acorns while sheltered from the weather and birds of prey.
Technical: still image from Reconyx Ultrafire, medium tone curve in Lightroom and slight sharpening.

Winter Begins

What a difference a little snow makes! I was in the woods when the first snow came on Thanksgiving and watched the animals while staying warm but getting a little wet. 

Are you done?

Getting two animals interacting in a single frame is always exciting. Their communication is left to the imagination and creativity of each viewer. How would you title this image? If you are interested in creative squirrel photography follow this link: The Secret Life of Squirrels

Keeping Dry

I was in the woods as it started snowing yesterday and recorded some good fall to winter transition footage as the ground turned white. this guy was busy stocking up but could not figure out who else would be moving around in this kind of weather.

Technical: My last post had some footage uploaded directly to the blog instead of going through YouTube. Apparently it is not visible on all platforms so I'll go back to the intermediate step unless someone knows how to get footage visible to all using a direct upload.

First Snow

The first snow of the season has a different meaning to each of us. For me it is the beginning of a season of simplicity. The jangle of grass stems and twisted leaves will soon be covered leaving a clean palette of white and contrasting lines on the prairie. There is also a peace and tranquility with only sounds of the snow hitting the blades of grass and wildflowers. 

Are you watching me?

This guy was busy burying acorns when he looked up and suddenly realized I was not a tree. Working in such close quarters I had a hard time maintaining focus and keeping him in the frame.

Technical: cropped vertical from C100 video frame

Planning Ahead

Fox squirrels are busy storing acorns for the winter. An interesting article about how their stored nuts are found and how they choose to put certain acorns in the ground can be found at: How do squirrels find their nuts?

Technical: Frame capture from C100 video, cropped to 35 mm format

Getting the "eye"

After this fox squirrel had foraged for acorns to within 4 feet of me he discovered I was not part of the normal landscape. He then climbed a nearby tree and watched me for a few minutes while trying to make up his mind. Finally he moved on. 

Technical: still image taken with Canon C100

November Color

The golden color of October has faded. I'm grateful for blue sky in November. One of my current projects is recording squirrel behavior. Yesterday I donned an orange vest and went out looking of them. I saw a nice deer but the final shot of my sequence did not happen. 

Morning Glow

Prairie color is getting scarce and the morning sun is now giving the best color. It can be rare to see, given recent overcast mornings and high temperatures. I closely watch the forecast and head out for ground fog and golden light if the dew point and morning temperatures are the same. If the wind is quiet an added benefit is dew covered spider webs.

Monarchs on a Stick

I had to share this shot in honor of the last weekend of the Minnesota State Fair. I have not attended it in at least a decade but always marvel at what is placed on a stick to eat. While these monarchs are safe from consumption, I like the analogy. 

Dead or Alive?

When I saw this monarch I wondered if it had been caught in a web or the web was built around it. A leg moved for a second and my question was answered. The chilly nights bring these butterflies to a standstill and make for great photo opportunities before they warm up in the morning sun.

Technical: Canon 7D and 100 mm macro.

At the Rock

This small puddle has intrigued me for the last several months so I put a camera on it for most of the month of June. I was hoping for some small critters but was pleasantly surprised by the pheasant rooster.

Any softness in focus is due to me putting the camera too close to the rock. The camera has a minimum sharpness range about 40 inches and I crept in a  little to close. All sounds with still images were recorded at Cottonwood Prairie using an iPhone6 Audio during the video was recorded on the Reconyx.

A Tripod & iPhone

Standing out in the crowd

You can't get much lighter than that. My initial attempts iPhonography were dismal. Of course, it was the quality of the phone's camera. Then I noticed I was ignoring all the principals of photography. Getting back to the basics, a tripod and shooting the light, changed my shots. Technology in the 21st century may have changed but photography is still the same as it has been since the 19th century. Now I just have to remember to turn off the phone when out in the prairie.