Badlands Snow

 
It has been awhile since my last post, it seems the more time I'm out the less time I have to write. I recently went through Badlands NP after a light snowfall. This was the first time in the park with snow and the textures popped. By the time I was through the park most of it had melted, I can't wait to get back.

Instagram is currently my primary sharing outlet, usually with a couple posts each week. I can be found: @dale_bohlke

Technical: 3 image panorama

Pattison SP Postcard

   

This was part of the week filming prairie chickens and sharp-tail grouse. Not quite as exciting as wildlife. The editing challenge is getting sound to match the intensity of the action and setting a pace with the clips that fits the mood of the morning. Enjoy!

Getting Back on Track

I watched this raven struggle in the snow as it worked its way to the trail leading back to a carcass while in Yellowstone. It's tempting to relate this raven's struggle with current events.

Warming up

I've spent the last several days in Yellowstone and took a break this afternoon to catch up on downloading files and relax. It may be hard to believe but filming wildlife can be exhausting! Frustrating toowhen your perfect capture  becomes a reject when seen on the screen.  Lots more to come, Yellowstone is living up to its reputation as the Serengeti of North America.

Classic Minnesota

With a classic blizzard I thought I would share yesterday's classic winter activity, watching the bird feeder. Today the work begins, shoveling and firing up the snowblower. Tomorrow the ski trails should be groomed and the fun begins.

Bison and Mill

These transplanted bison have become the rage for visitors at Minneopa State Park. Given the limited viewing times and the variability of bison behavior it took awhile to get a shot I had visualized. The Seppman mill in the background has long been the prairie shot to give a sense of place. Putting the two subjects together makes this a 21st century shot. The bison are one step in a very slow moving process of prairie restoration.

Water in Transition

It is not really winter or is it autumn, just a prolonged transition to cold. This waterfall was nearly dry last December but was a great location to explore over the weekend. Southwestern Minnesota has a number of waterfalls that are not as high as those as the north shore but are dramatic in relation to the stark prairie that surrounds them.

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. 

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. 

Snowy Moose

by Angela Bohlke

For a two hour period we had nonstop photo opportunities. More unique shots were taken between 6 and 8 am than the previous 10 days. I looked great as a tour guide and had a blast watching the images being captured. It was a time to sit back and enjoy the moment. 

Boar on the Move

By Angela Bohlke

This bear was on the move during an early morning snowfall. Later in the morning we saw it being chased by a couple coyotes. Technical: recorded with a 200 mm lens sticking out the car window. 

Wandering

This trail in the snow reminds me of one of my favorite quotations "Not all those who wander are lost." by J. R. R. Tolkien. This coyote was on a mission of survival in search of food.

Winter Red

Man its tough finding color on the prairie in January! Warming to 7000K helped with the grasses but I was looking for something more vibrant. I found these rose hips and with carefully burrowing into the snow I could minimize the background distractions. The red was slightly enhanced in Lightroom but comes primarily from fill flash.

Prairie Trail

Winter is a great time to see animal signs on the prairie. It may a longstanding deer trail or you may find a story in the snow showing recent wildlife activity. Unfortunately the only thing warm about the prairie in the winter is its color. The wind can be brutal!

October in Yellowstone

The clouds were changing almost hourly making it an excellent time to collect time-lapse footage. The weather went form 70 degrees to 40 degrees one afternoon! Reviewing the bison footage surprised me because each appears to move in synchrony with the others when feeding.

LED Light Flicker

I was photographing snow in during very early one morning using a LED flashlight to illuminate the snow. When I reviewed the images several had this pattern. The exposure was 30 seconds and the only explanation I can think of is the light source. Canon advertises that there new 7D will have pulse detection to trigger the shutter during  the brightest light.   It probably won't be effective with a 30 second exposure but at least I know the problem they are trying to correct.

I think winter is over.

This bison crossing walking through snow exemplifies the feeling I had in March while watching it's struggle. Bring on the birds!

Lamar Swimmers

This is another in the series of short videos taken last month while in Yellowstone for a week. March is March wherever you are so the weather was typically overcast but that seemed to be the best time for wildlife activity. During a couple sunny days very little was seen. Why film Canada geese in Yellowstone? I tend to see them as a nuisance in city parks but that's only because they have adapted so well to our manipulation of the landscape. It was nice to see them in a completely different environment.

Yellowstone Moose

Daily life in Yellowstone and for wildlife in general is far different than what TV, even the venerable PBS Nature, shows. Most of the time the struggle for survival is based on energy acquisition and conservation, eating and resting to put it simply. I find complete joy watching for subtle nuances of behavior as animals go about their mundane tasks.