Underway at Last

… in so many ways

Posts tagged ‘Tamron 150-600mm’

Back to Neal Smith- with better luck

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We were on our way to Des Moines this morning, and the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge is only 10 miles away, so….

Today the buffalo were VERY close to the road. In fact, they crossed the road behind and in front of our car. They did not seem at all bothered by our presence. We did not see the elk this time, but there is a baby buffalo- so cute! His (her?) mama nudged him across the road just in front of us. My hubby was my very patient chauffeur, thank you, Mark!!

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Buffaloed by Bison

 

Today I learned how difficult it can be to photograph a buffalo/bison that is only interested in grazing with its head down and its rear end facing the camera, from inside a car a good distance away, in a 40 mph wind. We saw plenty of buffalo and elk at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge.

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Sandhill Cranes

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Sitting overnight in a box, in a snowstorm, on the banks of the Platte River, with another equally crazy person? Priceless!

 

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The view from our blind at sundown- if we could only have seen the sun set.

Romance in the Rookery

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Love is in the air! We visited a rookery near Venice, FL today. It’s a favorite nesting place for herons, egrets, and anhingas. Could be that the alligators swimming around this small island and sunning themselves on it keep other predators away from the nesting birds. The egret (above) has fancy plumage and a green stripe on its face to attract a mate.

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This is how baby birds are made.

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See the tiny baby egret near the parent’s beak. (Ok- this baby belongs to a different pair– not the lovebirds shown above.)