It’s not uncommon to see hawks sitting on bales like these; I imagine they’re a great vantage point for scoping out some tasty rodents. What I thought was unique was the fact that two of these hawks were sitting facing each other. I tried to get a little closer for a tighter photo, but of course they soon departed.
On a side note, I once heard that these round bales are going to be banned by the USDA in the near future. Apparently the livestock can’t get a “square meal” out of ’em!
These two critters slowed down and walked very tentatively across the shore ice. I didn’t stay more than a few seconds so I don’t know if they made it without breaking through. I suspect they may have bolted across because of a pair of coyotes we saw out on the ice earlier. Neither are something you’d expect to see while out along the river on a nice, sunny afternoon!
There’s one trademark Badlands shot I wanted to get on this trip, a line of horses at full gallop with a glorious fall Badlansd background. It was not to be. They did plenty of other things for my camera, including hugging the center line for a stretch, however.
He looked a little scared and disoriented so I, as a bird whisperer, decided to befriend him. I grabbed a little stick and put it by his feet so he had a better place to perch. After all, a little bird’s feet are not meant to sit on a flat metal surface; they need something around which to curl. He seemed pretty content with that, although a little out of sorts.
I talked to him a little bit and showed him to the other guys on the crew. He hung out with us for a minute or so, even hopping on a friend’s shoulder for a second, before regaining his composure and flying away. I figure he must have bonked into the window and rung his bell a little bit. In any case, it was nice to hang out with him briefly until he was ready to get back to being a bird.
Naturally I bolted over. I lamented the fact that I sold my razor-sharp 100mm Canon macro lens this spring to buy more accessories for my new 7D camera. Then I had an epiphany: during some free time at work last week I stumbled upon the fact that my 10-22 wide angle lens will focus to around four inches! That’s very close, and means I still have a “macro lens” in my arsenal. That’s what I used on the butterflies.
I got my own little “squee” moment this weekend with my kids at the Dakota Zoo. This little baby prairie dog was poking around right by the glass where my 2 year old could watch him. He was so adorable I had to wait until he did something cute, like starting to nom some corn!
It’s been customary in years past to pick out a bunny who seems particularly comfortable hanging out near the house (in a window well, for instance) and call him Greg. The reason for this is that I enjoyed the short-lived “Greg the Bunny” TV show, starring Seth Green and Eugene Levy.
We now have a pair. What do we call ’em? Greg never had a bunny companion in the show. I guess for the limited use the name enjoys, we’ll simply refer to them as “the Gregs.”
Why do the Gregs like hanging out by that can of racing fuel? Probably a coincidence, although it really does qualify for my nickname of “high speed perfume.” It smells GREAT, although you can probably feel the brain cells dying if you catch a whiff. At $20 a gallon, it costs almost as much as perfume! Maybe it smells like carrots on some level…
The Dakota Zoo is still open from 1pm to 5pm Friday through Sunday, weather permitting. More information at www.dakotazoo.org.
Sadly, my available lunch time went quickly. The birds settled into the water and floated away as I got up, and we parted ways as I hiked back to the truck. Hopefully the session was as entertaining for them as it was for me!