No One Was There To See It

I love this image of empty benches and red steam rising from Old Faithful on a stormy night.

The park was still crowded at the end of August just before Labor Day weekend. During the day hundreds of people filled the benches around Old Faithful to watch the world's most famous geyser erupt.

Yet, at 4am the benches were empty and no one else was there to see this unlikely sight.

I'm glad I was.

 

Finally....

A few years ago I noticed a blue flag iris like this growing at the edge of a pond in summer. I never took any photos, but really liked how it looked.

At the time I didn't even know what kind of flower it was.

Over the next couple of years I noticed the flower growing near different ponds and lakes I visited.

Every time I found them, either the flowers were past their prime and not looking the best or I didn't have my camera with me.

This past weekend everything changed.

I went looking to photograph elk near Clam Lake Wisconsin and only saw two elk after sunset. Needless to say, I didn't get any elk photos, but I did find a great looking blue flag iris growing at the edge of a small pond.

 

The first evening I found the flower I only had a couple of minutes to take pictures before the sun went behind the trees and I lost my light.

So I was there the next morning by 6:30 to get another shot at it. In my head I had an idea of the image that I wanted to create. 

I'm glad I went back because I was able to get the photo that I had imagined and a bunch more as well.

Dinner

A hungry coyote licks its lips as it trots through a black-tailed prairie dog town in western North Dakota.




Prairie dogs stand near their burrow entrances and bark alarm calls so every prairie dog knows danger is near.




The coyote can see and smell dinner everywhere, but the element of surprise is gone. It continues at a moderate pace acting disinterested in all of the towns residents. The coyote did a wonderful job of acting as if it was just passing through and nothing to worry about.

One prairie dog stayed above ground at a burrow entrance as the coyote neared to within three feet. In a flash the coyote faked a step away from the prairie dog and then quickly dove back towards it, grabbing the prairie dog by the head and neck.




The coyote carried the prairie dog away from nearby burrow entrances before stopping to eat.




The coyote began to eat.




In just a few minutes the coyote was done and walked off. I was really impressed with the hunting tactics used by the coyote to catch the prairie dog. Up until the coyote faked the move one way and snatched the prairie dog, everything about its body language and demeanor said just passing through, nothing to worry about. Good work to get dinner.