Photo of the Week – December 10, 2010

Sunrise over frozen wetland. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Springer Basin Waterfowl Production Area - Nebraska

First light is a great time to have a camera in hand, especially when there are a few clouds on the horizon to diffuse the sunlight slightly .  In this case, the sun was so low that only the tops of the wetland plants were lit up.

Springer Basin is one of hundreds of shallow wetlands scattered around south-central Nebraska.  Called “rainwater basins,” they are created by many years of wind scouring the soil away from underlying clay soils.  They fill with water when it rains or snows and provide great habitat for shorebirds, waterfowl, and many other wetland creatures and plants – until they dry up again.

Photo of the Week – November 24, 2010

Sometimes the world gives me a big dope slap and reminds me to stop and look around.  This photo comes from exactly that kind of moment.

It was late afternoon and I was on an ATV, returning to the shop from doing some work on one of our prairies, when I suddenly realized that the light around me was pretty stunning, and the clouds and prairie weren’t too shabby-looking either.  Fortunately, although I didn’t have my “good” camera with me, I did have the sense to carry my little digital camera with me, and I was able to squeeze off a few shots before the light went away.

Restored sand prairie in late autumn - Platte River Prairies, Nebraska.

Even in the late fall after everything is well past blooming, and even most of the fluffy seeds have fallen, prairies are still beautiful.

I can’t imagine working anywhere else.