snow | The Prairie Ecologist

We had a few days of real winter this last week, including a little snow and some freezing temperatures. As a result, I had a few chances to go out and photograph snow, ice, and frost. It was great! Now, the temperatures are back to a spring-like feel and it looks like it’ll be that way for a while.

Who do I complain to about the winter temperatures being too warm? I don’t feel like I’ll get a lot of empathy from most people around me.

Well, anyway, here are some photos of actual gosh-darned winter conditions, in case you’re interested.

Blue grama and snow. Gjerloff Prairie – Prairie Plains Resource Institute.

I had a nice morning at the little reservoir north of town. I didn’t come away with a ton of photos I liked, but I enjoyed being out. There was a trumpeter swan on the water, which isn’t something I see everyday, especially around here.

I also followed a little pack of tree sparrows around and managed to get a couple photos, though I had to significantly crop them to make them look ok. Tree sparrows don’t usually let me get very close. Apart from that, my photography was limited largely because the ice wasn’t thick enough to walk on so I could only work along the edges of the lake and stream.

A day after I was at the reservoir, I headed to my favorite frozen wetland at the Platte River Prairies. The ice was (mostly) thick enough to walk on, as long as I took it slowly and backed up when I heard cracking sounds. Then, of course, if there was something I really wanted to get close to, I’d approach again, but on my belly, with my weight spread out as much as possible. (As always, I’ll remind you that the water at my favorite frozen wetland is only a foot or so deep, so my life was not in serious danger.)

Accumulated snow and frost around the base of cattails

As you can see from the above three photos, the ice wasn’t clear enough to produce a lot of ice bubble photos, which was a disappointment, but there was some decent frost to photograph. There were also some fun mysteries to ponder, including where the bug (above) came from and why/how it ended up on the top of the ice. I don’t need to know the answer – it’s just fun to imagine scenarios.

Frost between the frozen wetland surface and a plant stem

I was about ready to leave when I came across the feathers. Some good-sized bird (duck?) had met its demise and had been picked apart by a predator, leaving feathers scattered all over the ice. The combination of feathers and frost is a good one for photography, so I stayed an extra half hour and had fun with various compositions. This was one of those places where the ice was a little iffy, so all these were photographed from the prone position.

A bunch of feathers strewn across the ice

A second perspective on the same frosty feather

Well, now it’s warm out again. Some people would call it pleasant, and I’d agree with that if it was April. For now, it makes me grumpy. A little precipitation would make me feel better, even if it’s rain instead of snow. At this point, I’d be glad for anything wet falling out of the sky.

Well, not ANYTHING. I wouldn’t want soggy socks, for example, dropping on my head. Or sodden rolls of toilet paper.

Anyway, I want winter. Please? Just for a few more weeks.

Last week, a thundersnow storm dropped five inches of snow here in central Nebraska, and prolonged windy conditions knocked power out for much of our area. The weather seems to be fighting both itself and us.

Yesterday, though, was a very pleasant day. I took a midday break from work and made a quick stop at our family prairie to make sure everything was ok. It was. Since there were some diffuse clouds making good light for close-up photography, I wandered around a little to see if I could find any reason to exercise my macro lens. I quickly found a cute little millipede near a badger dig but it didn’t feel like sticking around for photos.

Next, I wandered over the the melting remnants of a big snow drift. I laid down in the wet grass near the edge and perused the snow for any movement. There was more happening than you might expect.

Some of the last remnants of last week’s big storm.

First, I found a few sprigs of prairie plants sticking out of the snow and played with them. Once I was tuned in, though, I started seeing movement and found quite a few little insects. Twenty minutes later, with wet elbows and knees, I got up and headed back to work. Here are some of the insects I found on the snow:

Barklouse. I was proud of myself for recognizing this one!

Why were all these insects hanging out on the snow? The air temperature was in the mid-50’s (Fahrenheit), so it’s not surprising they were active, but why hang out on a big pile of ice crystals instead of somewhere warmer? Were they looking for something? Taking advantage of the sun exposure, even though it made their feet cold? I don’t know.

Even though they were all smaller than a grain of rice, the insects stood out because of their movement on a white background. That was convenient for me, of course, but also seems like a vulnerability to any predators hanging around. I don’t have to understand it, I can just be grateful to see all those little friends, and for the chance to start warming up for the coming field season full of insects and many other small wonders.

I haven’t seen any wildflowers yet, but we’re getting close to that time. Maybe just one or two more snowstorms first? Happy spring, everyone.

The Prairie Ecologist

Essays, photos, and discussion about prairie ecology, restoration, and management

Tag Archives: snow

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