Tuliptree Blossom with Guest
Another Day at Work
Apis Workers' Party
Predator
Some of Your Beeswax
Sedum Bumbler
Look of Defiance
Chicory Bee
Bumbling Bees
Garden Cafe
Buzz By Here - To Infinity and Beyond
Pick Your Poison
Blind Side Attack
On a Mission
Honey Bee on Sedum
Covering the Cosmos
Center of the Cosmos
Three's a Crowd
Popular Spot
On A Pedestal
Big Harry Fireworks Display
To Impress the Girl
Different Perspective
Sweet Ride
Perfect Little Piggies B&W
Flipping the Light Fantastic
Festival of Flights
To the Crowd's Delight
Amish Go Round
Wondersome One
The Stars In Her Eyes
Tuesday's Child
Sleeper Hold
Considering the Next Move
Sugar and Spice
Front Porch Portrait
Caged Competitor
Early Adoration
Child In the Ligtht
Stroll Through the Weeds
Attention Grabbing
Eye Contact
On the Line
Eyes of Wonder
Rounding the Curve
Troubadours of Basin Spring Park
Down by the Creek
Sun Day
Catching Some Light
EAA Fireworks
Hear Me Roar
Animals
Rascal Duo
Two very young raccoons seem to be taking break on a green lawn during a sunny afternoon.
I was able to get a good batch of photos of these little rascals when they showed up – with no mother – on the front lawn or our rural Wisconsin home. Just search for “raccoon” with the search bar in the upper left is you’d like to see more of them.
If you’d like to see a larger, more detailed version of this photo, click on it and a full-screen view will be opened in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Eight Point Guard
This whitetail buck was standing guard as his mate grazed in the lush grasses of a clearing at Custer State Park in South Dakota.
You don’t have to look very closely to see the flies on this guy. There were many more that were swarming around these deer. In fact, the little dots of light, like bokeh, in this image are out of focus flies.
I happened along this pair while they were busy enjoying an early evening meal. As soon as I approached, the buck turned and faced me for the moment you see here and then, with a snort, turned and both ran off.
You can get a larger view of the deer and count the flies by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Unsightly
This is a softshell turtle I found deep in my unprocessed archives. This turtle (and its sidekick) were among the less appealing creatures I photographed on a visit to the Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, Missouri about 10 years ago.
These turtles are odd enough to make them interesting. They are also hideous enough to have been hidden in the archives for so long. Of course, you may feel differently. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
If you care to see this strange being in more detail, click on the image to view a larger version of this image.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Not Inclined to Share
This squirrel struck an unusual pose while snacking on a nut. He had just uncovered this nut from some hiding place in the vicinity. When I approached hi to ask for a nibble, he ran to the tree to eat in front of me.
I saw his squirrel on the grounds of College of the Ozarks at Point Lookout in southwest Missouri. We were in the Branson area and when we are we always try to make a trip to the college. We had and excellent lunch at the Keeter Center this time.
I have another image of a squirrel reclining in an odd way. Take a look at this one: https://popsdigital.com/pops-photos/planking/
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All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Home On the Range
A resident of Custer State Park in South Dakota, this prairie dog is poised at the entrance to his den – ready to jump in if I got any closer.
I was using a 300mm lens, so I wasn’t that close to begin with (maybe 30ft), but they are pretty skittish creatures. The prairie dog dens dot the landscape at the park. It’s fun to visit a prairie dog village and hear the chatter and warning signals they create.
You can get a better, larger view of this critter by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
A Begging Burro
This is one of the friendly “begging burros” of Custer State Park in the Black Hills area of South Dakota.
These burros have been peaceful residents of Custer State Park for nearly a century. They were first used as pack animals to get visitors from Sylvan Lake Lodge up the steep path to the summit of Black Elk Peak, the highest point in the U.S. east of the Rockies. When those tourist trips ended, the working burros were released to the wild and the small herd have been a favorite of Custer State Park visitors ever since.
On our trip to Custer, these were my wife’s favorite and we had to stop and feed and pet the burros. She got to know them pretty well. The one pictured here is a female and the mother of a young colt. She also seemed to be the ring leader and could be pretty pushy and rude to the others when tourists would offer apples and carrots and such.
You can get a better, more detailed view of this friendly face by clicking on the photo. When you do, a larger version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Buffalo Grass
American bison roam the prairie in Custer State Park. In this shot I was focused on the prairie grasses. This is one of those images that I would usually pass by but, for some reason, it struck a chord with me.
Custer State Park is in Custer County, in the Black Hills area of South Dakota. The park has a managed heard of about 1,500 bison. On any given day you will see many of them as you drive the roads of the park. In fact, sometimes they are on the road.
If you’re into grass, you can click on the photo and view a larger, more detailed version.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Kid Crusher
A young mountain goat posed for its portrait high above us. This was one of our delightful finds on our drive through Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills of South Dakota. If you look close, you can see the tiny, black nubs of its horns starting to show.
We had heard that there were mountain goats in the hills of Custer State park, but didn’t see any there. We saw a number of them in Spearfish Canyon – some up high and some grazing along the road. They seemed to be very comfortable with people and cars going by. More photos of the mountain goats will be coming in the future.
You can get a better, more detailed view of this youngster by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Safe Space
This very young raccoon kept me in its view as I walked around the tree he was sitting in. The was the last of the siblings that were hanging around our yard for a couple of weeks last summer. This was the only one I saw climbing and I was surprised by how well it was able to get up the tree for how small it was.
To add to the adorable nature of this photo, if you look closely, you will a little dirt on the tip of its nose. They would spend most of their time with their noses buried in the grass, hunting bugs and grubs and who knows what tiny raccoons eat.
You might be able to see the dirt better if you click on the photo. A larger version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Black Hills Buck
This was a nice find on our visit to Custer State Park in South Dakota. We were driving on one of the outer-edge roads of the park and spotted this young, white-tailed buck just off the road. We parked and I pursued him with my camera. It took awhile to catch him still for a moment. One of my favorite shots from the trip.
You can get a better view of this guy by clicking on the photo. When you do, a larger, more detailed version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me (pops@popsdigital.com) for digital purchase and licensing options.