Show Navigation

Dee Hudson Photography

  • Portfolio
  • Blog
  • About
  • Artist Statement
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Contact
  • Archive
    • All Galleries
    • Search
    • Cart
    • Lightbox
    • Client Area

Dee Hudson Photography

Search Results

197 images

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x
Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
Next

Loading ()...

  • This plant is a legume species — a type of plant with seeds that develop inside pods, like peas or beans. See how stunning the seed pods look when they are backlit by the sun! <br />
<br />
I am always amazed by the way this plant disperses its seeds. The pods are covered with little tiny hooked hairs that will grab hold of anything or anyone that brushes up against them. Thank goodness the seeds release easily, for many times my photography clothes and equipment are covered in these rascally clinging pods. Illinois Tick Trefoil (Desmodium Illinoense)
    Tick Trefoil
  • Peregrine falcons are best known for the incredible speeds they attain in a dive after their prey. They have been clocked in their 'stoop' or dive, at over 200 mph. This falcon, Zeus, was brought to Willowbrook Wildlife Center for care in 2004. He was found injured in a driveway in Elmhurst, probably due to a collision with a car.
    Raptors 01
  • Two Red–tailed Hawks flew across the road directly in front of my car. I quickly followed them into an abandoned school yard. Luckily I had my camera with me and also my telephoto lens. As I exited the car with my camera, I could not find the hawks anywhere. Then, to my surprise, one hawk landed on the chain link fence about 15 feet away from me. I congratulated myself for being in the right place at the right time and snapped off several shots. I expected the small birds down the fence to fly away from the hawk, but they seemed unperturbed. Red–tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
    Red–tailed hawk
  • This female Barred Owl was probably hit by a car. She was brought to the wildlife rehabilitation center in 2004 with a beak fracture, a misaligned jaw, a fractured toe and a vision impairment in her right eye. Due to the extent of her injuries, this owl cannot be released back into nature and remains a permanent resident at the center.
    Raptors 04
  • Andre, a magnificent male Great Horned Owl, has lost all vision in his right eye.
    Raptors 06
  • 0480.jpg
  • All afternoon I watched this mama–to–be gather dry grass to line her nest. Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
    Eastern Cottontail
  • This beautiful prairie forb (flower) can be found throughout the prairie, blooming July through September. The purple and feathery flower heads are interesting because they begin blooming first at the top and then continue onward to the bottom. They are quite striking in bloom, especially in mass plantings. The Gayfeather is a great source of food for wildlife, providing nectar for butterflies, bees, and birds. Gayfeather or Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)
    Gayfeather
  • Otis, a Screech Owl, came to the rehab center in 1998 for treatment on a broken wing. Though small, she is feisty, and she chewed off her bandages. Otis flapped around and caused a more serious and permanent injury to her wing in a different place, thus preventing her release back into the wild. <br />
<br />
Male and female Screech Owls look the same in appearance and for years Otis was thought to be a male. When Otis received a male cage mate, she surprised everyone by laying eggs.
    Raptors 05
  • Earthy Essence
  • Andre, a male Great Horned Owl, was found injured along an interstate by a wildlife keeper. He was probably struck by a car. Though he is totally blind in his right eye, this left eye is quite beautiful.
    Raptors 03
  • Propelled through the prairie's bounty, this seed–eater finds plenty to eat here!<br />
<br />
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
    Goldfinch
  • Amber and Blue
  • Prairie Switch Grass is a native grass that thrives in the hot, dry prairies of Illinois. With the dew drops glistening, the Switch Grass greets the dawn of a new day.
    Switch Grass
  • A young black bear in Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick, Canada.
    Black Bear
  • The moment when all my life is simplified.
    Serene Haven
  • I enjoyed watching this heron fish off the shore of Mustang Island, Texas. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
    Great Blue Heron
  • I love watching this bird's aerobatic flight as it catches its insect prey right out of the air.<br />
<br />
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
    Tree Swallow
  • Bottle Gentian
  • The White–lined Sphinx moth sips from a thistle.<br />
<br />
White–lined Sphinx moth (Hyles lineata)
    White–lined Sphinx Moth
  • I had the opportunity to follow U.S. Fish & Wildlife into a wetland habitat at Nachusa Grasslands to monitor the Blandings turtle. This is an endangered turtle in Illinois. They face many obstacles to reproduction — habitat loss, predation by man and other animals, and a slow maturation rate. Females mature around 18 years of age and males around 12 years. To help this turtle, support organizations that conserve their habitats! Blandings Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)
    Blandings Turtle
  • Gayfeather
  • Monarch Caterpillar
  • Monarch Butterfly Eggs
  • This male peregrine falcon, exhibited at Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn, IL, sustained a permanent vision impairment to his right eye. This vision loss affects his ability to hunt successfully in the wild, because with only one good eye, he cannot judge distance accurately.
    Raptors 02
  • Conflowers & Black-eyed Susans
  • Sitting so still on a cool September morning, I could not resist the stunning beauty of this dragonfly covered in hundreds of tiny dew drops. Usually dragonflies are on the move, but at sunrise on a cool fall day, they are pretty immobile. Black Saddlebags Dragonfly (Tramea lacerata)
    Black Saddlebags Dragonfly
  • Monarch Caterpillar
  • Cream Wild Indigo
  • Elegant on its slender & leafless stems, the Western Sunflower danced in the early morning breeze. The blooms brighten the prairie landscape in late summer and create a breathtaking scene when they grow amongst the purple Rough Blazingstar. This native prairie bloom is actually rather short for a sunflower, growing only 2-3 feet tall. Western Sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis)
    Western Sunflower
  • Lupine
  • Swamp Milkweed
  • The pale purple coneflower is a very showy flower, especially when planted in mass or with other flowers of contrasting color. This sunrise view looks eastward over the Gobbler Ridge unit at Clear Creek Knolls. Volunteer stewards, Bernie & Cindy Buchholz, planted this stretch of prairie in 2011. Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
    Coneflower Sunrise
  • Lichen
  • This ornate box turtle's shell is damaged above his head. Perhaps another animal tried to see what he tasted like. <br />
<br />
Prairie restoration demands hard, tedious and sweaty physical labor. The work is rewarding when the results create a habitat that allows this threatened Illinois turtle to flourish.<br />
<br />
Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata)
    Ornate Box Turtle
  • Perseverance_MG_5777.jpg
  • A volunteer land steward waves from his unit.
    Potholes
  • Perseverance 15
  • This is the largest frog where I live, in DuPage County, Illinois. In fact, this species is the largest frog in Illinois and in North America. They will eat about anything they can fit in their large mouths. The male can be heard singing "jug–o–rum, jug–o–rum." Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)
    Bullfrog
  • Hiking the Trillium Gap Trail in the Smoky Mountains, this picturesque waterfall was my reward at the end of the climb. What is really unique about Grotto Falls is that I was able to also hike behind the falls, as the trail is carved right into the rock face at the waterfall's back.
    Grotto Falls
  • Walking obliviously past empty mussel shells and narrow trails exiting the water, I nearly missed a family of muskrats. As it was nearly twilight, these busy rodents were feeding along the water's bank during the cooler evening hours.
    Muskrat
  • Dropseed Grass swirls around the Leadplant seeds in Autumn.
    Leadplant Glory
  • Little Blue 04
  • Solidago 02
  • The Fox Snake prefers to live in open grasslands, so prairies are a perfect habitat for them. For food, the snake will feast on many small rodents, like mice & voles. Being a constrictor, the snake will coil its body around the prey to subdue it. Often Fox Snakes are mistaken for rattlesnakes, for when they are bothered, they vibrate their tails against dry grass or leaves, and it sounds like the rattle of a rattlesnake.
    Fox Snake
  • Most of the seeds at Nachusa Grasslands are hand–harvested so the seed proportions for a new planting mix can be determined and the prairie land remains undisturbed.
    Old Field
  • New Image
  • The lavender spikes of the Gayfeather ascend from the prairie and sway in the gentle wind at sunset. Growing in mass like this, they are absolutely stunning! Gayfeather or Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)
    Gayfeathers at Sunset
  • Here a Mourning Cloak butterfly feeds on the nectar of the common milkweed flower. This awesome butterfly does not migrate, but instead has the amazing ability to hibernate and survive through the very cold winters on the prairie. To survive, they produce chemicals in their body that prevent them from freezing.<br />
<br />
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
    Mourning Cloak
  • Gently blowing in the autumn breeze, a soft light gently illuminates the showy bronze–colored seeds. Not only beautiful, Indian grass is a great food source for native wildlife, with plenty of seeds for both birds and small mammals.
    Indian Grass
  • Chiseled Energy
  • Smoldering Bluestem
  • Posing for my camera, is a Wisconsin–threatened species, the Wood Turtle. Biking along the Bearskin Trail in northern Wisconsin this Fall, I see a dark mound ahead on the path. I suspected a snapping turtle. To my surprise, it was a turtle I had never seen before, a Wood Turtle. This turtle lives amongst the forested land along river and streams (riparian wetlands). Wood Turtle (Clemmys insculpta)
    Wood Turtle
  • Mint Delight 20
  • Silky Parachutes
  • A natural “tree hugger.” As a land steward, I was removing small cherry trees from the prairie when I discovered this tree frog grasping a branch targeted for destruction. He saved the cherry tree from total annihilation, since I could not possibly remove the perch (yet!).
    Cope's Gray Tree Frog
  • Briars 05
  • The Black Swallowtail caterpillar feeds on plants in the carrot family, like dill and parsley. This caterpillar was photographed munching on a Queen Anne's Lace plant (Daucus carota), also a member of the carrot family. Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes)
    Black Swallowtail
  • Monarch Station at Nature Fest
  • "Clinging to Habitat." <br />
<br />
A Dickcissel grasps the pale purple coneflower.<br />
<br />
Dickcissel (Spiza americana)
    Dickcissel
  • Bison Calf
  • Birdsfoot Violet
  • I photographed this majestic eagle soaring over the Mississippi River. Due to the coloration under the wings and on the face and beak, I believe this is a 3rd–year eagle.
    Bald Eagle
  • American Bullfrog
  • Kathy J Parenteau wrote, "Stand tall oh mighty oak, for all the world to see, your strength and undying beauty forever amazes me."  The winged ridges along the bur oak branches and the little "Friar Tuck" acorns (acorns with a hairy fringe on the cap) are a couple unique characteristics I enjoy about this tree. At sunset this oak certainly created an impressive figure. Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
    The Mighty Bur Oak
  • White–tailed Deer
  • This Brown Pelican extends its wings to balance and ride the waves as it feeds. Schools of fish lie close to the surface near Mustang Island, so the pelican can dip its bill under water and easily catch a pouch full. Pelicans have been listed as endangered since 1970. Eastern Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
    Brown Pelican
  • Skeletal Tree
  • Winter Blues
  • Dew drops create an intricate piece of art on this foggy autumn morning, with each tiny hair decorated with fleeting beads of condensation.
    Indian Grass
  • After about 9 1/2 months gestation, the bison calf is born in April and May, weighing between 40 and 60 pounds. The calf is born with orange–red fur, which will change to dark brown in a few months. The mother is very protective of the calf and they stay together for about a year, or until the next calf is born.
    Bison Cow & Calf
  • A hazy shroud of smoke envelopes the savanna during a controlled burn.
    Smoldering Canopies
  • Little Bluestem Overlook
  • Kittentails
  • Chainbreaker
  • The Porcupine Grass seed is very unique, with a furry tip that comes to a very sharp point, like a porcupine quill. Read more about this grass in my blog entry called "Porcupines in the Prairie." https://deehudsonphotography.wordpress.com/2015/01/03/porcupines-in-the-prairie/
    Porcupine Grass
  • It is amazing how well the White–tailed deer can camouflage in the prairie for such a large mammal.<br />
<br />
White–tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
    Deer
  • Opossumly adorable! I actually think they're pretty cute — look at that pink nose. I spotted her walking slowly and very gingerly through the snow, finally disappearing down a hole. I usually don't see possums during the daylight, but after the past two -25+ degree nights, she smartly came out to forage when it was warmer.
    Opossum
  • Gray Tree Frog
  • I photographed these lovely Virginia Bluebells blooming in Fullersburg Woods (Oak Brook, Illinois). <br />
<br />
Virginia Bluebells, Mertensia virginica
    Virginia Bluebells
  • Worm Moon
  • Native Exploration
  • With its legs tucked closely under the tail, this eagle is presently streamlined for some quick speed. Flying level like this, the eagle can reach speeds of 30-35 miles per hour.
    Bald Eagle
  • Monarch Station at Nature Fest
  • The purple wild lupines and heart-leaved zizia
    Lupine Landscape
  • Black Saddlebags Dragonfly
  • Watch out prairie grasses! The Downy Yellow Painted Cup is coming for you! This native plant is unique because it is hemiparasitic.  The Downy Yellow Painted Cup will attach itself to other plants, mainly grasses, and shares some of their nutrients and water. This plant flourishes in the dry soil along the side of this hill, among its hosts of low–growing grasses and sedges. Downy Yellow Painted Cup (Castilleja sessiliflora)
    Downy Yellow Painted Cup
  • Butterfly Weed
  • This lovely Illinois wildflower brightens the woodland floor in springtime, with its delicate bloom resting on the top of a slender stem.<br />
<br />
False Rue Anemone (Enemion biternatum)
    False Rue Anemone
  • Monarch Station at Nature Fest
  • Monarch Station at Nature Fest
  • This Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadesis) was a glorious greeting in the early misty morning. Though it provides lovely color in early autumn, this particular species can become invasive in the prairie. The Canada goldenrod can multiply quickly and form dense large patches that prevent other species from establishing. Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)
    Canada Goldenrod
  • Lupine
  • Surreal
  • This toad has puffed himself up to appear larger and more threatening so I will not want to eat him. He is quite safe from me, for I only want him as a model for a few minutes. I found him in the woods on a warm autumn day, hopping around in the leaf litter. American Toad (Bufo americanus)
    American Toad
  • Awaiting a strong gust of wind . . .
    Milkweed Seed
  • The soft sunlight gently backlights this Celandine Poppy. This beauty is a native Illinois flower that can be found in stellar woodlands. Sadly the non–native and invasive garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) threatens its very existence. Pull, pull, pull that garlic mustard!!!<br />
<br />
Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
    Celandine Poppy
  • Soft light touches this celandine poppy amidst the Virginia bluebells. The bristly blue-green seed pods simply glow in the late afternoon light.<br />
<br />
Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
    Celandine Poppy & Bluebells
  • Tranquil Moment 08
  • Bison are grazers, with grasses being their favorite food. In fact, their diet consists of ninety–nine percent grass! As residents in a prairie, the bison are quite an attraction, but they actually have an important job to do. As they continually graze on the grasses, they open up space for the forbs (the beautiful flowers) to compete and flourish, creating a lot of plant diversity in the prairie. During a typical day, an adult bison may consume about thirty pounds of grass.
    Bison Eating
Next