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Dee Hudson Photography

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  • 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
  • Monarch Caterpillar
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Dropseed Grass swirls around the Leadplant seeds in Autumn.
    Leadplant Glory
  • 0480.jpg
  • Andre, a magnificent male Great Horned Owl, has lost all vision in his right eye.
    Raptors 06
  • 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
  • Little Blue 04
  • Solidago 02
  • This long–horned beetle is one of the few insects that can feed on the milkweed plant. This red beetle eats the leaves, the buds and the flowers, easily tolerating the toxins in this poisonous plant.<br />
<br />
Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus)
    Red Milkweed Beetle
  • 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
  • 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
  • Monarch Caterpillar
  • 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
  • All afternoon I watched this mama–to–be gather dry grass to line her nest. Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
    Eastern Cottontail
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Silky Parachutes
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Dreamy Muskrat
  • White–tailed Deer
  • Briars 05
  • Monarch Station at Nature Fest
  • Monarch Butterfly Eggs
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Earthy Essence
  • Amber and Blue
  • 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
  • I photographed these lovely Virginia Bluebells blooming in Fullersburg Woods (Oak Brook, Illinois). <br />
<br />
Virginia Bluebells, Mertensia virginica
    Virginia Bluebells
  • Propelled through the prairie's bounty, this seed–eater finds plenty to eat here!<br />
<br />
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
    Goldfinch
  • 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
  • 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
  • Gray Tree Frog
  • Arrival
  • Black Saddlebags Dragonfly
  • 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
  • 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
  • Cream Wild Indigo
  • Butterfly Weed
  • A young black bear in Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick, Canada.
    Black Bear
  • 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
  • _MG_0728-Edit.jpg
  • Finds
  • This hand holds ten to twelve conservative seed species for the new prairie planting. These conservative species are highly desired in restorations, because they were historically present in pre–settlement and unaltered prairies. <br />
<br />
These conservative seeds are hand—planted throughout the entire new field by dropping about a dozen seeds on the ground every few feet and rubbing them into the soil.
    Conservative Cocktail
  • The moment when all my life is simplified.
    Serene Haven
  • The purple wild lupines and heart-leaved zizia
    Lupine Landscape
  • 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
  • Surreal
  • I enjoyed watching this heron fish off the shore of Mustang Island, Texas. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
    Great Blue Heron
  • Awaiting a strong gust of wind . . .
    Milkweed Seed
  • This large bull moved toward the field where the stewards were weed managing, so a very quick retreat to the truck occurred. When a six foot tall, 1,000-2,000 pound animal chooses a site to graze, rest, or wallow, he always gets his choice! This particular bull appears to prefer this hill, perhaps because the soil is sandy. Notice the swarm of insects around this bull . . . no wonder he wallows so often! As one of the mature bulls in the herd, he will probably dominate and breed with a majority of the cows in the herd during the mating season, from July through September.
    Bison
  • Monarch Station at Nature Fest
  • Vista
  • Prairies were historically a fire–swept landscape, where prairie plants evolved with fire. The fire is needed to stimulate the prairie plants to seed and bloom. In restoration, it is also important to restore the natural process that shaped the prairie.
    Burn
  • _MG_9747
  • Nature's fall prairie quilt blankets Fameflower Knob, beginning with the patch of green coreopsis stems in the foreground, followed by a stand of yellow Canada goldenrod, and then all surrounded by orange–red little bluestem grass.
    A Mozaic of Coreopsis, Goldenrod & L..stem
  • Lupine
  • Lupine
  • Bottle Gentian
  • 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
  • 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
  • Invading Queen 10
  • Adult bulls can weigh as much as a small car (like the Scion Smart car), approximately 1,800-2,000 pounds. At this weight, it is surprising how fast they can run (35-40 mph). Take a closer look though, and you will see that they are very lean and “all muscle.”
    Lone Bull
  • 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
  • Autumn in Ryerson Woods
  • Seven hundred eighty pounds of seeds were hand–harvested for the new sixteen–acre restoration. About one hundred thirty–five species were combined and stored in large barrels before they were mixed. The seeds were first mixed as they were poured onto the smooth floor, and then further mixed with forks and shovels. After mixing for a couple hours, the seeds were shoveled back into the barrels, one scoop at a time, creating further mixing.
    The Mix
  • 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
  • It is still and quiet on this foggy morning. As the sun begins its hazy climb, I scan the pond for any beavers, but I do not see them. What a lovely wetland the beavers have created along the small creek! It has become a home for frogs & toads, turtles, wetland birds and muskrat.
    Secret Waters
  • As the morning fog lifts, the little bluestem grass emerges in all its autumn orangey–red glory.
    Unveiled
  • 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
  • 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
  • The Sedge Wren nests in sedges and grasses, so prairies are great habitats for this small bird. Before this image was captured, I was making a “pishing” sound with my lips. The wren became very interested and moved in closer. He flew to a nearby clump of Big Bluestem grass and sang his song. Then, he dropped to the ground and walked towards me, hidden among the prairie plants. All of a sudden, he popped up from the ground onto the seed heads of this Cinquefoil, only to sing me a parting tune.
    8x10Sedgewren_MG_9630.psd
  • The Ornate Box turtle has been on Illinois’s threatened species list since 2009. This box turtle is very fancy, or ‘ornate,’ with bright yellow stripes radiating across its shell. The turtle favors a prairie habitat that has open grasslands for hunting insects, spiders, worms and vegetation and also likes sandier soils suitable for digging burrows. This turtle species is unique, for it has a hinged plastron (the shell on the turtle’s underside), which allows the turtle to completely pull its head, tail and legs inside the shell for protection.
    Ornate Box Turtle
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