My Nebraska

[gmadeb3]

Seems like the young burrowing owls have grown up,  still the parent was around when I stopped by.  The parent likes this vantage point up on a post right by their burrow.  I sat for a long time watching,  he called a few times but no one responded back.  Maybe they were all taking a nap in the burrow.




Sure can see how long their legs are

[gmadeb3]

I was able to take a few days off and travel up to the Niobrara River for a little camping and kayaking.  Even a bit of rain and lightening can't scare you away.   The Niobrara River has a really neat rapid formation called the Chute,  it is classified as a class 4 and not recommended to attempt to go down it.  Here are some photos of it





Here I tried a longer exposure to cause the water to blur

[gmadeb3]

A little information on the Niobrara,  Ni obhatha ke - spreading water in the Ponca language- is the heart of this land.  Carves through layers of earth flowing through time,  it is an ancient free-flowing waterway for over 12,000 years.  It has cut through the land revealing fossils up to 16 million years old.

At this time there is 6 ecosystems that are found along this river creating an incredible diversity of life, over 200 birds in the area, along with Bison, Elk, Deer, Pronghorn.  Many different plants and wildflowers are found here also.  Mixed grass, tallgrass and Sandhills prairies, northern boreal, western coniferous and eastern deciduous woodlands all exist so close together,  this meeting is found nowhere else in the country.  Paper birch trees, aspen and big-tooth aspen grow on the northern facing slope of the river where they are protected from the hot sun.   

The river begins in the eastern part of Wyoming and flows 535 miles east til it empties into the Missouri River located in northeastern Nebraska.  The Niobrara River has cut 300 feet into prehistoric layers of the earth forming bluffs and waterfalls.  The Ogallala Aquifer is an underground reservoir partially recharged by rainwater and snowmelt.  It provides most of the water to the Niobrara through springs, seeps and waterfalls.





Here are a few pictures of the waterfalls and the seeps as it comes right out of the ground.









This is Smith Falls,  it is the largest waterfall in Nebraska at 63 feet high

[gmadeb3]

Along the Niobrara River you can find the water seeps and spring waterfalls.  Here are a couple of videos.  The first is of a water seep.  The water has seeped down from the top of the ground till it finds its way out and into a stream.  Another is lots of water coming right out of the ground and pretty loud as it flows down to the stream.   Nest is the tallest Waterfall,  Smith Falls.  This year there has been lots of rain so everything is so green. 


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[Cawatcher]

Paradise, Thank you Deb and the Burrowing owl poses are awesome lmao

[gmadeb3]

Summer is wrapping up and migrations of all kinds are starting.  One migration that I look out for is the Monarch's.  The Monarchs have laid some  eggs that will be the 4th generation which will be the migrating generation.  I do have a few eggs and I have my tags ready.  Going to try and raise a few because I have a couple of school programs to present to in Sept.  The Third graders here will also go out and try to tag a few,  should be interesting.  I have four classes to take out on a field trip to the prairie.  Here is a photo of male monarch on pitcher sage.  You can see his wings are a bit worn.



Here is a lovely female on Swamp Milkweed.

[gmadeb3]

Not long ago I had a call about a Kestrel that was not able to fly,  I was able to stop and pick it up and got it to the rehab center.  Lucky for it nothing was wrong,  it was in a tree that had been blown over due to a terrible storm.  It was soaking wet also.  It was there a few days to get its strength back and it was ready to go back to the place it was found.  I then was lucky to take it out for release.  Here is a nice photo of the male up close.

[gmadeb3]

Taking a drive I found a nice young Great Blue Heron right along the water.  He was fishing rather intently so the car didn't seem to bother.

[gmadeb3]

I have a clematis that grows on my fence in the back yard.  It took a beating from the hail storm this spring but it has recovered (a bit slower) so many buds,  some flowers are opening.   Am sure lots of insects and butterflies will be finding it.  I will add some updates as it blooms more.

[gmadeb3]

Going out birding and my destination was a wetland area called Deep Well.  You need to take a gravel road and it is located on both sides of the road.  I have enjoyed seeing many different ducks and birds there.  So thinking the migration may be underway I thought I would check.  There was a stiff wind out of the south so didn't expect to much but I didn't expect to run across this.



We have had an excessive amount of rain water this year.  Roads have been effected, bridges washed out which has made getting from one place to another difficult at times.  So here I am traveling to this area and I see ahead the road disappears ...........  it is under water

How does a duck cross the road??



You swim.........


All along the road there were these Leopard Frogs

[Cawatcher]

Thank you Gmadeb very enlightening!

[gmadeb3]

Fall is in the air and migrations are in full swing.  The Monarch butterfly is heading south to Mexico and I have had a few Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.  It has been kinda slow go for seeing  large numbers.  Also the bees are stocking up for the winter,  those poor males have been kicked out of the hives and left to fend for themselves now,   







Not all the bees on the flowers are bees..........  There are some that look really close



This is a Hoover Fly,  it only has a single wing on each side

[gmadeb3]

It is always fun to have the hummingbirds around for a little bit before the fly south.  The one that visits here is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.


Pretty intense look



Trying to catch a little shut eye



Getting the "you still here look"

[Cawatcher]

great series,  what an attitude lol

[Tigerlady105]