Spring is here, and that means the nighttime activity is wild at the Essen Wildlife Refuge in Montana. My motion-sensing cameras switch to infrared mode at night, hence the lack of color. The photos from this week: mountain lion, coyote, racoons, fox, deer, bigfoot.
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Tag: Essen Wildlife Refuge
Wild Turkeys Galore
Marty’s photo of the day #4674: Wild turkeys galore! Photographed with a motion-sensing camera at the Essen Wildlife Refuge, Montana.
Queen of the Essen Wildlife Refuge
Marty’s photo of the day #4668: I’ve often wished that I could “speak dog” to tell Nellie about the dangers of being queen of the Essen Wildlife Refuge. She never goes outside alone but still managed to tree this mountain lion last night. Fortunately, the mountain lion also agrees that Nellie is queen.
This Evening’s Mountain Lion
Every night, Deb and I take our dog, Nellie, on a walk around the perimeter of the Essen Wildlife Refuge. This evening, she was off-leash and started barking at something—and her bark was more protective than usual. I put her on a leash and investigated, expecting to find a moose or racoon. Instead, she had […]
The Official Moose of the Essen Wildlife Refuge
Marty’s photo of the day #4661: This is Martha, the official moose of the Essen Wildlife Refuge. Today’s photo is from a few years back, but the first moose of the new year have arrived. So far, all I’ve seen are tracks in the snow. I’m always amazed at how moose can hang around the […]
Let’s Go With the Deer
Marty’s photo of the day #4654: The motion-sensing camera shots last week at the Essen Wildlife Refuge included nighttime images of foxes, coyotes, and bigfoots, and daytime images of deer. Since no one wants a nighttime bigfoot photo, let’s go with the deer.
Hairy Woodpecker
Marty’s photo of the day #4582: This is a hairy woodpecker, photographed at the Essen Wildlife Refuge in Montana.
Crows and the Owl
Marty’s photo of the day #4577: Yesterday, I took my dog, Nellie, out for her morning security sweep of the Essen Wildlife Refuge. We followed some shrieking crows to this great gray owl. I hurried back to the house for my camera and captured this image moments before it flew away.
Fluffy Coyotes
Marty’s photo of the day #4554: This is a motion-sensing camera shot of a coyote crossing the Essen Wildlife Refuge (in Montana). Both coyotes and wolves cross the refuge, and as winter approaches the coyotes are all fluffy, inducing double-takes to make sure they aren’t actually wolves.
Forgetting all but the moose
Marty’s photo of the day #4546: Living in red-state Montana can be frustrating, but moments like this, at the Essen Wildlife Refuge*, make me forget that I’m surrounded by people who voted for bigotry, hate, and lunacy. *The 25 acres surrounding my house that I protect for wildlife.
Shrub Trimmer
Marty’s photo of the day #4542: At the Essen Wildlife Refuge, we get the shrubs trimmed around our house for free.
Double Coyotes
Marty’s photo of the day #4526: Greetings from the Essen Wildlife Refuge! Getting a good coyote photo from the motion-sensing cameras I have set up is difficult. Usually, the coyotes pass through at night (when my cameras shoot in infrared mode) or, if in the daytime, they are moving too fast to appear in good […]
Tell me again . . .
Marty’s photo of the day #4474: “Tell me again what JD Vance said about cat ladies.” (Canada lynx, rescue animal, photographed at the Essen Wildlife Refuge in Montana.)
Dragonfly From the Pond
Marty’s photo of the day #4471: The dragonflies have had a prosperous summer, eating mosquitos at the seasonal pond on the lower level of the Essen Wildlife Refuge. Last night, this dragonfly flew to the upper level, where my outside office is, and said, “Please, I can’t eat anymore. I must rest!” This is a […]
Pileated Woodpecker
Marty’s photo of the day #4466: Pileated woodpecker, photographed at the Essen Wildlife Refuge, Montana.
Bear Cub Cuteness
Marty’s photo of the day #4453: Here’s a little bear cub cuteness for your Sunday. Photographed on the Essen Wildlife Refuge, Montana.
A Pretty Fox
Marty’s photo of the day #4441: Here’s another motion-sensing camera shot from last week on the Essen Wildlife Refuge. This fox lives on the lower level of the refuge, frequently passing by the camera near the seasonal pond.
The Talking Elk
Marty’s photo of the day #4440: Here’s a motion-sensing camera shot from last week on the Essen Wildlife Refuge. The “talking elk” made me laugh and think of some of the weird Republicans on TV with their lip injections.
Watching the Watcher
Marty’s photo of the day #4806: “Hello! I know you’re in there, watching me.” Motion-sensing camera shot from the Essen Wildlife Refuge.
Look What I Can Do!
Marty’s photo of the day #4804: “Hey Mom! Look what I can do!” Photographed via a motion-sensing camera at the Essen Wildlife Refuge (Montana).