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Marty’s photo of the day #4533: During the 2016 Presidential Election season, President Bill Clinton came to little Stevensville, Montana (15 miles away from where I live) to campaign on a flatbed trailer for Hillary Clinton. The 2024 Presidential Election season—forced by the realities of the outdated Electoral College—meant Montana received no such Democratic presidential […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4476: Here’s a scenic shot, taken this past July at the American Prairie in Montana. We didn’t see another person all day!
Marty’s photo of the day #4466: Pileated woodpecker, photographed at the Essen Wildlife Refuge, Montana.
Marty’s photo of the day #4453: Here’s a little bear cub cuteness for your Sunday. Photographed on the Essen Wildlife Refuge, Montana.
Marty’s photo of the day #4452: My wife, Deb Essen, is one of America’s premier master weavers, and she has a three-book deal with Schiffer Publishing. My first two books, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents” and “Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico, feature […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4451: A four-pack of badgers. Photographed in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana.
Marty’s photo of the day #4825: This is a burrowing owl, photographed earlier this month in the American Prairie (formerly the American Prairie Reserve), Montana.
Marty’s photo of the day #4824: The prickly pear cactuses were in bloom at the American Prairie earlier this month. Our dog, Nellie, has accompanied my wife and me on all three of our American Prairie visits. The first visit was nerve-racking for me, because I was constantly worried that Nellie would step on a […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4823: Nellie and me, without another dog or person anywhere, for miles and miles. Well, except for my wife, Deb, who was sitting next to us, and Nellie’s cousins, the coyotes, who are out there, somewhere. Photographed in the American Prairie (formerly the American Prairie Reserve), Montana.
Marty’s photo of the day #4821: This is showy milkweed, photographed earlier this month in the American Prairie (formerly the American Prairie Reserve), Montana.
Marty’s photo of the day #4820: I photographed this mule deer in the American Prairie earlier this month. Even though this is a beautiful deer, I often pass up deer portraits, because they aren’t all that exciting. In this instance, however, what was exciting was that the shot actually turned out. Deb and I were […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4818: Never in my life have I seen a higher concentration of northern flickers than I did while visiting the American Prairie earlier this month. The birds especially loved the huge cottonwood trees surrounding the yurt my wife and I rented. The young flicker in this photo wasn’t yet ready […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4815: The first two times Deb and I rented a yurt in the American Prairie (located in Montana) were in September. That was a great time for large mammals and enjoying the Judith River. Two weeks ago, we went back for a third time, to get a taste of the […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4813: I found this toad last week along the Judith River in the American Prairie (Montana). Is that a great face, or what?
Marty’s photo of the day #4810: In the past, I had only been able to photograph burrowing owls at dusk. In fact, last week while staying at the American Prairie, I did just that for two evenings in a row. Those dusk photos turned out pretty good, especially considering the distance and how high I […]
Marty’s photo of the day #4808: Deb and I are back from spending four nights in a yurt on the American Prairie. Formerly called the American Prairie Reserve, it currently contains 475,000 acres of pristine prairie in central Montana, and the nonprofit organization that controls it has a goal of eventually acquiring enough land to […]
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).
Marty’s photo of the day #4799: This is a western painted turtle, photographed last week in the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge (Montana).
