Marty’s photo of the day #4684: This is a badger, photographed in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana.
Badger Close-Up
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Tag: Montana
Nighttime at the Essen Wildlife Refuge
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.
The Lion Knows You Are There
People can spend a lifetime outdoors in Montana and never see a mountain lion. But as my motion-sensing camera proves, the mountain lion knows you are there. These photos are just a few minutes apart. In the second photo, the lion is looking exactly where Nellie and I are coming from. This was not unexpected. […]
Looking Up
Pronghorns on the American Prairie
Marty’s photo of the day #4663: With all the devastating damage the Trump regime is doing to the environment, I am so thankful for Montana’s American Prairie, where pronghorns like these can thrive, largely protected from far-right greediness. For those that don’t know, the American Prairie is a wonderful project in central Montana that is […]
Adjusting the Electoral College
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 The 2024 Presidential Election season—forced by the realities of the outdated Electoral College—meant Montana received no such Democratic presidential […]
Scenic American Prairie
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!
Turkey vulture
Osprey
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.
Shooting Swatch Critters
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 […]
A Four-Pack of Badgers
Marty’s photo of the day #4451: A four-pack of badgers. Photographed in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana.
Burrowing Owl
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.
Dogs and cactus
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 […]
We Can See For Miles
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.
Showy milkweed
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.
Deer at Dusk
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 […]
Not Ready to Fly
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 […]
Flowers on the Prairie
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 […]