Dakota's Nature Photos

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Monday, June 27, 2011

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God || Free Desktop


I just finished designing this graphic a few moments ago and wanted to be sure you guys got a chance to see it. In fact, I think this makes a great desktop image and would be happy to send a full resolution copy to anybody who thinks they'd enjoy it.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Going Fishing

I'm typically more of a hunter than a fisherman, but this year I've been doing quite a bit of both:

I caught this largemouth bass yesterday on our most recent camping trip where a nearby spring flows toward the river.  In a lake or pond I would probably say this is a small fish; but considering I caught it purely in the wild I think it was definitely worth getting up at 5:00 AM.

I caught this fish early this week when we went to a local park in celebration of my birthday and, even though it's the only fish I caught, I can't complain considering it was a 6-pound, 24-inch flathead. 

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Bugging Out


I never saw as many cicadas at one time as I did this year. According to our conservation department, every 13 or 17 years an extremely large swarm of them will hatch and, apparently, this was that year. This particular cicada was only one of at least 30 on this same plant.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Midday Snack




This photo won 3rd place in the Wildlife Gardeners June Photo Contest.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Preparing to Land

It took hiding in the freezing pool for 30+ minutes with my head lowered and my arms raised, but I was finally able to get the shot I've been after for more than a week.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Watch Your Step!


Having read that scorpions were supposed to be in the area, I had long hoped for the day that I would have the opportunity to photograph one on our bi-annual camping trip to the highest point in our state. It wasn't until I saw one, though, that I realized how fast these little guys can move! Thankfully he held still long enough for me to get a few decent shots, of which this one is my favorite.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Let Me Brighten Your Day...


After having experienced almost 24 hours worth of rain, I think this photo perfectly captures the feeling in the air during those first few moments after the sun finally popped out.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Down for the Count



I was sitting around the campfire eating a cheeseburger when, all of a sudden, I noticed a fight going on between a very large ant and an inchworm. I quickly put my burger down and rushed for my camera, thankfully being able to get a few decent shots before the battle was over (note: the ant won). Even though this may be a bit gruesome, it's honestly about as nature as you can get.