Mossy Dew

Foggy Bottom Trail

A sweet hike through a foggy Shortleaf Pine- Oak Upland.  This time on Hideout Hollow trail in the Buffalo River.   

Hemmend-In-Hollow

What a nice day at Hemmend-in-Hollow in the Buffalo National River.   This waterfall is over 230 feet tall and the largest between Rocky Mts and the Appalachian Mts. 

Red Spring

Crimson cup fungi, Sarcoscypha coccinea, can be a colorful relief from winter, usually found in early spring and late fall.  This lovely on was baseball size, wow!

Old Barns

Spent a lot of time climbing in this barn growing up!  Old barns let them fall to the ground!

Song of Spring

Its not just rivers which flood our beloved forested bottomlands.  This "flood" was a result of snowmelt.  Songs of spring to come!

White-Breasted Nuthatch

White-Breasted Nuthatch

First bird shot with new Camera!  

More On the Way!

Algific Talus Slope

Algific Talus Slope

Ice Minnow

Iced over Bear Creek, notice the hole I managed to crack in the ice.  Somehow this energetic minnow hoped right out to get its picture taken. 

Mushroom Top

What a sweet mushroom roof for a bird or squirrel to enjoy the peaceful snow all dry!

Leafprint

Snowy Red Oak (Quercus rubra) leaf print during a light snow!

Let the Light In

This awesome photo was taken by Drew in Black Hawk, County

The return has been a long time in the making.  I finally got a new camera, two in fact!  I would like to thank my good friend for getting me fired up to start sharing my pictures with all my friends again! 

Enjoy, 

Western Fox Snake

This western fox snake (Elaphe vulpine) are common in river and stream valleys like the Skunk River Greenbelt  where I found this confident reptile!  This snake is a valuable consumer of rodents and kills its pray by constricting.  Young western fox snakes feed on frogs (this one was hunting frogs) or young mice.  Adults have been know to eat birds and their eggs out of nests.

Prairie Phlox

Prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa) was everywhere in bloom at Doolittle Prairie in white and dark pink!

Great Spangled Fritillary

Sweet find by my good friend Jake of a great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele) avoiding the rainfall by hiding under an eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) branch.  This abundant butterflies is found throughout the state, and its larvae host on violets!

Wave that Flag

Wow found my first, blue flag iris (Iris virginica)!  It's an incredibly beautiful breathtaking flower one I've been hunting for awhile!

Smooth Green Snake

The smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis) is a threatened species in Iowa.

Twelve-spotted Skimmer

This is a twelve-spotted skimmer (Libellula pulchella).  Without the white spots (on the wings) that males have we know its a female.

Spiked Lobelia

Spiked lobelia (Lobelia spicata) roots were used by native americans for purgatory purposes.

Prairie False Indigo

Prairie false indigo (Baptisia leucantha) is a wonderful prairie plant that grows 2-5 feet on rich tailgrass prairies.  Its seedpods have been used by pioneer children for toy rattles!