Animals in the Flint Hills (1)

Whether one walks in the heart of the Konza Prairie, 

or along the hiking trails of the Flint Hills, or 

following the edges of the farmlands dotted here and there throughout the Tallgrass area--one will find  a wonderful variety of animals.

 From exquisitely colored lizards and the softest rabbits, to lovely meadowlarks and regal birds of prey--from migrating geese and pelicans to woodchucks and coyotes and deer--one can hardly escape the beauty of our animal friends here in the Flint Hills.

Migrating Geese mary todd

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Migrating Geese Detail mary todd

fine art in the flint hills mary todd

fine art in the flint hills mary todd

Red-Tailed Hawk mary todd

fine art in the flint hills mary todd

 Red Tailed Hawk Tail Feathers mary todd

fine art in the flint hills mary todd

Juvenile Hawk (color enhanced) mary todd

Red tailed hawk juvenile drying out after a rain

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Hawk in the flint hills Cropped mary todd

 Horses in Winter Mary Todd

fine art in the flint hills mary todd

 Bald Eagle mary todd

fine art in the flint hills mary todd

Bald Eagle in the Eagle Tree mtodd

fine art in the flint hills mary todd

Rabbit in Summertime mary todd

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Horses at Sunset mary todd

fine art in the flint hills mary todd

 Geese in sunlight mary todd

fine art in the flint hills mary todd

fine art in the flint hills mary todd

Canadian Geese in a Corn Field mary todd

fine art in the flint hills mary todd

Sweetest Donkey mary todd



fine art in the flint hills mary todd

The Donkey mary todd

fine art in the flint hills mary todd  the donkey

 I heard from my farmer friend that a donkey will protect sheep from coyotes. When a coyote comes around, the little burro just trots up to look at it.

No matter where it goes around the sheep, the donkey will follow it around looking at it. Hilarious!

I passed by the lovely creature on the road a few miles from my house, and yes, it was at a farm where i often see lambs  and sheep... The face of this particular donkey is Priceless.

a short Christmas Card:

Here is a Mama woodchuck eating an apple...the apple tree is over 50 years old and drops quite a few. Which is good for the three baby woodchucks...

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 Deer Jumping through Soybeans mary todd

young mated deer mary todd

fine art in the flint hills

fine art in the flint hills

Coyote says Adios

fine art in the flint hills

Flint Hills Scenes: Sunrise

The following photographs were taken with one of my Canons in the early hours...still can't decide of sunrise or sunset fills me with more Light...


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Equinox Sunrise in yellow over zeandale mary todd

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Sunrise on the farm mtodd

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Morning Light Coming mtodd

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The morning fog  mary todd

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METAL SUN by Mary Todd (morning fog detail)

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Wake Up Sunrise mary todd

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Sunrise over the Eagle Tree of Zeandale mtodd

Sunsets in the Flint Hills

Living on the Konza Prairie has many rewards. The Sunrise and the Sunset rank right up there with the sky, the impossible billowy clouds, the wildlife, the wind in the grasses, the scent of horsewhinny and lavender....

Sunset on a night with a rising blue moon....mary todd

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 Couch cat at sunset....mary todd

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 Orange clouds at night...mary todd

fine art in the flint hills

 Strange clouds at sunset...Mary Todd

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 Sunset on night of the eclipse....mary todd

fine art in the flint hills

 Brown Sunset....mary todd

fine art in the flint hills

 Kansas Sunset Clouds....mary todd

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 Backyard Gift mary todd

fine art in the flint hills

 The road at happy hour....mary todd

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The Konza Prairie Sky mary todd

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The strange clouds Altered) mtodd

fine art in the flint hills

 Konza Prairie Clouds at Night mtodd

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 My Beautiful back yard at sunset...

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here's a whinny fer ya...

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The Butterfly Life on the Prairie (Part One)

Where there are millions of flowers, there are millions of butterflies.
There are unexplained mysteries involved in the lives of butterflies; thus their heart-lightening beauty is matched by intrigue.

fineart in the flint hills

butterfly on zinnia mary todd

(Having been blessed with a Mother who taught by example:)

I have collected tiny caterpillars and photographed their metamorphosis. What a journey...blind sluggish power-eating interrupted by a mystery of focused work;

 then deep transformative sleep and then--freedom, light, bliss!

Among the myriad of species living in Kansas, the various swallowtails are some of the most beautiful. 

Here are some of the almost-grown caterpillars:

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swallowtail caterpillars mary todd

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Swallowtail Caterpillar Poster mtodd

Here is a quarter inch

beginning:

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When the time is right, the caterpillar stops eating, and begins the metamorphosis into the pupa, or chrysalis stage. (video at bottom of post)

The chrysalis of the various swallowtails take on the color and texture of the surface where they develop.
This is truly awesome to see. Here are some of the chrysali I photographed one summer:

fineart in the flint hills

fineart in the flint hills

fineart in the flint hills

fineart in the flint hills

fineart in the flint hills

After 2-3 weeks, depending on environmental conditions, the chrysalis becomes transparent and you know that within a few hours the butterfly will emerge. I take them out side, gather my cameras, and wait.
However, if you run in and get coffee you might miss the emergence!
that happened to me... i hate when that happens...

There is a very nice slide show displaying this process HERE

When the butterfly emerges, the wings are damp and crumpled. The little creature will sit or walk about on your hand for a while. 

I have many films of this and will post some in another butterfly post.

Part One:

  Part Two: (With Hummingbird)

Here is the Beautiful Girl who started the whole thing, laying eggs earlier in the season...


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 fineart in the flint hills

fineart in the flint hills

fineart in the flint hills

 fineart in the flint hills

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when you have the chance, vote and urge others to vote to keep deadly unneeded herbicides and pesticides away from our highways and farms.


Butterfly Life Part Two: Click HERE