Archive for the ‘National Wildlife Refuge’ Tag
Cypress Tunnel at Point Reyes National Seashore. Photo by Nick Steinberg. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 4/23/17.
Highly intelligent and resourceful, raccoons are one of the most widespread mammals in North America. They have adapted to live in forests, mountain areas, coastal marshes and even urban centers. In Native American legends, they are known as tricksters and mischief-makers. Their characteristic masks and dexterous paws make them seem cute and approachable, but never forget that they are wild animals. Photo by Gary Miller, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Posted on Tumblr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, 3/15/17.
Green Tree Frog at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Craig McIntyre. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/4/17.
When temperatures warm up and food is available, brown bears slowly begin to leave their dens. After 4-5 months of sleep and limited activity, male bears emerge first, usually from early to mid-March, followed by solitary females and females with yearlings or two year olds. The last to leave their dens are females with newborn cubs. Spring greens and winter carrion are first on the menu for these hungry bears. Photo of brown bears from Alaska’s Katmai National Park & Preserve by Gavin Danapong. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 4/21/17.
Male western tanager on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS. Posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service; taken 5/25/17.
A red necked phalarope (adult male) on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS. Taken 5/21/17 & posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
The American bittern is a rare sight…not because they are uncommon, but because of their secretive, solitary nature and streaky camouflage. They are more commonly heard than seen. Their call is an odd sound that could be described as “gulping”. Their nicknames include: “stake-driver,” “thunder-pumper,” “water-belcher,” “mire-drum, and “shy-poke”. They commonly eat fish, frogs, and insects, and have the ability to focus their eyes downward (making them appear cross-eyed at times). The bittern will stand completely still and point its bill into the air to blend in with the vegetation around it. This bittern is using a wetland protected by a FWS wetland easement in the Kulm Wetland Management District in North Dakota. Photo by Krista Lundgren/USFWS. Taken 5/16/17 and posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlilfe Service.
Two of These Do Not Belong… This red-winged blackbird nest on the Baltzer WPA in the Kulm Wetland Management District has two eggs that don’t belong to the blackbird. The two white and brown speckled eggs are those of a brown-headed cowbird. Female cowbirds do not build nests of their own, but rather lay their eggs in other birds’ nests. Cowbirds are one of the most common “brood parasites”. Their young are then raised by the host parents, sometimes to the detriment of their own young. Photo Krista Lundgren/USFWS. Photo taken 6/8/17 and posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Mountain bluebird on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge Photoby Tom Koerner/USFWS. Taken on 6/15/17 and posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Yellow headed blackbird on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS. Taken 6/8/17 & posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Cinnamon teal on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS. Taken 6/5/17 and posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Greater sage-grouse on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS. Taken on 6/5/17 and posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
A Brewer’s sparrow perched on a Wyoming Big Sagebrush at Wyoming’s Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS. Taken on 6/5/17 and posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
White-tailed prairie dog on Wyoming’s Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS. Taken 6/5/17 and posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Horned lark on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS. Taken 6/8/17 and posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
As night falls on Devils Tower National Monument, it transforms from a place of darkness into a place of wonder. Thousands of twinkling, glittering stars dot the night sky over an astounding geologic feature that protrudes out of the rolling prairie surrounding the Black Hills. Stay for nature’s night show at Wyoming’s Devils Tower – it’s worth it! Photo by National Park Service. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 4/18/17.
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is one of the few places on Earth where visitors can safely get an upclose look at an active volcano. Witness powerful natural forces at work as Kīlauea and Mauna Loa (two of the world’s most active volcanoes) continue to add land to the island of Hawaiʻi. Photo by Janice Wei, National Park Service. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 4/18/17.
National parks preserve some of the most unique landscapes in America. Visitors to Badlands National Park in South Dakota are often shocked at the sudden appearance of these colorful formations rising out of the surrounding green plains. The rock formations and amazing fossil beds give us important evidence of the dramatic natural history of the area. Just another reason why national parks are great outdoor classrooms! Photo by Andreas Eckert. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 4/19/17.
Trumpeter Swans. Tweeted by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, 6/2/17.
An underwater view of the coral and fish at National Park of American Samoa. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/28/17.
Arizona’s Grand Canyon. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 4/21/17.
Great horned owl owlet on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Tom Koerner/USFWS. Photo taken on 5/30/17 and posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Scenes like this from Crater Lake National Park in Oregon remind us of the beauty and fragility of nature. Clear skies, fresh air, pure water and the serene sounds of breezes and birds inspire us to experience the natural world and protect it for future generations. Sunrise photo by Helen Kehrt. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 4/22/17.
National Bison Range. Photo by Dave Fitzpatrick / USFWS. Photo taken 4/18/17 and posted on Flickr by the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Photo of Yosemite’s Half Dome from Glacier Point by Kevin Perez. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 4/21/17.
At Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, first came the Calusa, followed by European explorers of the 1500s, then the Miccosukee, Seminole and other settlers to the area. The rugged terrain challenged many early travelers as they established the watery wilderness of the swamp as their home. Photo by National Park Service. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 4/3/17.
Everglades National Park in Florida is a subtle place where earth, water and sky blend in a low green landscape – where mere inches of elevation produce distinct changes in vegetation and a great wealth of birds and other unique wildlife find refuge. One of the most environmentally significant regions in the world, this special park can also impress with its sublime beauty. Sunset photo by Aryeh Nirenberg. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 8/23/16.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida was once a part of the 140,000 acres of land acquired by NASA for the John F. Kennedy Space Center. In 1963, the wildlife refuge was established on some of the unused land. Today, the refuge is home to over 1,000 species of animals and plants, making it an ideal place for birdwatching, hiking and fishing. If you plan it just right, you can see a rocket launch. Photo by Mike Ballard. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 4/11/17.
Arizona’s Saguaro. Photo by David Olsen. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 12/16/16.
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is the second largest wilderness area in Arizona. A campaign by the Arizona Boy Scouts helped establish the refuge in 1939 to protect desert bighorn sheep and other wildlife. The refuge’s name – Kofa – comes from an acronym for one of the area’s most notable mines, the King of Arizona gold mine. Photo of mountains, palo verde & brittlebush by Brian Powell. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 8/18/16.
Taking its name from one of the longest living trees in the Arizona desert, the 129,000-acre Ironwood Forest National Monument is a true Sonoran Desert showcase. Keeping company with the ironwood trees are mesquite, palo verde, creosote, and saguaro – blanketing the monument floor beneath rugged mountain ranges named Silver Bell, Waterman and Sawtooth. The national monument also contains habitat for the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl and desert bighorn sheep. Photo by Bob Wick. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 3/24/17.
A most fascinating winter sight: Lower Falls ice dam at Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 2/1/17.
The rugged mountains of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 2/8/17.
Yellowstone National Park’s Moose Falls. Photo by Josh Packer. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 2/21/17.
Elk at Tule Elk National Wildlife Refuge. Once estimated to have a population of fewer than 30, these unique Tule elk now number more than 4,000. See them — and other terrific wildlife — just two hours outside of San Francisco, California. Photo by Lee Eastman, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. From the US Department of the Interior blog.
Pronghorn on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge Photo: Tom Koerner/USFWS. Taken on 2/28/17; tweeted by the US Fish & Wildlife Service 3/2/17.
Moose and Black Billed Magpie on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Photo: Tom Koerner/USFWS. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 3/2/17.
Two elk smooch while enjoying the view at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Every autumn, elk gather for the rut or annual mating season. Bull elk can be heard calling to females with a crescendo of deep, resonant tones that rise rapidly to a high-pitched squeal before dropping to a series of grunts. Photo by Brent Willmert, from the US Department of the Interior blog.
A green aurora borealis over Denali National Park. Photo by Carl Johnson. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 3/17/17.
Lightning strikes the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Tom Koerner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. From the blog of the US Department of the Interior.
A pair of falling stars and the Milky Way over Mount Rainier National Park. Photo by Evan Kokoska. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 2/12/17.
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Sky Light 2 (May 30, 2016)
Sky Light 1 (March 21, 2016)
A flock of Sandhill cranes pass in front of a setting sun on Pixley National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Byrhonda Lyons/USFWS. Posted on the US Fish & Wildlife Service website, Pacific Southwest Region.
Sunset at Balanced Rock … in Arches National Park. Tweeted by the US department of the Interior, 2/9/17.
Sunset over Olympic National Park. Photo by Bryan Moore. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 2/10/17.
