Northern Light Show

Northern Lights over the standing remains of Concordia Pioneer Lutheran Church

A major solar geomagnetic storm struck the earth's magnetic field the night of May 10th, 2024. The storm started in the afternoon which gave time to plan on where best to try to capture the resulting Aurora Borealis. I chose a favorite structure in rural Roberts County, SD not far from Sisseton. Pioneer Concordia Lutheran church originally stood about two thirds of a mile east of its current location. The cemetery is still there. According to another photographer met while taking in the light show, three brothers decided to purchase the building and move it to one of their fields rather than see it knocked down. This church meant a lot to them as their parents were both married as well as their respective funerals were held in the church. So in a way, this is one of South Dakota's grandest memorials to loved ones now passed on.

On my way home I also stopped at Zion Evangelical Lutheran just to the east of the Brandt exit off Interstate 29. The light show had shifted to a dancing ribbon of pale green directly overhead that stretched across the sky from the eastern to western horizon. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for stopping by.

Looking southeast over my Suburu

Zion Evangelical Lutheran of rural Deuel County, SD

Spring of 2023 (March - May)

Pasqueflower fuzz in the evening light

Northern lights over Belleview Lutheran Church

Northern lights over Esmond, SD

Plum brush with butterfly

Yellow warbler

Pasqueflower

Pasqueflower in the rain

Raindrops on pasqueflower

Duckings

Pincushion cactus in bloom

Double rainbow over the yellow mounds area of Badlands National Park

Rainbow over Badlands National Park

After the rain in Eastern Pennington County, SD

Storm building over Wind Cave National Park

November 2021

An early November sunset sky over the Falls of the Big Sioux River in downtown Sioux Falls, SD

November of 2021 was tough for me to find time to get out into nature for photos. I did, however, get to shoot photos from the sidelines during my nephews 9A Football Championship game. Also, I was able to take a leisurely day of backroads on my way back from visiting family for the Thanksgiving holiday. This trip yielded great birding opportunities as the last of the snow geese were on their way through and plenty of raptors were around. At Blue Blanket lake alone, I saw up to eight bald eagles keeping their eye on a group of geese resting near the last of the open water. I didn't know if I'd be able to have a full dozen photos to show this month, but the post Thanksgiving trip also produced a superb sunset in Clark County as you will see below. Thanks for checking in and as usual, click on an image for a larger file to view and have a great holiday season!

Faint northern lights above the calm waters of Scotts Slough near Hartford, SD

My nephew at the 9A FB championship game in Vermillion, SD

My nephew at the 9A FB championship game in Vermillion, SD

Juvenile Bald Eagle at Blue Blanket lake near Selby, SD

Juvenile Bald Eagle in flight

Bald Eagle at Sand Lake National Wildlife Reserve in Brown County, SD

Bald Eagle along Highway 10 west of Britton, SD

Short-eared Owl at Waubay National Wildlife Refuge in Day County, SD

Sunset skies in rural Clark County, SD

Good Hope County church in rural Clark County, SD

Sunset skies in rural Clark County, SD

September 2017

Sunset over Spirit Mound in rural Clay County, SD

September in South Dakota is a joy for a rambling photographer like me.  Summer thunderstorms give way to soft fall evenings as the month progresses.  Birds and butterflies make their way through the state on their migrations south.  The leaves in the high country start to change in the latter weeks, paving way for a colorful October and cooler weather.  It was an exceedingly hard month to trim my favorites into 12 photos this time.  I started with nearly 80 photos and some were very hard to leave on the cutting room floor.  That is a good problem to have I guess.  As always, click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

A beam of aurora that made it's way almost directly overhead and westward early in the month... taken a few miles northwest of Hartford, SD

The Painted Lady Butterflies were particularly thick this month.  Here is one on a sunflower at Lake Herman State Park near Madison, SD

Sunrise through the tall grass at Mokoce Washte Native Prairie near Wall Lake, SD

White Pelican at sunset at Dewey Gevik Nature Area also near Wall Lake,  SD

A mountain bluebird amidst the fall colors of southern Lawrence County, SD

Spearfish Falls at Savoy, SD

First light on Badlands National Park

Badlands Bighorn in the early morning light

A favorite fall view from Vanocker Canyon in the northern Black Hills

Autumn evening above Lake Oahe in Campbell County, SD

The Missouri River hills in Campbell County, SD

May 2017

An early spring rainbow captured with my telephoto lens east of Baltic, SD

There are not a lot of places I'd rather be than South Dakota in the spring of the year.  This May saw vivid rainbows, blooming wildflowers, rainswept vistas and even a surprise outburst of Northern Lights.  It is also Milky Way season again for night photographers as the sky to southeast on clear, moonless nights will attest.  Here are 12 photos from the month of May that top my list for one reason or another.  I hope you enjoy them.  As always click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

Orange crowned warbler amongst wild plum blossom at Newton Hills State Park

Blessings from above in Eastern Minnehaha County

A full on double rainbow over Ben Clare, SD

Sunset colored rainclouds in western Rock County, MN

Mid-morning light breaking through retreating rainclouds at Badlands National Park

Burrowing Owl at Badlands National Park

Spring thundershower over Wind Cave National Park

Blooming white milkwort at Buffalo Gap National Grasslands in Jackson County, SD

Aurora (or possibly "Steve") over Creighton Community Building in Eastern Pennington County, SD

The Milky Way rising at Badlands National Park

Late May sunset over an old prairie corral north of Oacoma, SD