December 2021

December sunset beyond St. Ann's Catholic Church near Badus Lake (Lake County, SD)

The last month of 2021 proved to be a grand flourish of photography that included many colorful sunsets, a 10-inch first snow event and then a particularly wonderful trip West River to close out the year. Picking a dozen photos from these events proved difficult, which is good problem to have. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

Last of the day's sunlight striking St. Paul Lutheran of Union County, SD and the Loess Hills of Plymouth County, IA in the distance

Northern Cardinal in heavy snow

Phillips Avenue - Sioux Falls, SD

Sculpture with snow - Downtown Sioux Falls, SD

Dawn's first light on Skresfrud Lutheran of rural Lincoln County, SD

Single snowflake

Christmas morning Snowy Owl in southern Sioux Falls, SD

Badlands mule deer in snow

Badlands black and white in winter

Bighorn ram at Badlands National Park

Snowfall through sunlight at Badlands National Park

 

January 2021

Early January sunrise of the Falls of the Big Sioux

A relatively mild January brought a couple opportunities to get out into the world with camera in hand. This winter has brought more owl activity than any in recent memory. Particularly an abundance of short-eared owls in many locations. A particular group near Brookings has been the highlight of many birding enthusiasts since after Christmas. The evening I made it up there brought beautiful golden light to watch three hunt over a hayfield near the Big Sioux southwest of town. Later in the month, I heard there were no less than four snowy owls in the Redfield area, so I took a Sunday afternoon drive to investigate. I was able to see and photograph three individuals including a very white male shown as the last photo in this post. As January's go, this one was a good one. Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in. 

 

Short-eared owl in the evening light

Frosty morning

Red barn on a frosty morning

Midway Lutheran (rural Moody County)

Lake Madison Lutheran

Winter scene after fog and frost

Great horned owl

Purple Finch

Red fox locked

Short-eared owl on the prowl

Snowy owl

March 2018

An abandoned country school with outhouse north of Miller, SD

March of 2018 has been colder and more wintery than the last handful of Marches.  The first half of the month I was quite busy following sports indoors with all the basketball seasons coming to an end. The last half of the month I tried to get out and witness the waterfowl migrations that pass through every early spring, but there were only a handful of good weather days to choose from.  Finally at the end of the month I was able to travel through the state to go visit family for an early Easter so had a couple more opportunities to shoot photos then.  All that equates to my favorite twelve photos of the month posted here.  Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

The Denny Sanford Center at near capacity for the USD v SDSU Summit League Championship game in Sioux Falls

A bald eagle perched on a icy tree near Silver Lake north of Freeman, SD

Thousands of snow geese near Freeman, SD (This is what the bald eagles are following this time of year)

One of two snowy owls north of Emery, SD I was surprised to see while out and about.  Seems late for them to still be around in the middle of March.

The 2nd Snowy Owl north of Emery, SD

A rare (nearly) clear sky sunset with geese flying north

Sunset over Highway 42 a couple days after the first day of spring

A red-winged blackbird taking flight in western Minnehaha County, SD

A couple ducks escaping into the sunset near Humboldt, SD

A bald eagle in flight north of Miller, SD

Abandoned north of Miller, SD

January 2018

Sun dogs at sunset in rural Minnehaha County, SD

 Hard to believe we are over month into 2018 already. It was a typical January with bitter cold, soundings, a January thaw, and a couple foggy days giving the landscape a temporary hoar frost covering.  Here are my favorite 12 photos of the month.  Feel free to click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

Sun dog rainbow over St. Joseph's Cathedral of Sioux Falls, SD

Rabbit hiding in brush.  There was a hungry snowy owl patrolling nearby.

Snowy owl in flight

Overhead jet and contrails

Snowy owl in flight

Northern cardinal on a snow day

Snow day at the Sioux Falls Outdoor Campus

Frosty morning in rural Minnehaha County

Frosty morning in rural Minnehaha County

Sunset over the grain elevator in Ellis, SD

New snow over an old cemetery - Wood Lake Lutheran of rural Deuel County, SD

December 2017

An early December sunset over a prairie windmill near Hartford, SD

This December was a month of extremes.  For the first three weeks, the weather was dry and quite warm across most of the state.  An early influx of snowy owls seemed to make their way across the whole area including a sighting right here in northwest Sioux Falls.  About Christmas time, the weather started getting colder and soon snow covered the whole state. As I write this, on the evening of December 31st, we are experiencing the coldest temperatures of the young winter season with teens below zero temperature actual and even colder with the windchill.  All this, plus a holiday trip to the western part of the state made for great month of photography opportunities.  It wasn't easy, but here are 12 of my favorites from the last of 2017.  Click on an image for a larger file to view and thanks for checking in!

A snowy owl in a field on the northwest corner of Sioux Falls taken December 2nd

Sunset with a thin layer of ice over Lake Alvin Recreation Area near Harrisburg, SD

The fishing pier with an icy sunset at Lake Alvin

Close-up of a prairie windmill at sunset near Hartford, SD

Pre-dawn clouds over Badlands National Park

Spearfish Canyon after a snowfall on the Winter Solstice

Snow covered pine in Spearfish Canyon

A bluejay in Custer State Park

Snowfall on bison - Custer State Park

Snowfall on bison - Custer State Park

Another snowy owl sighting in northwest Sioux Falls on the last day of the year.  This time there was plenty of snow and sub-freezing temps to accompany the bird.  In this photo it is perched atop a four story apartment building and fluffed up against the cold temperatures.