Month: April 2024

Nebraska Wildlife Photography 2024

A visit to Northeast Nebraska provided several firsts for me including Hudsonian Godwits on the farm where I grew up as well as numerous Northern Shovelers. Recent rain provided a great deal of standing water on many of the farms north of highway 20; similar to what I recall growing up in the late 50’s and early 60’s. Beautiful green grass and bright sunshine. A special pond on the “Home Place” where my father grew up and now cared for by my Uncle Gary and cousin Trish, provided great cover for many of the birds captured in the photos. An amazingly lucky sighting of 3 Female Wood Ducks high in the trees nearby while the males were waiting in the pond. A Cinnamon Teal was also a first for me and he was somehow hanging out the the Blue-winged Teals!

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge April 2024

Another photographer noted an alligator family with mother and babies nearby. He has been watching the family and believes the babies were hatched in August 2023. Baby alligators (hatchlings) have a pointed “egg tooth” or a caruncle to help them break out of their shell. This tooth is soon lost after hatching. Hatchlings are about 8 inches long. A group of hatchlings is called a pod.