February 2010 ~ Favorite Moments

Sigh...I haven't been out with the camera since Christmas Day, when I took the photos of the ice crystals in my backyard...and even that doesn't really 'count' since I didn't go anywhere...the head cold is gone, the ugly cold sore scabs are too, finally (I honestly looked like a rodeo clown w/ road rash all around and on her nose)...the skin underneath is still a bright red...anyway, I do hope to get out soon, I need to...but the light today isn't good...in the meantime, I thought I'd post photos from last year's favorites, starting with two particular days last Feb. Both days were when I took a drive through Custer State Park...

Feb. 10th, 2010, I came upon a herd of buffalo by the side of the road, including this wary youngster...

And further down the wildlife loop, this clean, healthy-looking antelope, seeming a bit less wary...

And further yet, a black-billed magpie took flight from a pine tree when I tried to get a shot of it perched...but then, I like this shot in motion. The magpies like this one particular area of the loop road; I have no idea why...

Feb. 24th, 2010, was a very special day I won't forget...I came upon two bald eagles perched in a dead tree at the border of Custer State/Wind Cave Nat'l Parks...one eagle flew off when I turned around and went back, but one stayed put and allowed me to take photos for several minutes. Probably, it turns out, because its left claw was deformed...

On the opposite side of the road from the eagle, a coyote trotted by...

At a picnic area in Wind Cave Nat'l Park, I got this interesting shot of a white-breasted nuthatch as it skittered up and around a pine tree, and dug out what looks like a seed...

Is anyone else sharing their favorite shots from 2010? My laptop was down for over a week...I had my photos moved to an external drive by the Geeks but some folders were missing and I was worried I'd lost them...a Dell tech came yesterday and replaced the motherboard and a RAM card and my computer's working again (thank heavens for warranties), and my photos are all still on the hard drive...talk about relief.