On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
I love the Goldfinch in the second photo. In fact, I love everything about that photo. The flowers in focus at the bottom, and blurred toward the top. The bird perched on the flower. The yellow bird paired with the purple flowers. Oh, and before I forget, watch out for the cranky bird in the third photo; he looks distinctly unhappy! ~WaterGirl
One final note: if we get 2 more Paris submissions, we’ll have 3 full weeks of Paris After Dark!
Albatrossity
Summer in Flyover Country is not as exciting, bird migration-wise, as the spring and fall, but there is still some beauty to be found. So here is a collection of images taken in the Flint Hills of Kansas this summer, ranging from landscapes to insects to (of course!) birds. Hope you enjoy them, and that they move you to get out and enjoy your own local patch every once in a while.
The Konza Prairie Biological Station is a property owned by the Nature Conservancy and leased to the Biology Division at Kansas State University, where I was employed before I retired. It is 8600 acres of tallgrass prairie, the most endangered ecosystem in North America. On a summer day there are many scenic vistas to be found, as well as lots of flowers, insects, and other critters. There is a nature trail that can be enjoyed by the public, but this shot is taken from a part of the station that usually sees only researchers, docents, and retired faculty members. Come visit after the pandemic abates and we might be able to get you out there too.
American Goldfinches are very colorful right now, and some of that beauty is due to the fact that they are very late to start breeding, usually in late July or early August. They delay until the thistles bloom and they can collect thistle down to line their nests. This one was simply eating the seeds and allowing the down to blow away, but it hopefully will be actively engaged in feeding youngsters soon. By the way, these plants are Musk Thistle, a noxious weed, and the county weed control folks have been notified about this large field that needs to be gotten under control.
Here’s a bird that has not been common for most of my decades here in the Flint Hills, even though it is common in lots of other parts of Flyover Country (and elsewhere). Northern Mockingbirds are being seen more and more regularly around here, which is good for our species list but bad for those of us who count on hearing birds before we see them. They can imitate many species, and I’ll have to be more careful in IDing birds that I hear from now on.
This large butterfly is a Regal Fritillary, an indicator species for healthy tallgrass prairie and a rare insect in almost all of its former range. If you live east of the Mississippi you have probably never seen one. They have an interesting life cycle. The eggs are laid on a prairie violet plant in late summer. When they hatch, the wee first-instar caterpillar does not eat, but overwinters on the violets and begins to feed voraciously when the violets grow new leaves in the spring.
Those of you who are Facebook friends with me know that I might be obsessed with Red-tailed Hawks, especially the ones who winter here. We don’t have any unusual ones around in the summertime, but this is a good-looking juvenile redtail, showing off that faint rosy blush on the upper chest, indicating that it has not been out of the nest very long. A similar bird, probably a sibling, was sitting on a nearby utility pole devouring a snake, and this guy wanted some of that as well. But he didn’t get his wish.
This is a relatively common butterfly in these parts, the Coral Hairstreak, which is an odd member of that group of butterflies, since it doesn’t have the eponymous hairstreak tails. Nectaring on Common Milkweed.
Common Nighthawks are also becoming less common over much of their historic range, but there is still a healthy population in the Flint Hills. Catching one in flight is a challenge, but sometimes you get lucky.
Cliff Swallows are abundant across the continent, and their colonies of mud nests underneath bridges and along rock faces are familiar to many birders. They are even a greater challenge to capture in flight; I discarded many many pixels before I got to this one.
SiubhanDuinne
As usual, they’re all stunning photos of beautiful creatures, but I think my two favourites are the last two of birds in flight — the Common Nighthawk and the Cliff Swallow. Thank you for a lovely start to the day.
eclare
As always, beautiful photos. I especially love the first, with the enormous vista.
waynel140
Awesome. Thank you for the effort.
Geminid
Beautiful pictures. Thank you.
Betsy
These are beautiful and stunning.
I’m a birder too. Birding has really been a relief, a pleasure, a sanity saver since March.
JeanneT
Beautiful! In the late 1970’s I had the pleasure to visit a remnant of tall grass prairie preserved in Illinois – it must have been in late summer. I was bowled over by having the grasses and flowering plants waving above my head (I’m short!) and the insects’ hums and buzzing filling my ears. But I don’t remember seeing these lovely birds: now I want to go to the prairie again some day and spend more time.
JPL
Wonderful pictures.
ljt
Beautiful. I love the butterflies.
Spanky
Catching a swallow on the wing is absolutely impossible. I don’t know how you did it.
A note about mockingbirds. They’ll rarely stay on one song for more than a few seconds, so if it doesn’t repeat, it’s probably a mocker. Likewise if it veers off into phone ringtones, like ours here in the DC suburbs do.
I never saw a mockingbird when growing up in Pittsburgh, but now they’re common, as they’ve moved north through the Appalachians. Another bit of evidence for a warming continent.
arrieve
Thanks, Albatrossity — I may indeed visit your prairies when we can travel again — such beautiful country. And as always I am in awe of your ability to photograph birds in flight. I consider myself lucky if I manage to get an in-focus shot of a bird sitting still. I’ve rarely had an even halfway decent capture of one in flight.
Wag
As always, I appreciate your photos. Your photos of the nighthawk and the juvenile red tail are great!
I hate thistles, but your goldfinch looks happy as a clam perched on top of one.
Angela
Your pictures rise a longing for Kansas in me. I’ve been gone 35 years and it is rare that I miss my home state since I graduated from KSU in ’85 and moved West, then East.
There is a beauty and spaciousness to the plains, I usually am able to carry that inside. Your pictures, though, raise such a longing to be back in that landscape.
Thank you.
Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)
All of them are great, but the flying nighthawk is amazing!
p.a.
Excellent work as always, thanks. I’ve heard mockers do car alarms and squeaky gates. Had one with my yard in its territory that liked to sing all night on full moons from the old clothesline pole outside my bedroom window. ?
Jerry
That much sky is a rare sight in my part of North Carolina. Usually the only times I see that much of the sky is when I’m at the ocean or up on top of a mountain.
I’ve lived in NC for 25 years now and have never seen a goldfinch until last week. That seems odd to me, but there you have it. Beautiful l’l fellas, ain’t they?
NDVI
While I love your bird photos, your pictures of the Konza prairie really bring me joy. Over 30 years ago I spent a lot of time on the Konza working on a large NASA field campaign and I came to fall in love with that landscape, but haven’t been able to get back there to work again. Thank you.
Nelle
Thank you. Thank you. The nighthawk in flight is beauty beyond words.
Miki
Your pic of the nighthawk is stunning! Thirty-years ago I used to watch them from my apt. in the Cathedral Hill area of St. Paul. Fascinating birds (be sure to click on the link for the booming sound as the air rushes through their wings).
Thanks for sharing.
Citizen_X
Ooh, great nighthawk pic! They’re so fast, you never get a chance to see what they really look like.
Benw
w o w
karensky
Kansas has some awesome birds and a terrific bird photographer. Stay golden you finch. I live near a river in Philly and Redhawks abound.
Albatrossity
@Jerry: I feel the same way, in reverse, when I visit my brother and sister-in-law in Carrboro NC. I miss the sky when I am back there!
Albatrossity
@NDVI: I remember the NASA installations. Today the Konza is part of NEON (National Ecological Observatory Network), and there are remote sensing devices all over the place. Maybe you can come back and see the place sometime; it’s changed some, but not a lot.
mvr
Can’t really pick a favorite photo because they’re all impressive. Thanks!
frosty
Kansas was one of our last stops when we were eastbound in May. We had a guidebook for Scenic Byways that included the Flint Hills, so I took the drive. Beautiful country. I walked the nature trail at Konza and a little of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. Had the camera with me but I wasn’t lucky (or fast) enough to get any bird pictures.
BigJimSlade
Great in-flight photos! I know how tough that is – my camera sucks at action shots (7 year old Olympus OM-D E-M1). I’ve found that even butterflies often don’t remain still for much more than a moment, and they can tell when you approach and flitter off. The other shots are great, too :-)
Cermet
How in the world do they control non-native invasive species? And do they allow burns to clear it from time to time? Without Bison, can’t see how it is maintained compared to the orginal manner.
Albatrossity
@Cermet: There are bison on part of the station. There are also cattle on other parts. And it is burned, with various watersheds having various burn frequencies (annually, every 2 yrs, every 4 years, every 10 years, every 20 yrs, or left unburned). There are combinations of these treatments, and replicate watersheds for each treatment. Here’s some more information.
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
Fabulous pictures as always. I love the Goldfinch and the RTH, but am in awe of your Nighthawk and Swallow in-flight shots. Thank you! When I was growing up on the Peninsula south of SF, before becoming a birder, I was familiar with Mockingbirds and Robins since they were such big and prominent birds. Easy to see (Robins on the lawns) and hear (Mockingbirds in the trees) even if you weren’t trying.
J R in WV
Late to the game, but want to join the crowd of enthusiastic supporters. Forwarded a link to this post to my birder neighbor, she always appreciates these posts. Great work, please keep up sending them in to the On the Road blog posts!
Thanks again!!