Wildlife in the Landscape
March 29, 2024|American Landscape and Parks
ELK
Grazing Elk in Yellowstone National Park
North America’s large open spaces are the home to our native wildlife. These creatures not only enhance the beauty of the landscape, they also contribute to our ecosystem in many ways. The selective eating patterns of wildlife play a useful role in preserving grasses and reducing tree overpopulation. These animals also serve as food for other beings in the food chain.
Visually, the appearance of wildlife adds a rich dimension to the landscape. Today’s blog presents a look at a number of wildlife animals in natural settings. The cover image featuring grazing elk, was taken at Mammoth Hot Springs inside Yellowstone National Park.
Elk in Alberta Canada
The image above is of another elk found in the woodlands near Jasper, Alberta, Canada. Below are several images of deer grazing on spring wildflowers near Crested Butte, Colorado.
DEER
HORSES
Most horses are not considered wildlife, yet their early ancestors were certainly wild. Man began to domesticate horses 6000 years ago in the areas now occupying Spain, Russia and Eastern Europe. The image immediately below is of a horse in a pasture full of wildflowers taken near Brenham, Texas. A second image was taken in Gunnison County, Colorado.
Spring Wildflower Season in Texas
Crested Butte Horse Pasture, Gunnison County Colorado
BISON
For many years the bison and the buffalo sustained the lifestyle of Native Americans in the west. The image of a bison, shown below, was taken in the Lamar Valley at Yellowstone, Wyoming, We tend to categorize them as the same even though they are not closely related. Bison have much larger heads than buffalo and typically have adapted to much colder climates. The stature of the Bison on the landscape is imposing. The inclusion of wildlife within a larger scene adds to overall interest in a landscape photo.
Bison On The Prairie At Yellowstone
MOOSE
A similar visual technique is employed in the landscape image below. In this image a very large moose returns to lake banks after an early morning swim. The image was captured at Lily Lake, Colorado.
Early Morning Sighting Male Moose at Lily Lake, Colorado
DUCKS
Ducks are birds with an affinity for areas with ponds, lakes and marshlands. The flock shown below includes younger ducks that have recently grown adult feathers. A more typical pose for a flock would show most or all looking in the same direction. These ducks appear somewhat distracted.
Flock of Young Ducks
The Muscovy Duck shown in the image below has a distinctive red face covering which is most prominent in the males.
Muscovy Duke
SEAGULLS
The next few images feature “seagulls” or more properly just gulls. They are acrobatic wonders using long beaks to dive for fish. They contribute to the ecology by eating insects and fish.
The gulls and small sandpipers shown below search for easy prey along shallow waves at the beach. The birds warm brown and black coloring provides a beautiful complement to the cool seashore color pallet.
Early Morning Birding Port Aransas, Texas
BIRDS
Black Crowned Night Heron in Coastal Texas
The image above of a Black Crowned Night Heron was taken in Southeast Texas. As the name implies they prefer to be out in the evening hours.
Ptarmagin
The images above and below were both taken in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Above the Ptarmigan is a medium sized game bird that is member of the grouse family. The Colorado Blue Bird is featured in the image below.
Colorado Blue Bird
The discovery of animals in the wild can often be a surprising and gratifying moment. As humans, we have a special connection to other living beings. We see the beauty and sometimes majesty of these creatures. We think about how they raise and nurture their young not unlike humans do. We may often wonder how an animal may live and survive in such rugged natural environments. Images of wildlife enhance the mood making it a powerful element in landscape photography Thanks for viewing today. More images at: https://.photobykercho.com
