Arkansas Wildlife Blog and Gallery
Buffalo National River and NW Arkansas
Today was an unusual but special day in the Boxley Valley. The fog that is usually around the Buffalo River was knocked down a bit by rain storms that rolled through before sunrise. This also created interesting luminous light opportunities and specular highlights in the grass when sunlight hit it. Made for some interesting pictures.
On my tour this morning I found elk in the field just past the observation pullout (on the south), and further down the valley at the intersection of 21 and 43. I settled at this location and got some pretty interesting photos, at least to me. Both herds are headed by big bulls who are "running" the females. No bugling yet. In other wildlife news the three trumpeters were out on the mill pond, and the whitetail deer with twin fawns was down by the Boxley bridge. The great white egret I have been shooting was not around as far as I could tell. The river remains fast, not a trip for a rookie, but Ponca was full of canoeists.
Here's today's pictures with notes (all at the 43/21 field):
On my tour this morning I found elk in the field just past the observation pullout (on the south), and further down the valley at the intersection of 21 and 43. I settled at this location and got some pretty interesting photos, at least to me. Both herds are headed by big bulls who are "running" the females. No bugling yet. In other wildlife news the three trumpeters were out on the mill pond, and the whitetail deer with twin fawns was down by the Boxley bridge. The great white egret I have been shooting was not around as far as I could tell. The river remains fast, not a trip for a rookie, but Ponca was full of canoeists.
Here's today's pictures with notes (all at the 43/21 field):
Boxley Valley Update 09/07/08 AM
This big guy wandred into deep grass looking for love, but it was in all the wrong places.
Where did she go?
The light on these two pictures is quite different, but it changed in just a few minutes from the flat light on the left to the glowing light on the right, and back again. I love the light on the right.
Other critters, a garden spider along the fence line. Sometimes these photos turn out better than anything you plan.
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"Rub" by Randy Ridgway of Huntsville. We met this morning for the first time in Boxley valley. This is a picture of the same bull elk rubbing. Randy lives in Madison County and has been visiting Boxley Valley and the Ponca area to photograph elk for many years
Guest Photographer