GREETING AND WARNING

Black-tailed Prairie Dog performing a "jump-yip"

Prairie dogs are highly social animals and within a family group many ways of greeting or alarming each other are performed. We visited the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge a couple days ago and found two prairie dog towns in the grassland among several other habitats, like a lake and marshy areas. We love prairie dogs and despite a pretty harsh light situation around their burrows we couldn’t resist to point the lens at these funny and entertaining ground squirrels.

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs greeting each other, Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge near Azle, Texas

THE CUTENESS BONUS

Young Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

At every visit in Badlands National Park, South Dakota I have photographed Black-tailed Prairie Dogs but never the babies when they were the first days above the ground. The little ones are absolutely adorable and I enjoyed spending the early morning with them a week ago. The little pups remain up to seven weeks below ground and that’s why I probably never saw them during the month of May in other years. Prairie dogs are cute no matter what, but having their pups in the picture gives it an extra cuteness bonus…

I shot most of the time with the 1.4 teleconverter attached to the SIGMA 150-600, giving me a focal length up to 850 mm. For some pictures a slight cosmetic crop was applied.

All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG

THE GESTURE!

Black-tailed Prairie Dog performing the “jump-yip” call. Badlands NP, South Dakota

With all the pictures of Black-tailed Prairie dogs I made over the years there was still one missing, a photo of our favorite gesture. The famous “jump-yip” call can communicate alertness, territorial defense, or can be an “all-clear” signal. (source: https://www.prairiedoghoogland.com/vocalizations )

We just love watching the social behavior of prairie dogs and in the Badlands the numbers seem to increase with every visit we made since 2005. There is no problem to find them in Badlands NP and the photographer can be choosy about location and direction of light.

The “jump-yip” call lasts maybe a second or even less and you never know when they do it. However, a fast frame rate is the key to catch the action. The Nikon Z6II delivers 10 frames per second with my personal settings applied (14 bit depth NEF (RAW), shooting mode: Continuous High, extended). Shooting with 12 bit depth would even allow 14 frames per second, but I do not like to change and rather have more color data in my pixels.

Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head,   @ 600 mm, 1/1250 s, f/6.3, ISO 400

PRAIRIE DOGS, HIGHLY SOCIAL

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Prairie Dogs don’t know anything about today’s need for social distancing, and who want’s to blame them?. In fact, they are a highly social animal, fun to watch, and a great subject for any wildlife photographer. I like to point this out, because it is an animal ideal to work with for any camera owner, who likes to go into wildlife photography.

Since I was the first time in the Badlands about fifteen years ago we have seen a great increase in numbers of the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs. During our 2020 trip through South and North Dakota, and as well eastern Montana, we have seen quite a few prairie dog towns and most of them seem to be good locations for observation and photography. However, the easiest place on the planet for photographing prairie dogs is right at Sage Creek Campground in Badlands National Park, South Dakota. Sit in your camping chair next to your tent, maybe have an adult beverage nearby, but most importantly have the camera on eye level with the critters. Their dens are below your tent and the entrance mounds are all around your location.

At a place like that I shoot a lot of pictures, but the ones that make it to public have to tell the story about location and the typical behavior of the animal. At least one of the prairie dogs is always on the watch for predators (here the one on the left) and when they come out of the den, it doesn’t take too long before they feed or interact with each other. I always like to have the feature in my photos that gives a particular animal its name. Hence the three black-tipped tails in this photo…

OUT WEST #1

DIGNITY of Earth and Sky, Chamberlain, South Dakota

No activity for almost three weeks in my blog? Yes you guessed it, we were on vacation, a time I usually take a break from posting here in the blog. Joan and I, and of course our little dog Cooper, made an 18-day trip out west to the grasslands and mountains of South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. If this is something that may interest you, stay tuned for the next few weeks. As I slowly work my way through all the pictures that were taken, I will try to tell a story with my photos of our journey, about the landscapes we discovered, and some of the wildlife we found.

Any time we head out west it is mandatory for us to stop near Chamberlain, South Dakota, just before we cross the Missouri River. New at this rest stop along Interstate 90 is the statue “DIGNITY of Earth and Sky”, dedicated September 17, 2016, and created by sculptor and South Dakota artist and laureate Dale Claude Lamphere.

“Standing at a crossroads, DIGNITY echoes the interaction of earth, sky, and people. She brings to light the beauty and promise of the indigenous people and cultures that still thrive on this land. My intend is to have the sculpture stand as an enduring symbol of our shared belief that all here are sacred, and in a sacred place.” Dale Claude Lamphere

Crossing the Missouri River, Chamberlain, South Dakota

It was our fourth time that we stood at this vantage point together, overlooking the Missouri River, and it is no coincidence that a truck with parts for another giant wind turbine rolls by. Many of them were on the road, telling the story about how the true decision makers in this country, the leaders in economy and business with a view beyond just local interests, understand the need for change in energy and climate policies.

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Our first place to pitch the tent was at Sage Creek Campground in Badlands National Park, South Dakota, a campsite we have been before three times, and one of our favorite places to be. New was that the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs have now expanded their territory into the camp area. Sitting in a camping chair behind tripod and camera, having a beer or glass of wine, and shooting these funny critters in the killer light of the setting sun is a great way to start a vacation, at least in my books… 😊

SERIOUS TALK OR JUST CHITCHAT?

Hands down, this is my favorite shot of a Black-tailed Prairie Dog. The little guy moved around with its mouth full of grass, obviously ready to add it to its winter hoard. I was thinking the whole time while following the critter with my lens, come on, stand up, and the prairie dog finally did me the favor. Even with the food in its mouth, it still participated in the Prairie Dog’s communication system. Who knows what they are talking about, but Prairie dogs have a big arsenal of calls and gestures to warn each other or maybe just to chitchat. We love watching these critters…!