Page 12 – Doug Backlund Travel and Photography

More Aurora Borealis

Post author By Doug Backlund
Post date August 31, 2022

Two nights ago, Spaceweather.com was showing some promise for northern lights. I watched for a couple of hours. At one point, they got pretty bright, I was getting excited about a big show. Then, they just faded away. I saw some photos taken in Canada that night and those were spectacular. I hope to see a good display before I head for Arizona.

Here it is at its brightest. To my eyes, it was just a glow that was moving across the horizon, the camera captured the colors.

A little later when the aurora was more spread out.

Just before it faded away, it appears to show what aurora watchers call “picket fence” in the lower right.

Ornate Checkered Beetle. I used the 100mm macro and a ring flash.

A thread-waisted wasp, exact species unknown.

Insects Photography

Still at Slim Buttes

Not much new to report. However, I have been doing some updating of the website and now have a URL with a secure address. What I don’t know is if the old links will still work. So, if you have me bookmarked, you may have to update. (UPDATE: after publishing this new post, I tested it with my old links and it seems to work OK). Some of the archery seasons are open now, at least elk season is. There are only eight archery elk permits for this area, so it hasn’t been a huge increase in traffic, but it is noticeable. On September 1, archery deer season opens, that may be more noticeable. I have been watching for migrants but haven’t seen much yet, except for some flocks of Common Nighthawks.

Window Rock, another feature that shows on some maps of the Slim Buttes.

I was at the JB Dam a few days ago looking for butterflies. The numbers of Leopard Frogs along the shore was amazing, just like this image. The entire shoreline and backwater area looked like this.

A species of spread-wings (*Lestes*) damselfly. According to BugGuide, hard to ID to species. I was impressed with the brilliant blue eyes.

One of the few species of skippers that I feel comfortable with my ID. A Pahaska Skipper on gayfeather.

Aurora Borealis Birding Insects Photography

Northern Lights

Post author By Doug Backlund
Post date August 19, 2022

I was very optimistic about photographing the aurora borealis last night. Earlier in the day, Spaceweather.com and NOAA Spaceweather Prediction Center were forecasting a possible G3 class solar storm. Later in the day, that prediction was downgraded to G2 or G1. I went out and watched anyway, it was a clear night and the moon is rising later so the sky was dark. As soon as it got dark, I could see a glow in the north and then areas of brighter glow. To my eyes, it was not very impressive, but the camera caught good auroral activity.

Aurora borealis low on the horizon. Not much of a show but I was glad to see it anyway. Maybe tonight will be better. The sun is very active now. In this image, the Double Cluster can be seen in the upper right. The bright star rising just above the trees is Capella. Just a bit to the left of Capella is the tip of the state radio communications tower poking above the trees. As always, right click on the image and open in a new tab for larger view. Taken with a Canon 6D, Sigma 35mm f1.4 lens, mounted on an iOptron Sky Tracker, 30 second exposure at ISO 1600.

A few days ago, a passing thunderstorm sparked a grass fire to my west. It didn’t last long, the rain put it out shortly after.

A juvenile Townsend’s Solitaire on the roof of the outhouse in the Reva Gap Campground.

Herps Insects Photography

Pierre then back to Slim Buttes

Post author By Doug Backlund
Post date August 14, 2022
1 Comment on Pierre then back to Slim Buttes

I’ve been in Pierre since my last post. Now I’m back at the Slim Buttes. It was pretty hot in Pierre and not much cooler out here but that will be changing over the next few days. I am looking forward to cooler weather! On the birding and photography front, there hasn’t been much new. I got a couple of interesting photos while in Pierre.

Not a great photo but it is the only photo I’ve ever taken of a young Yellow-billed Cuckoo. This bird is just out of the nest and doesn’t have the yellow bill yet. Cuckoos are known for fast development. The entire time from egg-laying to fledging may be as little as 17 days.

One morning while walking around my parent’s yard, I saw some movement in the flower bed by the house. Then I saw this scene, a Plains Garter Snake in the process of swallowing a Woodhouse’s Toad. I suppose I could come up with some caption that expresses the toad’s point of view, but I will resist doing that.

This morning while on my daily hike, I saw a butterfly that flew a short distance and landed with its wings up. At first, I thought it had to be a comma of some species, as that is what they typically do. Then I got a better look, I could see it wasn’t a comma. I was a little puzzled until I realized it was a Variegated Fritillary. At least in my experience, they don’t usually land with their wings up.

Here is the same butterfly with its wings spread. I got the Dalea flower in focus too, which may make an awkward composition, but I chose to keep it.

Astrophotography Birding Photography

Astrophotography at the Slim Buttes

Post author By Doug Backlund
Post date July 29, 2022

The last few nights have been clear and dark. This area has the darkest skies to be found anywhere in North America and it is pretty amazing at night with no moon. I can see the Andromeda Galaxy with no difficulty, even without binoculars. I set up the Losmandy G11 and used the 500 f4 for a dark nebula and a comet.

I will have to leave pretty soon. I have an appointment in Pierre Monday morning. It is going to be hot there!

This is comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS). It is an Oort Cloud comet with a very long orbital period, it probably took millions of years to arrive at our sun from its origin in the Oort Cloud. It is a very large comet, at about 11 miles diameter. It cannot be seen without at least a 6-inch telescope. In my image, a faint red nebula is visible to the left of the comet. Its current location is in the constellation Ophiuchus. I wanted to get more exposure, but I had to deal with some tall trees that obscured it shortly after it got dark enough for photography.

LDN 1082, a dark nebula in Cepheus. It is also known as Barnard 150. Also known as the Seahorse Nebula. This is actually upside down, I flipped it so the “seahorse” shape is more obvious. The interstellar cloud is so dense that the light of the stars behind it and all other background emissions are completely absorbed. An active star formation takes place almost invisibly inside the nebula.

Flip it again, and it looks like a person walking, maybe with a long cape. So, the Batman Nebula?

While out for a walk a few days ago, this American Kestrel started hazing me. It flew over many times, not happy with my presence. I assume there were young nearby.

More elk, a cow and young calf inspecting something. I had 8 elk pass by in just a few minutes.

A pair of Trumpeter Swans that nested at the JB Dam. Two cygnets can be seen hunkered down on the nest. There are some Painted Turtles sharing the nest with the swans.

A Spotted Towhee that posed nicely for me.

Birding Insects Photography

Slim Buttes Update

Yes, I’m still here. I drove into Buffalo today for some ice, groceries, water, and gas. My total expenses since June 17 have been about $250.00, so I’m living cheap for now. I will have to go to Pierre sometime next week. Last night the forecast on Spaceweather.com was for a geomagnetic storm and all I got was clouds in the north. I saw today that many people did see Aurora Borealis last night, as far south as Virginia. I’m sure would have too if it hadn’t been for those clouds. Tonight, will be clear, maybe I’ll get lucky.

The number of elk here is pretty amazing, considering that just a few years ago, there were none. I’ve seen more elk than deer this summer. Apparently, Game, Fish and Parks is having a season on them this this fall, I’ve talked to a couple of people who have licenses and are planning a hunt.

One of the many elk I’ve seen or captured on my trail cams. I had five of them go by at this setup, not a very good angle. It is hard to find a good spot to set a camera, if the grass is too tall or if there are too many tree branches in the view, every time the wind blows the camera takes a 10 second video. Sometimes I will have several hundred videos to sort through. I have to pick a spot with short grass and no nearby tree branches, and also where no one is likely to see the camera and take it. Since I’ve been here in the Slim Buttes, I have captured coyotes, a porcupine, deer, the five elk, and a few Wild Turkeys. Once a House Wren landed in front of the camera and was checking it out. I’ve seen some mountain lion sign and am hoping to catch one of them on camera.

A Red-eyed Vireo, the bright spot behind its head looks like a halo. There was a family group, two adults and three young. I think I was the first human being the young ones had ever seen.

I set up the black light again, a few nights back. This is *Argyrostrotis anilis*, Short-lined Chocolate. First South Dakota record for BugGuide and Moth Photographer’s Group.

Hesperumia sulphuraria, the Sulphur Moth. Mostly a western species with scattered records across eastern North America. Another first for South Dakota.

*Mulsantina picta*, the Painted Lady Beetle. First one I have ever seen and a first for BugGuide in South Dakota. I see a few records in iNaturalist, all in western South Dakota.

Insects Photography

Government Hill and Lightning

Post author By Doug Backlund
Post date July 14, 2022
2 Comments on Government Hill and Lightning

A couple of days ago, the wind finally went down, it seemed like a good time to drive up to Government Hill. It is a good place to look for hill-topping butterflies. It is a couple of miles north of where I’m camped. I have searched the internet trying to find out how it got named Government Hill but there seems to be no information. It may be because of a USGS survey marker on top. Elevation is 3624 ft. There were plenty of common butterflies and lots of flowers, but nothing very noteworthy.

Last night a thunderstorm came up around 2 AM. I wasn’t expecting any severe weather so I was just waiting for it to pass so I could go back to sleep. Suddenly, wham! Lightning hit and thunder roared. The shock wave rocked the Scamp. I thought maybe one of the big trees on the edge of the cliff got hit. I hoped it wasn’t the truck. This morning I found where the strike was, about 50 ft. south of the Scamp. Too close for comfort.

The lightning strike. It blew out large chunks of wood from the pine. Why it hit this tree and not others that are taller I have no idea. Lightning does what it does, just glad it didn’t hit me!

I cannot even find a photo of Government Hill on the internet. No information other than elevation, 3624 ft. It is nice hike, especially on a nice day. This is a panorama of three images taken at 100mm from where I parked. As always, right click on the image and open in a new window for a larger view.

Every time I’ve gone up on Government Hill in the summer I find Coral Hairstreaks hill-topping. This year was no exception.

This is the first time I’ve seen a Gorgone Checkerspot up there. Only one. Other species I saw but didn’t photograph: Two-tailed Swallowtail, Variegated Fritillary, Checkered White, and some other fritillary I couldn’t identify.

A pair of Nuttall’s Blister Beetles on lupine flowers. Lupine is their preferred food plant.

Insects Photography

Butterflies and Moths

Last night was fairly warm and humid so I put out the black light. The moon is getting bright and that lowers the effectiveness of a black light for attracting insects, but I did alright. Finally, a break in the humidity too, today is warm but not so humid. It feels good.

A Red Admiral nectaring on Purple Coneflower. The coneflowers are flowering in abundance right now.

A poor photo of a Striped Hairstreak. This is only the second one I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t get a clear shot and then it took off and disappeared. The other one I saw was in the Black Hills in July 2016. I got a better photo of that one, which can be seen at this LINK.

At the black light, a Small-eyed Sphinx. I have seen these in the Black Hills but this is the first time I’ve seen it in Harding County.

An attractive moth, *Haploa lecontei*, Leconte’s Haploa. First South Dakota record in the BugGuide database.

*Hypercompe permaculata*, the Many-spotted Tiger Moth. Also a first South Dakota record in the BugGuide database.

*Marathyssa inficita*, Dark Marathyssa. A very unusual looking moth. I guess the perching pose is defensive camouflage, but I cannot find any reference to it. A first South Dakota record in the BugGuide database. Larval foods include sumacs and poison ivy, both of which are abundant here. The moth is perched on the cord to the black light.

Birding Insects Photography

Still at Slim Buttes

I haven’t moved. The weather has been stormy and wet, one storm dropped a lot of hail, but it was small hail. It rains almost every day, but I am not seeing any mosquitoes. No ticks either, I’m not sure why, this area is usually very bad for ticks. Not that I miss them, I can go hiking anywhere off the trails and roads and not get loaded with ticks. One result of that is that I finally confirmed nesting of Townsend’s Solitaire in the pine forests of Harding County. We have known that this thrush species is present and probably nesting, but it has never been confirmed. During the last South Dakota Breeding Bird Atlas (concluded in 2012) Townsend’s Solitaire was still unconfirmed as a breeding bird in Harding County.

I was walking through an area of thick pine near Red Cross Spring when I saw one, then two Townsend’s Solitaires. They acted like they didn’t want me there. I sat down and watched for about 30 minutes, finally I saw one of them fly to the ground and not back up.

I walked over to where I saw the bird fly down and still did not see it. Finally, I noticed a dead pine branch with brown needles hanging over a log, I approached that, and the bird flew out. There was the nest! This is the first time I’ve found a ground nest, in the Black Hills I always find this species nests on cutbanks and rock ledges.

Another view of the Slim Buttes about a mile south of my campsite.

I have heard about Elk becoming established here in the Slim Buttes. I have seen tracks too, but this is the first Elk I’ve seen. There were five of them, all very wary and quickly disappearing.

Weidemeyer’s Admiral on a pine branch. The left wing was really beat up, so I chose this shot.

Birding Photography Travel

Slim Buttes 2

Post author By Doug Backlund
Post date June 29, 2022

I’ve been here since Monday now and haven’t seen anyone except my brother Ted, who stopped by yesterday. He maintains State Radio communications towers in western South Dakota and there is a tower about a mile north of where I’m camped. We had a short visit before he had to get back to work. I’ve been spending my mornings on the cliff behind camp, photographing the Prairie Falcons and White-throated Swifts that are here every summer. The great photo of a White-throated Swifts still eludes me, but I keep trying.