It's been several months since I have seen Lady Aurora dancing.  Captured from the north side of our shelter belt looking north toward Reynolds, ND.

The American kestrel (Falco sparverius) is the smallest and most common falcon in North America. Though it has been called the American sparrowhawk, this common name is a misnomer; the American kestrel is a true falcon, while neither the Eurasian sparrowhawk nor the other species called sparrowhawks are in the Falconidae family, hence only very distantly related to the American kestrel.

A female Kestrel hanging out in my backyard in the Black Walnut tree long enough to capture a few images.

​The eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) is a small North American migratory thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands, and orchards.

This male Purple Finch was a regular visitor for several months in my yard 

Cool Kites on the Ice - February 15, 2026

Earth's magnetic field has been vibrating for 4 straight days--a remarkably long-lasting geomagnetic storm.  I was able to capture a few images 3 of the 4 nights.​

Approximately 850 parked empty grain cars toppled off the tracks during the early morning hours June 21, 2025. The weather service recorded top wind gusts of 112 miles per hour. 

Smoke from Canada wildfires creates some unique photo ops! Captured May 30, 2025.

Tonight's full moon (Wolf Moon) will cross paths with another noteworthy celestial object this Monday evening, Jan. 13, when it will cover the planet Mars, now shining as bright as it will get in this new year of 2025!

The Lunar Occultation of Mars, a specific location on Earth can see it happen (on average) once about every 14 years.

Comets are icy remnants from the early days of our solar system, composed of dust, rock, and frozen gases. While often imagined as fiery objects streaking across the sky, comets only develop their iconic glowing tails when they venture close to the sun.
As they near the sun, the heat causes their ices to vaporize, releasing gas and dust that form a glowing coma and a long tail that can stretch millions of miles into space.
In their original state, before heating up, comets can range in size from just a few miles to tens of miles across. But once their materials start to sublimate and expand near the sun, they can appear larger than most planets.

The 1st image captured early evening October 10th.  Between the clouds and smoke I was only able to capture a few images before the clouds got thicker.  Forecast showed it would be clear by 4am.  The other 2 images captured after 5 am on Oct 11th.  

Took the dogs out for a potty break and the lights were gorgeous!  I've been without a camera for a while so just took with my cell phone handheld.

Partial Eclipse blacking out 8% of the lunar disk. Harvest Moon is when its closest to the northern autumnal equinox.