Male and female Blue-Winged Teal (Anas discors) at the Calamus Outfitters Switzer Ranch, Loup County, NE. This species is a common spring migrant in our area, especially in the Missouri River valley.
See more of these ducks and other wildlife at this site here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/april-2026-at-158970760?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
Ord's Kangaroo Rats (Dipodomys ordii) picked up by one of my trail cameras at a Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) town at the Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve in Keya Paha County, Nebraska. They have interesting adaptations that let them survive in drier environments and avoid predators like rattlesnakes and owls.
Video of an American Badger (Taxidea taxus) from the Preparation Canyon Unit, Loess Hills State Forest, Monona County, Iowa. This was one of the last videos I got of this badger before finally taking the cameras down on 6/30/2025.
I don't know what this badger is doing. I have wondered if it is trying to threaten the camera. Others have speculated that the badger was sprayed by a skunk in its den. If you have any other ideas, let me know in the comments below.
A Mountain Lion/Cougar/Puma (Puma concolor) trotting through a prairie dog town at night and then coming up to investigate my trail camera at the Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve in Keya Paha County, Nebraska. This camera is part of a project to find Plains Spotted Skunks (Spilogale (putorius) interrupta) in the state.
A Northern Prairie Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus garmani)* from the Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve in Brown County, Nebraska. The timestamp is 1 day ahead, so it should read 10/10/2025.
*Now often classified as S. consobrinus, but I stick to traditional taxonomy.
Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) perched on fence posts of the bison pasture at the Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve in Brown Co., NE.
A compilation of some of the videos my cameras picked up of Coyotes (Canis latrans), an American Badger (Taxidea taxus), and a Mountain Lion/Cougar/Puma (Puma concolor) at a prairie dog town at the Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve in Keya Paha County, Nebraska.
I suspect that the Mountain Lion has been hunting the many deer that forage at this town. The badger and Coyotes appear to be inspecting the burrows, though only the badger could dig them up at night. The Coyotes may be hunting kangaroo rats.
You may have noticed that this camera's surroundings look a little different from before. I have moved it from its original location as it was the burrow it was near has since been filled in and it was not picking up as much activity. Hopefully I'll get some more wildlife at this spot.
A compilation of some of the videos my cameras picked up of Coyotes (Canis latrans), an American Badger (Taxidea taxus), and a Mountain Lion/Cougar/Puma (Puma concolor) at a prairie dog town at the Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve in Keya Paha County, Nebraska.
I suspect that the Mountain Lion has been hunting the many deer that forage at this town. The badger and Coyotes appear to be inspecting the burrows, though only the badger could dig them up at night. The Coyotes may be hunting kangaroo rats.
You may have noticed that this camera's surroundings look a little different from before. I have moved it from its original location as it was the burrow it was near has since been filled in and it was not picking up as much activity. Hopefully I'll get some more wildlife at this spot.
This Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) was found by my fellow Forest Ecology Research assistants 2 years ago at Indian Cave State Park in Richardson and Nemaha Counties, NE. The color on this specimen is likely muted as it is shedding, note its opaque eyes.
One of Nebraska's rarest snakes. Primarily an eastern species, they extend westward along the forested bluffs of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Historically more widespread in the Missouri River Valley in Nebraska (at least as far north as Plattsmouth), they are now relegated to a few populations in the MO and KS border counties, as they are sensitive to habitat changes. In the north, they den up in rocky crevices that go very deep below the frost line. Their eyesight is very poor and they can only recognize these sites by smell, so land development is basically a death sentence for these animals in the north and they are unable to colonize new sites on their own. They are protected by NE state law because of this.
Timber Rattlesnakes are much more docile than the rattlesnakes of the west. This specimen did not mind 5 humans watching for several minutes. Most Timber Rattlesnakes are reluctant to bite, even when stepped on or handled, but I do not recommend attempting to handle them without proper training, as they are fairly venomous (though their bite is rarely life-threatening)
Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) lounging outside a burrow at the Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve in Keya Paha County, Nebraska.
Got this interesting footage from one of my cameras at a prairie dog town at the Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve in Keya Paha County, Nebraska. In the 1st clip, a Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) seen standing close to the camera calling an alarm, then a prairie dog (possibly the same one sounding the alarm) is seen near a burrow off in the distance. In the final clip, a Coyote (Canis latrans) is seen at the burrow. Will the Coyote succeed? Watch and find out!
Got this interesting footage from one of my cameras at a prairie dog town at the Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve in Keya Paha County, Nebraska. In the 1st clip, a Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) seen standing close to the camera calling an alarm, then a prairie dog (possibly the same one sounding the alarm) is seen near a burrow off in the distance. In the final clip, a Coyote (Canis latrans) is seen at the burrow. Will the Coyote succeed? Watch and find out!