2024 In Photos

Posted byDottie MoonPosted inUncategorizedTags:, , , ,
My favorite images taken in 2024

In this collection comprising 15 of my favorite photos taken in 2024, I will illustrate the imaginative and thrilling art that is photography. Each image and the work behind it is vividly described, leading to a collage of experiences that I had in the past year. I would also like to add that all subjects are wild unless otherwise noted. I hope you enjoy them!

Dove Feather Speckled With Raindrops

As I attempted some backyard bird photography, the simplicity yet abstractness of this feather in the grass caught my attention. I rushed inside to switch lenses and upon returning, began to take pictures. After a lot of experimentation, I came back inside with this photo.

Hungry Sharp-shinned Hawk

The abundance of birds in our neighborhood has led to the presence of not one, but two Sharp-shinned Hawks, a male and a juvenile (right). While working on school stuff, I heard the sound of doves fleeing signaling this hawk’s arrival. I ran into my room, grabbed my camera and dashed back to the door. I soon found myself wishing that the door was not so squeaky! Once I was safely outside, I turned my attention to the magnificent raptor perched a few feet away. Carefully moving into a comfortable position, I began to take pictures and was rewarded with this magnificent shot.

Relaxed Gray Dagger Caterpillar

This image was taken at Rock Creek, MT. The caterpillar fell off Mom’s lap, so I quickly moved it to a safer location. I was attracted to the flaming hairs that extended from its head and the caterpillars slow monotonous way of walking. I fetched my camera and took multiple shots of this guy inching his way across a piece of firewood. After minimal editing and cropping, the end result was spectacular.

Great Yellow Mormon Wing Detail

The Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium is a wonder to behold. With over 25 species of butterflies flying around you, it is no surprise this is my favorite place to photograph captive animals in the winter. However, the humidity and temperature of the butterfly room makes photography a fast ordeal. It doesn’t help that the butterflies rarely stay in the same spot for more than a minute at a time. A pair of Mormons had just settled down when I took this picture. The light blue dots covering the lower wing presented an excellent photographic opportunity.

Male House Sparrow

As the trees shed their leaves and the days grew shorter, I spent a lot of evenings on our back porch taking pictures of the chickadees and sparrows. One evening as the sun illuminated our neighbors fence, I decided to fill up the bird feeders and see if anything was interested in stopping by. Soon enough, the House Sparrows and chickadees swarmed the feeder, emptying it in minutes. I looked up from the buffet to see this guy watching the commotion with questioning eyes. Trying to pull the huge bag of birdseed up the stairs, I headed back inside.

White-tailed Deer Buck

This monster White-tail buck routinely tromps through the neighborhood, sometimes to eat the leaves off of our cherry tree and sometimes just to take a nap. I had just entered the house when Papa asked if I saw the huge buck. I hadn’t seen it as I had walked by, which kind of freaked me out, but I went back outside to take this picture.

Wall of Buddhas

Arlee’s Garden of One Thousand Buddhas is one of my favorite places to visit for a nice long walk in the summer. Although not a great place for birding, a colony of Cliff Swallows nests around Yum Chenmo (colorful background). While approaching them, I took this picture of the buddhas along the pathway.

Close-up of Porcupine Quills

By far my favorite place to go birding is the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. Home to over 200 species of birds, I also enjoy the refuge’s porcupine population. While hiking through the riparian habitat, we met a guy who told us that he found a porcupine waddling around on the ground. It was walking like a penguin through the long waving grass and finally came to rest on a fallen cottonwood. after multiple tries, I took this close up of the porcupine quills.

Eastern Fox Squirrel

If you have a bird feeder, you also probably have a few resident squirrels. I had just sat down to eat when I leapt up again, grabbed my camera and raced into the attic, where I could get an eye-level view of the squirrel that had just appeared. I watched it for a minute or two before it shook its tail and raced down the roof.

Northern Saw-whet Owl

If you are a birder in Missoula, then you have probably been to Tower Street Open Space Park. During our second year of seeing the Northern Saw-whet Owl, Lucy, Papa, and I went out on a particularly frosty afternoon and found it in the same juniper as last time. While editing the photo, I found that the saw-whet is clutching a mammal of some sort in its talons. I love the owls “eyebrows” and permanent surprised expression.

Two-tailed Swallowtail on a Lilac

Of the multiple species of butterflies that I regularly see, the swallowtails are by far my favorite. With their black and yellow wing patterns and the details of the lower half, they are some of Montana’s prettiest butterflies. I was cleaning up our room when I glanced out the window to find this Two-tailed Swallowtail feeding on the lilac. I grabbed my camera and quickly took this photo as the butterfly flapped frantically around the flowers. with minimal editing, the end result was spectacular.

Colombia Spotted-Frog

This past summer has been filled with laughing, fishing, and – my favorite – frog photography. Lucy and I found this one sheltering under a log up Rock Creek and spent a couple hours trying to photograph and catch it. I had to get a little wet to capture this moment, but I dried off eventually!

Western Wood-Pewee family

Last summer as I photographed hummingbirds in St. Ignatius, I came upon a family of nesting wood-pewees. The Eastern Wood-pewee and the Western Wood-pewee are both members of the flycatcher family. I watched the parents take turns catching the ever-present bugs around the yard and feeding them to their young. This was the first active flycatcher nest I have found, so it was so cool watching the family go about their daily antics.

Least Weasel

Dissecting owl pellets was one of Lucy’s favorite things to do as Papa and I searched for the Barred Owl. One day we brought Mom along and not five minutes into the search she announced the presence of a pure-white weasel. I leapt up, disrupting the bones and fur of my pellet, grabbed my camera, and sneakily rushed over. I watched the weasel scamper over the fallen Ponderosa Pines. It seemed wary of us but also moderately curious. To be honest, I felt a little bad for the weasel. I mean, the warming climate makes its wintry coat stick out like a crow on snow. We left an hour later, happy and excited for whatever happened next.

Inquisitive Chickadee

After years of watching chickadees do their thing, I have learned that they will only eat sunflower seeds. Knowing this, I stashed sunflower seeds throughout the lupine branch. I captured this photo just as the chickadee checked if any seeds survived the frenzy of hungry relatives.

I hope you enjoyed the photos!

4 thoughts on “2024 In Photos”

  2. Hi Dotti, I loved this blog I think it was best yet. Not only did I love the photos, I loved why you decided to post them the most. I think your descriptions with context put this blog a level above the others. Thank you. Tyler

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