Yesterday was National Bison Day and I forgot to mention that or share an image of an American Bison. Many people still call them Buffalo and to my ears both Bison or Buffalo sound right.
Starlings and a Bison bull in snow on Antelope Island State Park – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
National Bison Day is an annual celebration of these majestic animals that we almost lost to extinction. Today bison are being reintroduced onto lands that they were extirpated decades ago and I say it is about time. We still need to protect the bison and National Bison Day is a reminder of that.
The Transcontinental Railroad that was to connect the East to the West played a part in the decline of the American Bison and that is of historical interest to me because the last spike for the Pacific Railroad is just up the road (90 miles) from where I live and I photograph in that area often near the Promontory Mountains and Golden Spike National Historic Site. I might even be heading up that way this morning, I am not sure yet.
I found an article on Smithsonian.com titled “Where the Buffalo No Longer Roamed” that I thought you all might be interested in that is about that period of time and how the railroad affected the bison and gives some of the history of an area I love.
I am so glad the American Bison were saved from extinction and that I see the Antelope Island State Park herd as often as I do. Sorry for being one day late on this!
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my American Bison photos plus facts and information about this species.
I love this image! It truly made me smile!
Is there another bison on the other side of this guy?
I like how the birds are hunkered down in the fur and how they eat the bugs off the bison’s coats. Some of the descendants of the bison shipped to Elk Island National Park 140 years ago were shipped to Montana this year to roam freely on Blackfoot land.Very happy to hear that.
That majestic Bison makes an awesome feet warmer for the Starlings, beautiful image.
Thanks for the reminder and the Smithsonian link Mia, a stark reminder of the multifaceted heritages we humans so blithely cast aside.
It was on your blog a couple of years ago I discovered that Bison had not left your continent. And I was, and am, very, very glad.
Wonderful image, so glad thinking is slowly changing to conservation. I went through a big Western Expansion and Manifest Destiny period of reading about 10 years ago. I read anything I could get my hands on, official documents, stories, letters, diaries, books written after the time. It was saddening for me to read. I hit a saturation point of disgust.
Pte Tatank was the great keeper of the plains, their sharp toes pushing the seeds of the praire grasses into the earth, planting them, reseeding them, keeping the grassy plains healthy and growing…They deserve a day, many days, of recognition and gratitude….I didn’t know such a day was designated to them, but glad to learn there is…
Pte Tatanka, buffalo, bison….Any day, every day is a good day to celebrate these amazing creatures! This photo does them justice…a great salute to one of our country’s icons! Love the contrast of the huge,powerful critter and the tiny bird in the bush…
Beautiful image, Mia. What a majestic creature.
Such a beautiful image. I have to say I’m amazed by the little Starlings adaptability in all habitats. Who would think they would bundle up against the cold on the back of a Bison? Interesting, also, to have the native Bison, and the introduced Starling partnered up!