Beneath the Silvery-Green Canopy
Species: Lesser Prairie Chicken among Shinnery Oak and Sand Sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia)
Habitat: Grasslands
Location: Eastern New Mexico
Public Land: Milnesand Lesser Prairie Chicken Preserve
Description: The shinnery oak habitat of New Mexico is a subtle, wind-swept landscape where resilience takes root in the sand. Dominated by low-growing, shrubby oaks that form dense thickets across rolling dunes and flats, this ecosystem pulses with hidden life. Beneath the silvery-green canopy, lesser prairie chickens boom on spring mornings, while scaled quail dart through shadows and lizards warm themselves on sunlit patches of earth. The roots of shinnery oak stretch deep, stabilizing the soil and offering food, shelter, and shade in a land shaped by sun, wind, and drought. Though often overlooked, this habitat is a vital thread in the fabric of New Mexico’s wild beauty—tough, intricate, and full of quiet surprise.
Each spring, in the soft light of dawn, the prairie comes alive with an ancient rhythm as lesser prairie chickens stomp their feet on their leks as they dance. A female watches from cover at the edge, letting their performances unfold. Males puff their bright orange air sacs, fan their spiky tail feathers, and stamp their feet in a hypnotic, booming display of dance with fierce devotion. Their calls low and thunderous, echo through her chest and reverberate across the shortgrass prairie. Each movement, each boom, each fluttering strut tells her something: strength, stamina, spirit. She is not in a hurry. She will choose the one whose dance sings to something deep in her bones—who moves not just the air, but the quiet place inside where instinct lives. The ground trembles with their energy, and the air shimmers with the urgency of courtship and survival. To witness this ritual is to step into a world older than memory—a pulse of wildness that stirs spirit and reminds us of the delicate, spectacular choreography that still endures on the open plains.
Spring rains awaken a hidden palette in shinnery oak habitat—sunflowers, milkvetch, evening primrose, and blazing star rise between the still dormant limbs of shinnery oak, painting the landscape with gold, violet, and rose. These blooms are fleeting, timed to the rhythms of drought and downpour, but they nourish pollinators which in turn feed prairie chicken chicks, prairie songbirds, and soften the hard edges of the arid grasslands with beauty.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.
Species: Lesser Prairie Chicken among Shinnery Oak and Sand Sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia)
Habitat: Grasslands
Location: Eastern New Mexico
Public Land: Milnesand Lesser Prairie Chicken Preserve
Description: The shinnery oak habitat of New Mexico is a subtle, wind-swept landscape where resilience takes root in the sand. Dominated by low-growing, shrubby oaks that form dense thickets across rolling dunes and flats, this ecosystem pulses with hidden life. Beneath the silvery-green canopy, lesser prairie chickens boom on spring mornings, while scaled quail dart through shadows and lizards warm themselves on sunlit patches of earth. The roots of shinnery oak stretch deep, stabilizing the soil and offering food, shelter, and shade in a land shaped by sun, wind, and drought. Though often overlooked, this habitat is a vital thread in the fabric of New Mexico’s wild beauty—tough, intricate, and full of quiet surprise.
Each spring, in the soft light of dawn, the prairie comes alive with an ancient rhythm as lesser prairie chickens stomp their feet on their leks as they dance. A female watches from cover at the edge, letting their performances unfold. Males puff their bright orange air sacs, fan their spiky tail feathers, and stamp their feet in a hypnotic, booming display of dance with fierce devotion. Their calls low and thunderous, echo through her chest and reverberate across the shortgrass prairie. Each movement, each boom, each fluttering strut tells her something: strength, stamina, spirit. She is not in a hurry. She will choose the one whose dance sings to something deep in her bones—who moves not just the air, but the quiet place inside where instinct lives. The ground trembles with their energy, and the air shimmers with the urgency of courtship and survival. To witness this ritual is to step into a world older than memory—a pulse of wildness that stirs spirit and reminds us of the delicate, spectacular choreography that still endures on the open plains.
Spring rains awaken a hidden palette in shinnery oak habitat—sunflowers, milkvetch, evening primrose, and blazing star rise between the still dormant limbs of shinnery oak, painting the landscape with gold, violet, and rose. These blooms are fleeting, timed to the rhythms of drought and downpour, but they nourish pollinators which in turn feed prairie chicken chicks, prairie songbirds, and soften the hard edges of the arid grasslands with beauty.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.
Species: Lesser Prairie Chicken among Shinnery Oak and Sand Sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia)
Habitat: Grasslands
Location: Eastern New Mexico
Public Land: Milnesand Lesser Prairie Chicken Preserve
Description: The shinnery oak habitat of New Mexico is a subtle, wind-swept landscape where resilience takes root in the sand. Dominated by low-growing, shrubby oaks that form dense thickets across rolling dunes and flats, this ecosystem pulses with hidden life. Beneath the silvery-green canopy, lesser prairie chickens boom on spring mornings, while scaled quail dart through shadows and lizards warm themselves on sunlit patches of earth. The roots of shinnery oak stretch deep, stabilizing the soil and offering food, shelter, and shade in a land shaped by sun, wind, and drought. Though often overlooked, this habitat is a vital thread in the fabric of New Mexico’s wild beauty—tough, intricate, and full of quiet surprise.
Each spring, in the soft light of dawn, the prairie comes alive with an ancient rhythm as lesser prairie chickens stomp their feet on their leks as they dance. A female watches from cover at the edge, letting their performances unfold. Males puff their bright orange air sacs, fan their spiky tail feathers, and stamp their feet in a hypnotic, booming display of dance with fierce devotion. Their calls low and thunderous, echo through her chest and reverberate across the shortgrass prairie. Each movement, each boom, each fluttering strut tells her something: strength, stamina, spirit. She is not in a hurry. She will choose the one whose dance sings to something deep in her bones—who moves not just the air, but the quiet place inside where instinct lives. The ground trembles with their energy, and the air shimmers with the urgency of courtship and survival. To witness this ritual is to step into a world older than memory—a pulse of wildness that stirs spirit and reminds us of the delicate, spectacular choreography that still endures on the open plains.
Spring rains awaken a hidden palette in shinnery oak habitat—sunflowers, milkvetch, evening primrose, and blazing star rise between the still dormant limbs of shinnery oak, painting the landscape with gold, violet, and rose. These blooms are fleeting, timed to the rhythms of drought and downpour, but they nourish pollinators which in turn feed prairie chicken chicks, prairie songbirds, and soften the hard edges of the arid grasslands with beauty.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.