Not all my photos of insects were a great success on my most recent trip to Lake County, but I am pleased that I spotted my very first Lorquin’s admiral. According to Wikipedia, these handsome butterflies are very territorial and sometimes go after larger animals rather aggressively; luckily, this one was in a peaceful mood! On this outing I also […]
I’ve learned (unfortunately, the hard way) that however weary I might feel after a long day of driving on the highway, it’s usually a good idea to find a place to have a walk around outside. No matter how much I would prefer to throw myself onto the bed and not move until morning, things go much better if I […]
This week, June 19th through 25th, is National Pollinator Week in the U.S., so I’m celebrating by sharing some of my most recent images of insects making themselves right at home in some wildflower blooms. While bees and butterflies are the most easily recognized pollinators, many beetles also play an important role in pollination. I shot most of these photos […]
There’s never enough time to stop and check out everything that catches my eye — driving back through Texas I spotted a ton of historical markers along the side of the road — but because we’ve made good time, we’re able to slow down a bit now that we’ve arrived in Arizona. I find that doing a road trip is […]
This morning I was lucky enough to see the arrival of a Great Blue heron at the Turtle Pond on Sailor Bar. Although I enjoyed his graceful entrance, it seemed to cause some irritation to one of the local Red-winged blackbirds — who fussed for a moment, just to make a point, before sulkily departing.
When I was pretty young, I had two gray plastic animal figures that my sister and I called “Beat-up Eye” and “Beat-up Nose” because those parts had clearly been chewed on by, ahem, someone in the past. I never did figure out what type of animal they were supposed to be; and I can only guess what type of experience […]
I was all alone, standing in a shady spot along the empty trail beside Turtle Pond, watching the Red-winged blackbirds and shooting pictures with my big lens. I’m not sure why, but I happened turn my head and glance back up the path to my far right — and found this duck standing there, just… watching me. I wouldn’t say I’ve suddenly developed anatidaephobia; but let’s just say Gary Larson’s cartoon is starting to make a lot more sense!
I did see a couple of turtles, but the stars of the show on this morning were the many species of birds — especially the Red-winged blackbirds. They were continually swooping and perching, calling and battling in mid air while a few brownish females watched from the sidelines. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I decided to explore this […]
Whenever I’m photographing spring wildflowers, it makes me extra happy to find myself shooting some tiny little visitor — and even better if I don’t notice them until I’m editing the images at home. I may not be able to name the species, but I love these little surprise bonuses! (Click on any image for a closer look.)