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  • Starting off as a grey-to-greenish lichen from the humid subtropical and tropical swamps of the American Southeast and southwards, the Christmas lichen develops an unusual and surprisingly bright pigment that becomes red or hot pink on the bark or dead wood of water-loving trees such as bald cypress. This patch was found on a cypress tree growing in the Corkscrew Swamp in Southwest Florida between Naples and Fort Myers.
    Christmas Lichen
  • Talk about species specificity in fungi, Strobilurus conigenoides mushrooms grow only on decaying magnolia cones! These tiny little collybioid mushrooms were found on an old, decaying magnolia cone in Goethe State Forest in rural Levy County, Florida.
    Magnolia Cone Mushrooms
  • Finding this crown-tipped coral fungus in Pensacola, Florida was a very cool find for me as a Florida Native as I was living in the Pacific Northwest at the time and had never seen this type of mushroom east of the Rocky Mountains. This particular species is reported as edible, but as always extreme caution should be used when ingesting any wild mushroom without being absolutely certain what it is you are putting in your mouth. That said, this mushroom is fairly easily found throughout most of North America, excluding the West Coast, and is also common throughout Europe.
    Crown-tipped Coral Fungus
  • The lyside sulphur butterfly is one of those highly active tropical pale yellow-to-white butterflies often seen flittering about patches of wildflowers and bushes, often joined by others butterfly species and bees, such as this one in South Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. This species is widespread in Texas and Mexico, and can be found in Arizona, Nicaragua, Guatemala, the Caribbean Islands and South Florida.
    Lyside Sulphur
  • Primarily found in Central America and Mexico, the band-celled sister (also known as the Mexican sister) is a beautiful brushfoot butterfly related to admiral butterflies. It has a range that extends from the very southern tip of Texas to Columbia and Venezuela where it feeds on nectar from Cordia, Croton, and Baccharis flowers, and sometimes rotting fruit. This one was photographed on a hot summer day near Weslaco, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley.
    Band-celled Sister
  • Primarily found in Central America and Mexico, the band-celled sister (also known as the Mexican sister) is a beautiful brushfoot butterfly related to admiral butterflies. It has a range that extends from the very southern tip of Texas to Columbia and Venezuela where it feeds on nectar from Cordia, Croton, and Baccharis flowers, and sometimes rotting fruit. This one was photographed on a hot summer day near Weslaco, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley.
    Band-celled Sister
  • The Rio Grande ground squirrel is a somewhat newly named species that was once thought to be a subspecies of the Mexican ground squirrel, until DNA sequencing showed that it belonged to a completely different genus. Native to South and West Texas, Southeastern New Mexico and much of Northeastern Mexico south of the Rio Grande, this handsome little squirrel is often found standing tall on its back legs as it surveys its surroundings, keeping an eye out for predators. At the first sign of trouble, it is ready to dive down into one of its many burrows at the first sign of trouble. This one was found on the side of an irrigation canal in McAllen, Texas.
    Rio Grande Ground Squirrel
  • This particular patch of Texas prickly pear cacti in Edinburg, Texas have a really pretty reddish-orange colorations to them. Most of the time, the flowers are a bright yellow.
    Texas Prickly Pear Flowers (Opuntia ..eri)
  • This particular patch of Texas prickly pear cacti in Edinburg, Texas have a really pretty reddish-orange colorations to them. Most of the time, the flowers are a bright yellow.
    Texas Prickly Pear Flowers (Opuntia ..eri)
  • Native to South and Southwest Texas, and Center Mexico, this absolutely beautiful tree is a member of the pea family. The Texas mountain laurel goes by many other local names such as frigolito, frijollito, frijolillo, coral bean, big-drunk bean and more. These beautiful flowers blossom in the spring, and will produce what are known as mescal beans with bright red pea-like seeds which are highly toxic to people. This one was found blooming in Harlingen, Texas on a beautiful sunny spring afternoon in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
    Texas Mountain Laurel (Dermatophyllu..ora)
  • A distant relative of the pineapple, ballmoss (or ball moss) is not an actual moss but rather a bromeliad, sometimes called an air plant, that lives on trees where it has some protection from wind and sunlight but does not actually harm the tree in any way. With a native range from Argentina and Chile to the Southern United States, this interesting plant was found overhanging the Rio Grande River right on the US-Mexico border just south of Alamo, Texas in Hidalgo County.
    Ballmoss (Tillandsia recurvata)
  • A Spanish dagger in full flower! While there seems to be a bit of botanical classification confusion at the time of writing this whether the genus "Yucca" belongs to the Asparagaceae or Agavaceae family of plants, one thing is for sure - this very beautiful and very spiky plant can reach to over 30 feet tall, and the spiky leaves are so sharp, that when the Spanish conquered many parts of the New World and build forts, the Conquistadors planted walls walls of these to help fortify their defenses against attack. Native to Texas, New Mexico and Northern Mexico, the Spanish dagger is also locally common in Southwest Florida. This one was photographed in South Texas near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Spanish Dagger (Yucca treculeana)
  • Jive turkey pose! This noisy and unsuspecting chachalaca was found and photographed just as it noticed me with this great surprised pose and look in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in near Weslaco, Texas. At the northern tip of its range, this large upland game bird can be found from the southern tip of Texas, throughout Mexico and south to Central America. Noisy as other members of the galliform family (turkeys, chickens, pheasants, grouse, etc.), the name chachalaca means "chatterbox" - a fitting name!
    Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula)
  • Of all of the neotropical songbirds of North America, the black-crested titmouse has to be the cutest of them all! A member of the Paridae family of birds (which includes chickadees and other titmice), these little passerines are found in forests and riparian environments where they hunt for seeds, nuts, berries, insects and insect eggs from Central Mexico north through Central and Western Texas and just barely into Oklahoma. This adorable little one was found flitting among the trees in South Texas' Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus a..tus)
  • With its muted yellow coloration with a hidden orange crown, the orange-crowned warbler is one of the most drab of the North American wood warblers but an exciting find nonetheless. This songbird may be small, but it has an enormous range in North America, from Guatemala north to Alaska and the Canadian Arctic, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans! This one was found in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco, Texas hopping along the ground and peering into nooks and crannies of tree bark in search of food.
    Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis ..ata)
  • Shockingly beautiful and lightning fast, the buff-bellied hummingbird is found along the Gulf of Mexico from the Panhandle of Florida to the just south of the Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and into Belize. This incredibly colorful male was found and photographed in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco, Texas was visiting several wildflowers in search of nectar.
    Male Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazi..sis)
  • Shockingly beautiful and lightning fast, the buff-bellied hummingbird is found along the Gulf of Mexico from the Panhandle of Florida to the just south of the Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and into Belize. This incredibly colorful male was found and photographed in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco, Texas was visiting several wildflowers in search of nectar.
    Male Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazi..sis)
  • Rather drab compared to some of the other tropical and subtropical doves, the white-tipped dove has a beautiful reddish-pink eye ring and live primarily in South and Central America, but can be found as far north as the very southern tip of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. This one was seen and photographed foraging for seeds near Weslaco, Texas in Hidalgo County near the Mexican border.
    White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi)
  • Close-up flowers of the unique flowers of the cochineal nopal cactus. This incredibly beautiful member of the prickly pear cactus family is endemic to Mexico and has moved across the world by plant enthusiasts and collectors due to its beauty and hardiness. With its stunningly beautiful, cone-shaped bright pink flowers to its relative lack of spines, this tree-like beauty can reach a height of 12-13 feel (4 meters) and the ripe red fruits and cactus pads are edible and delicious! This one was found growing in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in South Texas near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Cochineal Nopal Cactus (Opuntia coch..era)
  • Close-up flowers of the unique flowers of the cochineal nopal cactus. This incredibly beautiful member of the prickly pear cactus family is endemic to Mexico and has moved across the world by plant enthusiasts and collectors due to its beauty and hardiness. With its stunningly beautiful, cone-shaped bright pink flowers to its relative lack of spines, this tree-like beauty can reach a height of 12-13 feel (4 meters) and the ripe red fruits and cactus pads are edible and delicious! This one was found growing in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in South Texas near Weslaco in Hidalgo County.
    Cochineal Nopal Cactus (Opuntia coch..era)
  • There is no mistaking the presence of a great kiskadee. It has a sound like the cross between a monkey and a parrot, and it is LOUD! The great kiskadee is a member of the tyrant flycatcher family and is related to other flycatchers and kingbirds, and just reaches the United States in the southern tip of Texas in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and is common as far South as Argentina. It can be found in nearly all of South America except along the Pacific Coast. This one was found flying through the foliage near Weslaco, Texas and just happened to land long enough for this shot.
    Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus)
  • Black-bellied whistling duck is one of the coolest and most beautiful southern dabbling ducks that visit the southern United States, with their tricolor black, tan and brown plumage and bright orange bills and feet.  Widespread from the southern tips of Texas and Arizona to nearly all of Central and South America, their range is creeping northward and they have been seen more and more frequently in more southern states including Florida and the Caribbean. This pair was just two of hundreds found and photographed in a pond near Weslaco, Texas on a late winter morning.
    Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks (Dendr..lis)
  • Easily one of the prettiest of all of our native North American woodpeckers, this stunning male landed on this branch as I was trying to photograph some migratory warblers and completely stole the show. This species can be found in most of Central America and north to Southern and Central Texas and just barely into Oklahoma. This one was photographed in a park in Harlingen, Texas  in the Rio Grande Valley.
    Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpe..ons)
  • A perfect trio of flowers of the anacahuita, also known as the wild Texas olive, growing in a field in Harlingen, Texas. This member of the borage family is native to northeast Mexico and only is found in the United States in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Southern Texas. This tree provides fruit and pollen for many types of wildlife - especially hummingbirds! A jelly can be made from the olive-like fruit.
    Anacahuita (Cordia boissieri)
  • A Mexican fan palm growing in an unusual place: right at the edge of a pond in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in South Texas. Native to Baja California and parts of the Sonoran Desert, this very attractive palm has made it around the world in landscaped land and gardens where it can avoid frost. This extremely tough palm is drought and heat resistant and can tolerate the windiest of desert habitats.
    Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta)
  • This tiny native to Southern Texas and Mexico, the Julia's skipper butterfly can be found year-round and is very easily overlooked due to its small size, and muted coloration. This one was feeding on rose vervain nectar just next to the Rio Grande under some mesquite trees in Hidalgo County, Texas in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.
    Julia's Skipper (Nastra julia)
  • The energetic and tiny clouded slipper butterfly is a common southeastern butterfly that is mostly found year-round in Florida and Texas and can be found as far south as Columbia. This one was feeding on rose vervain just next to the Rio Grande under some mesquite trees in Hidalgo County, Texas on the US-Mexico border.
    Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
  • The rose-bellied lizard (also known as the rosebelly lizard) is a handsome little member of the spiny lizard family and is native to Central and North America with a range from Costa Rica to Southern Texas. This one was found near the edge of a pond in just south of Alamo, Texas.
    Rose-bellied Lizard (Sceloporus vari..lis)
  • As red as red can get! These intensely-bright small native hibiscus flowers are native to the Rio Grande Valley area along Southern Texas where they will continue to bloom all year long, even in the hottest part of summer just as long as the is no chance of frost. Heart leaf hibiscus flowers are favored by both butterflies and hummingbirds, and withstand long periods of high heat and lack of water. This one was photographed between various brief butterfly visits  just south of Alamo, Texas near the Rio Grande on a warm winter afternoon.
    Heart Leaf Hibiscus (Hibiscus martianus)
  • Unique underwing view of a red admiral butterfly feeding on what looks like sap a damaged shrub stem. Although the upper-side (top of the wings) is brightly-colored you can see how expertly camouflaged it is with its wings folded while resting in the shade. This one was found next to a pond near Alamo, Texas on a bright warm sunny winter day.
    Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
  • Unusual and secretive, the South Texas satyr is a member of the often brightly-colored brushfoot butterfly family (monarchs, fritillaries, crescents, etc.) but are often small, a muted brown are more likely to be confused with moths as they flitter throughout the shady forests, often on the ground, blending in with fallen leaves. This small species is known only from the Rio Grande region of Southern Texas and Northern Mexico, and was found in a grove of wild oaks next to a pond in Southern Hidalgo County, Texas.
    South Texas Satyr (Hermeuptychia her..ius)
  • Tucked away within the safety of a very spiny Mexican prickly poppy (Argemone mexicana), this Arabesque orbweaver patiently waits for prey to wander into its trap, lured by the bright yellow poppy above. This is one of the most common orbweavers found in North America, and the can be found all over the world. This one was found about 20 feet from the Rio Grande river on the US-Mexico border in Hidalgo County on a bright winter afternoon.
    Arabesque Orbweaver (Neoscona arabesca)
  • The green jay is one of the most spectacularly colored birds outside of the parrot family. A relative of crows, magpies and blue jays, the green jay is a very intelligent species of corvid and is known to use stick tools to pry insects out from loose tree bark. They are found throughout parts of Central and South America and their northern range just reaches just to the southern tip of Texas, where this one was found in the Rio Grande Valley.
    Green Jay
  • Largest of our North American wrens, this stocky and practically fearless songbird actually makes its presence known instead of hiding in the cacti where it makes its home. They are found across the American Southwestern US border from California to The Gulf Coast, and can be found as far south as Central Mexico. This was one of several found in a huge prickly pear patch in Mission, Texas, near the Mexican border.
    Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunnei..lus)
  • Largest of our North American wrens, this stocky and practically fearless songbird actually makes its presence known instead of hiding in the cacti where it makes its home. They are found across the American Southwestern US border from California to The Gulf Coast, and can be found as far south as Central Mexico. This was one of several found in a huge prickly pear patch in Mission, Texas, near the Mexican border.
    Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunnei..lus)
  • A Texas patch-nosed snake (Salvadora grahamiae lineata), a subspecies of the more common and widespread eastern patch-nosed snake warms up in the sunshine on a surprisingly chilly winter late afternoon in Southern Hidalgo County in Mission, Texas - about 5 miles form the Mexican border. This snake gets its name from the unusually large scale on the tip of its snout and is completely harmless to people and reach about 2 to 3 feet in length. This snake primarily eats anything they can catch which is typically lizards, eggs, small rodents and other snakes.
    Texas Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora g..ata)
  • The Carbon River gets its start from the Carbon Glacier high on Mount Rainier in Washington State and flows generally northwestwardly with a lot of meandering toward the valleys below. It gets its white, mineral-rich water from silt and sediments washed down this active volcano's peaks downhill where it joins the Puyallup River where it empties into the Puget Sound. This portion of this beautiful river was photographed just a few miles upstream from Carbonado, Washington on a sunny, warm July day, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier.
    Carbon River
  • Unusual for a swallowtail, the clodius parnassian is mostly white-colored and is a member of the snow apollo family of butterflies. It is usually found in the mountainous regions of the western states where it feeds on a large variety of native wildflowers. This one was found about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in a meadow feeding on wild blackberry flowers near the Carbon River in Washington State.
    Clodius Parnassian
  • Holly-like and beautiful, this member of the barberry family is just about to blossom on a cold, wet rainy March morning along a nature trail about 25 miles south of Seattle, Washington. The delicious fruits that will follow (not real grapes) not only grow in great profusion, but are a very important food source for native wildlife!
    Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
  • One of the first flowers to be seen in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the Indian plum fills the forest with clusters of beautiful showy white flowers that soon develop small berries that turn from peach to red and finally dark blue or purple when ripe. Although not really a plum, it is a unique fruit that is pleasantly similar in taste to cherries or watermelon. Historically, local Native American tribes would mix these berries with generous amounts of oolichan (an oil from a local oily fish - similar to a smelt) and was popular at feasts. The bark was also used as a medicinal tea. This one was one fo the first of the season, showing itself along side Soos Creek in Kent, Washington, about 25 miles south of Seattle on a chilly, wet March afternoon.
    Indian Plum Blossoms
  • Scolopocryptops spinicaudus is one of the many species of small-to-medium-sized bark centipedes found in the Scolopocryptopidae family that set themselves apart from other centipede families by having 23 pairs of legs instead of 21. They live in the Pacific Northwest from Northern California to Southern Alaska, where they hunt for small insects and other arthropods under rocks, dead wood and the on forest floor. This one was found scurrying across an open area next to the Carbon River near Carbonado, Washington - about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier.
    Bark Centipede (Scolopocryptops spin..dus)
  • Common pincushion is a very frequently encountered and wonderfully soft-to-the-touch moss found around the world in wet climates at low altitude where it is found growing in clumps on rocks, soil or the trunks of trees. This patch was growing on a fallen tree next to Soos Creek in Western Washington's King County.
    Common Pincushion (Dicranoweisia cir.. - 4
  • Common pincushion is a very frequently encountered and wonderfully soft-to-the-touch moss found around the world in wet climates at low altitude where it is found growing in clumps on rocks, soil or the trunks of trees. This patch was growing on a fallen tree next to Soos Creek in Western Washington's King County.
    Common Pincushion (Dicranoweisia cir.. - 2
  • A near-perfect specimen of Ganoderma applanatum, which goes by many common names around the world such as artist's conk, artist's bracket, artist's fungus and bear bread. It gets it's name from the white pore-covered underside of the fruiting body (the shelf-like structure that's visible) that can be scratched off with a stick, and has been used as a "canvas" for drawings and writing for centuries. This one was found in rural Levy County, Florida in Goethe State Forest on a beautiful mid-November morning.
    Artist's Bracket - 1
  • A near-perfect specimen of Ganoderma applanatum, which goes by many common names around the world such as artist's conk, artist's bracket, artist's fungus and bear bread. It gets it's name from the white pore-covered underside of the fruiting body (the shelf-like structure that's visible) that can be scratched off with a stick, and has been used as a "canvas" for drawings and writing for centuries. This one was found in rural Levy County, Florida in Goethe State Forest on a beautiful mid-November morning.
    Artist's Bracket - 2
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 2
  • Icicle Creek is one of the numerous picturesque creeks to be found in Washington's Cascade Mountains. It flows through Wenatchee National Forest and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and winds its way down towards Leavenworth before merging with the Wenatchee River. With fresh snowfall, it's a hard to find a more beautiful sight!
    Icicle Creek - 2
  • Icicle Creek is one of the numerous picturesque creeks to be found in Washington's Cascade Mountains. It flows through Wenatchee National Forest and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and winds its way down towards Leavenworth before merging with the Wenatchee River. With fresh snowfall, it's a hard to find a more beautiful sight!
    Icicle Creek - 1
  • Common throughout most of the United States and Canada (except the Southeastern states) the horned lark (Eremophila alpestris) is a passerine songbird that holds an enormous range of not only habitat, but also altitude. It can be found from sea level to alpine regions up to thirteen thousand feet. Wherever they may be encountered, they might be considered impossible to see, such as this juvenile that is so perfectly camouflaged in its dry and dusty home in the hills above Cowiche Canyon near Yakima, Washington that I didn't even notice it until it moved.
    Horned Lark-2
  • This pretty little bright yellow flowering pea is an invasive plant from Eurasia and Northern Africa and Africa that has taken over large parts of North America where it was once used to help control soil erosion in agricultural areas. These "escaped" plants were found growing in abundance along Soos Creek in Kent, Washington on a cloudy summer day.
    Bird's-Foot Trefoil -1
  • This beautiful, large butterfly could easily be mistaken for a swallowtail, but the Weidemeyer's admiral is another member of the brushfoot family (same as the monarch) and is mostly associated with the forested areas near streams in the Rocky Mountains and American Great Basin where it can easily find its larval host trees: aspens chokecherries and western serviceberries. This one was found high in the mountains near Aspen, Colorado in the White River National Forest.
    Weidemeyer's Admiral - 1
  • Spectacular in orange, yellow and brown, the Milbert's tortoiseshell butterfly is a large and beautiful member of the brushfoot family found mostly in the western states of the USA, and across of all of the Canadian provinces, barely reaching south into the border states of the East. This one was found high in the mountains near Aspen, Colorado in the White River National Forest on a perfect Rocky Mountain summer day.
    Milbert's Tortoiseshell - 4
  • Spectacular in orange, yellow and brown, the Milbert's tortoiseshell butterfly is a large and beautiful member of the brushfoot family found mostly in the western states of the USA, and across of all of the Canadian provinces, barely reaching south into the border states of the East. This one was found high in the mountains near Aspen, Colorado in the White River National Forest on a perfect Rocky Mountain summer day.
    Milbert's Tortoiseshell - 3
  • One of the most beautiful and well-known butterflies found around the world, the painted lady is commonly found across all of North America, but only less so in the southeastern-most part of the continent such as Florida and South Georgia. This one was found and photographed feeding on the nectar of the locally native Siam weed in rural Willacy County, Texas - a dozen or so miles from the Mexican border.
    Painted Lady - 4
  • One of the most beautiful and well-known butterflies found around the world, the painted lady is commonly found across all of North America, but only less so in the southeastern-most part of the continent such as Florida and South Georgia. This one was found and photographed feeding on the nectar of local wild dandelions just outside of Aspen, Colorado on a beautiful Rocky Mountain summer day.
    Painted Lady - 2
  • This unusual and moth-like native to Mexico just barely reaches into parts of Texas' southern tip and have very distinctive "hooked" forewings. Males are almost "dark chocolate" in coloration, while females are significantly lighter in color. These were found feeding on a local native wildflower in the Rio Grande Valley called Siam weed that is extremely toxic to most animals, but butterflies and bees love it.
    Sickle-Winged Skipper - 2
  • Often mistaken for a little orange moth, the fiery skipper is a very common butterfly of the Southern United States, Mexico and Central America that sometimes stays as far north as Southern Canada. It is very easy to distinguish from other orange skippers by having small black spots on the undersides of solid orange wings. This male was found and photographed feeding on the nectar of the locally native Siam weed in rural Willacy County, Texas - a dozen or so miles from the Mexican border.
    Fiery Skipper - 7
  • Often mistaken for a little orange moth, the fiery skipper is a very common butterfly of the Southern United States, Mexico and Central America that sometimes stays as far north as Southern Canada. It is very easy to distinguish from other orange skippers by having small black spots on the undersides of solid orange wings. This female was found and photographed feeding on the nectar of the locally native Siam weed in rural Willacy County, Texas - a dozen or so miles from the Mexican border.
    Fiery Skipper - 4
  • This perfect specimen of a turkey-tail mushroom stands out beautifully against the wet green moss on a cold and damp Pacific Northwest winter day next to Soos Creek in Kent, Washington.
    Turkey-Tail (Trametes versicolor)
  • This northern walkingstick was almost missed as it perched, perfectly camouflaged as a twig on a prickly pear cactus in a field in Mission, Texas. This amazingly cool, herbivorous stick insect (also known as a phasmid) has a wide geographic range in North America, and can be found in all of the 38 states east of (and including) New Mexico and North Dakota, and can be found in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec.
    Northern Walkingstick-1
  • This northern walkingstick was almost missed as it perched, perfectly camouflaged as a twig on a prickly pear cactus in a field in Mission, Texas. This amazingly cool, herbivorous stick insect (also known as a phasmid) has a wide geographic range in North America, and can be found in all of the 38 states east of (and including) New Mexico and North Dakota, and can be found in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec.
    Northern Walkingstick-3
  • A very cool find: a western pondhawk dragonfly laying her eggs in a pond in Soos Creek in Kent, Washington! When the eggs hatch, the voracious aquatic nymphs that emerge will active hunt down any kind of aquatic insect it can find, such as mosquito and mayfly larvae, and even small fish and tadpoles until it is time for them to emerge from the water as adults.
    Female Western Pondhawk
  • A rare view of a tree swallow perching in a tree next to its hollowed-out nest above Soos Creek in Kent, Washington.
    Tree Swallow
  • A song sparrow perches in a tree on a bright summer morning above Soos Creek in Kent, Washington.
    Song Sparrow
  • Extremely common in the southern half of Texas, this large prickly pear blooms from March through June, producing large edible red to purple delicious fruits. These ripening "tunas" were found growing outside of Mission, Texas.
    Texas Prickly Pear Fruit
  • Also known as the western funnelweb spider or funnel weaver, the desert grass spider is a large highly territorial member of the Agelenidae family of spiders that can be found in the arid Southeastern United States and Northern Mexico. Although it is called a grass spider, it is most often found in prairies, rock piles and in thorny brush in its very characteristic and large non-sticky funnel web with a tubular "hole" where it waits for prey. This large female was found in a mesquite thicket just south of Mission, Texas using a Christmas cholla cactus to support its web. If you look closely, you can see she's lost a foreleg and pedipalp some time ago, and now they are growing back. Both will get closer to full-length each time she molts.
    Desert Grass Spider 1
  • Also known as the miniature barrel cactus, this interesting little low-elevation cactus barely reaches 7 inches at its tallest and is usually found in the shady mesquite tree thickets of Central to South Texas. It is easy to identify by its 13 twisted ribs, 10-19 radial spines on each areole with one hooked central spine sticking outward. This particular one was among the tallest of the many hundreds found in a wilderness area just outside of Mission, Texas.
    Twisted Rib Cactus (Thelocactus seti..nus)
  • This fascinating plain chachalaca was found and photographed in the Rio Grande Valley in Hidalgo County with a number of others of its kind one the ground and in the mesquite trees. At the northern tip of its range, this large upland game bird can be found from the southern tip of Texas, throughout Mexico and south to Central America. Noisy as other members of the galliform family (turkeys, chickens, pheasants, grouse, etc.), the name chachalaca means "chatterbox" - a fitting name!
    Plain Chachalaca 1
  • A very active Texas tortoise mows through the vegetation on a hot late-summer afternoon near the Rio Grande in Mission, Texas. These close relatives to the Florida gopher tortoise are found across South Texas and eastern Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and northeastern San Luis Potosi in Mexico.
    Texas Tortoise 6
  • A very active Texas tortoise mows through the vegetation on a hot late-summer afternoon near the Rio Grande in Mission, Texas. These close relatives to the Florida gopher tortoise are found across South Texas and eastern Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and northeastern San Luis Potosi in Mexico.
    Texas Tortoise 3
  • A very active Texas tortoise mows through the vegetation on a hot late-summer afternoon near the Rio Grande in Mission, Texas. These close relatives to the Florida gopher tortoise are found across South Texas and eastern Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and northeastern San Luis Potosi in Mexico.
    Texas Tortoise 1
  • The western redback salamander is a small but relatively common amphibian in the Pacific Northwest. It has a restricted range that is west of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington, all of Victoria Island in British Columbia, as well as around the Vancouver area. Highly adaptable to varying habitats, this little salamander is found at higher elevations than any other member of its family, and in drier habitats than many of its relatives. This nearly two-inch salamander was found under a rock next to a tiny stream in the mountains above the Carbon River near Mount Rainier, Washington on a hot summer day.
    Western Redback Salamander 2
  • The American red raspberry is an incredibly delicious native and wild fruit found throughout every Canadian province and territory, as well as every American state except for Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, Hawaii, and all of the Gulf Coast states. Most could argue that they are even tastier than the commercially grown raspberries found in grocery stores! These were found growing in the mountains above the Carbon River near Mount Rainier, Washington on a hot summer day.
    American Red Raspberry 2
  • The American red raspberry is an incredibly delicious native and wild fruit found throughout every Canadian province and territory, as well as every American state except for Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, Hawaii, and all of the Gulf Coast states. Most could argue that they are even tastier than the commercially grown raspberries found in grocery stores! These were found growing in the mountains above the Carbon River near Mount Rainier, Washington on a hot summer day.
    American Red Raspberry 1
  • A protective mother wood duck hen speeds across a duckweed-covered pond with her chicks hot on her tail by Soos Creek in Kent, Washington on a hot summer day.
    Wood Duck Hen with Ducklings
  • I've spent over a decade telling everyone I know that this beautiful member of the Balsaminaceae of plants was an invasive, exotic species from Asia and I was completely wrong. I recently discovered that it is natively found near wetlands and streams in all over North America except the arid American Southwest, Wyoming, Montana and Alaska.<br />
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What I wasn't wrong about is it's natural characteristic as a cure for poison ivy (which I suffer greatly from every time I come into contact with it). Sap from the crushed leaves and stems if applied soon after contact can negate or greatly reduce the rash from contact with poison ivy. Just be wary of the berries produced after the flowers are pollinated as they can be quite toxic to humans, especially children.<br />
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This one was one of thousands found growing on the edges of Soos Creek in Southern King County, in Kent, Washington.
    Jewelweed
  • Perhaps the most strikingly beautiful of all of the large dragonflies of Western Canada and the United States, the eight-spotted skimmer contrasts greatly with its environment, whether it is in lowland marshes and ponds or along desert creeks and rivers. This one was seen perching over a duckweed-covered pond near Soos Creek, part of the Green River watershed system in Kent, Washington on a very hot summer day.
    Eight-spotted Skimmer
  • The wild poinsettia goes by many common names such as fire-on-the-mountain, paintedleaf, and dwarf poinsettia and is a member of the spurge family native to North and South America, but has spread all over the world. Related to the commercially important poinsettia that we all have come to love at Christmastime, this one was found growing wild among some landscaping at a community park in Palm Beach County, Florida. Many people think the red part of the is the petals, but they are actually just colored leaves called bracts that surround the flowers. You can see the tiny yellow flowers just inside the red bracts.
    Wild Poinsettia
  • A great blue heron silhouette with a fiery, extraordinary and spectacular sunset over Pensacola Bay, Florida.
    Great Blue Heron Silhouette 2
  • A great blue heron silhouette with a fiery, extraordinary and spectacular sunset over Pensacola Bay, Florida.
    Great Blue Heron Silhouette 1
  • Close-up of the bright red fruiting bodies of the jester lichen (Cladonia leporina) is an interesting member of the already interesting Cladionia lichens with their odd and often colorful fruiting bodies. What's particular about this species is their preferred habitat of dry, open sandy soils instead the typical Cladonia low-to-mid mountain forest that gets lots of rainfall. This one was found growing in mass profusion just above the high tide line in the Gulf Islands National Seashore next to Fort Pickens near Pensacola, Florida.
    Jester Lichen-4
  • This very interesting polypore mushroom (also known as a shelf or bracket mushroom) is native to Asia but has recently been found growing in the wild in Florida and Texas in wetland habitats, where they can get quite large. These were found growing in the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Trametes lactinea-2
  • This beautiful black-and-white warbler is a forest and swamp-loving songbird and is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. Found across most of Eastern North America, it spends its winters in warmer climates from Texas and Florida down to northern South America. This one was found and photographed while it was hunting among the trees insects in Southwest Florida's Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, in Fort Myers on a chilly November evening.
    Black-and-White Warbler-6
  • Although common all over North America, on rare occasions, you might encounter a very strange-looking raccoon with a very unusual coloration. Sometimes a red raccoon or even a blond raccoon is found when you least expect it, and even more rare is the albino raccoon! While all of them are still the same species, just some win the gene lottery for uniqueness! This red raccoon had a coloration more similar to a red fox, and was heard long before it was seen wading noisily through the Corkscrew Swamp in Southwest Florida as it was catching crayfish and devouring them on the spot. Paying little attention to me, it just kept moving and foraging until the splashing and lip-smacking faded in the distance.
    RedRaccoon2021-4.jpg
  • Although common all over North America, on rare occasions, you might encounter a very strange-looking raccoon with a very unusual coloration. Sometimes a red raccoon or even a blond raccoon is found when you least expect it, and even more rare is the albino raccoon! While all of them are still the same species, just some win the gene lottery for uniqueness! This red raccoon had a coloration more similar to a red fox, and was heard long before it was seen wading noisily through the Corkscrew Swamp in Southwest Florida as it was catching crayfish and devouring them on the spot. Paying little attention to me, it just kept moving and foraging until the splashing and lip-smacking faded in the distance.
    RedRaccoon2021-2.jpg
  • This common, large flycatcher is frequently seen (or just heard) in the Eastern half of North America high in the treetops where it actively and aggressively hunts insects and ripe fruits and even the occasional small invertebrate such as lizards. This one was seen perched out in the open above the black waters of the Corkscrew Swamp on a cool November evening in Southwest Florida.
    Great Crested Flycatcher-5
  • This common, large flycatcher is frequently seen (or just heard) in the Eastern half of North America high in the treetops where it actively and aggressively hunts insects and ripe fruits and even the occasional small invertebrate such as lizards. This one was seen perched out in the open above the black waters of the Corkscrew Swamp on a cool November evening in Southwest Florida.
    Great Crested Flycatcher-4
  • This common, large flycatcher is frequently seen (or just heard) in the Eastern half of North America high in the treetops where it actively and aggressively hunts insects and ripe fruits and even the occasional small invertebrate such as lizards. This one was seen perched out in the open above the black waters of the Corkscrew Swamp on a cool November evening in Southwest Florida.
    Great Crested Flycatcher-3
  • While I was looking up into the trees and marveling at the huge number of moths flying over the black waters of the Corkscrew Swamp just outside of Naples, Florida, this tiny bomber swooped in, grabbed a moth and then began to wolf it down just as soon as it could find a perch to rest. At four and a quarter inches in length, this fast-moving blue-gray gnatcatcher is very common in eastern North American and parts of the Southwest where it forages in high trees for insects. Unusual for what we hear about wildlife and the state of habitat destruction these days, the total number of blue-gray gnatcatchers are on the rise. Not only are they becoming more numerous, they are also extending their range into places they've never been seen before.
    Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-3
  • This beautiful black-and-white warbler is a forest and swamp-loving songbird and is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. Found across most of Eastern North America, it spends its winters in warmer climates from Texas and Florida down to northern South America. This one was found and photographed while it was hunting through swarms of flying insects in Southwest Florida's Corkscrew Swamp near Naples on a chilly November evening.
    Black-and-White Warbler-4
  • This beautiful black-and-white warbler is a forest and swamp-loving songbird and is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. Found across most of Eastern North America, it spends its winters in warmer climates from Texas and Florida down to northern South America. This one was found and photographed while it was hunting through swarms of flying insects in Southwest Florida's Corkscrew Swamp near Naples on a chilly November evening.
    Black-and-White Warbler-2
  • This beautiful black-and-white warbler is a forest and swamp-loving songbird and is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. Found across most of Eastern North America, it spends its winters in warmer climates from Texas and Florida down to northern South America. This one was found and photographed while it was hunting through swarms of flying insects in Southwest Florida's Corkscrew Swamp near Naples on a chilly November evening.
    Black-and-White Warbler-1
  • The green iguana, also known as the American iguana is a large attractive and often strikingly-colored lizard in the Iguanidae family that is native to the Caribbean Islands, Central America and most of the northern half of South America. Although they are are herbivores and are not particularly dangerous to humans or other animals, they do adapt to new environments very well and are a very special species of concern in places where they have naturalized (most likely as escapes from the pet trade, as they make very friendly and docile pets when raised by humans). Green iguanas are now found in Florida, Nexas, Puerto Rico and Hawaii where these enormously strong lizards burrow into the sides of canals and riverbanks causing unnecessary erosion and damage, destruction of rare native plants other species depend upon, as well as decimating gardens and landscaping. This 6-foot beefy male was found on the side of the road with around 200 other well-fed adults along a one-mile stretch on Key Largo, Florida.
    Male Green Iguana-1
  • The green iguana, also known as the American iguana is a large attractive and often strikingly-colored lizard in the Iguanidae family that is native to the Caribbean Islands, Central America and most of the northern half of South America. Although they are are herbivores and are not particularly dangerous to humans or other animals, they do adapt to new environments very well and are a very special species of concern in places where they have naturalized (most likely as escapes from the pet trade, as they make very friendly and docile pets when raised by humans). Green iguanas are now found in Florida, Nexas, Puerto Rico and Hawaii where these enormously strong lizards burrow into the sides of canals and riverbanks causing unnecessary erosion and damage, destruction of rare native plants other species depend upon, as well as decimating gardens and landscaping. This 6-foot beefy male was found on the side of the road with around 200 other well-fed adults along a one-mile stretch on Key Largo, Florida.
    Male Green Iguana-2.jpg
  • An important food crop of the tropics and the symbol a beach vacation in paradise, these palms are not native to Florida and the United States, but do grow easily from coconuts that often wash ashore. These two coconut palms were loaded with ripening fruit. Be careful when walking under them on a windy day!
    Coconut Palms
  • Extreme close-up of an adult alligator's mouth in the Florida Everglades.
    Gator Teeth
  • WhoopingCrane103.jpg
  • This attractive aster-loving skipper butterfly is found in the western half of North America from Northern Mexico to Southern Canada, and can be quite variable in appearance,  and coloration, but the distinct wing markings make it easy to identify. This one was found near Jackson, Wyoming where dozens were seen feeding on summer wildflowers in a field.
    Western Branded Skipper
  • This attractive aster-loving skipper butterfly is found in the western half of North America from Northern Mexico to Southern Canada, and can be quite variable in appearance,  and coloration, but the distinct wing markings make it easy to identify. This one was found near Jackson, Wyoming where dozens were seen feeding on summer wildflowers in a field.
    Western Branded Skipper
  • A sudden storm comes and goes in a flash in Southwest Florida’s Fakahatchee Strand leaving behind a beautiful rainbow over the palms, sawgrass, alligators and legions of nesting birds on a cool sunny autumn day.
    Rainbow over the Fakahatchee Strand
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