Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • Beautiful natural spring waterfall in North Florida.
    Natural Spring Waterfall
  • Lime Spring is one of the many beautiful tributaries to the Suwanne River in North Florida. This isolated view just blew me away and inspired this image - two photographs joined together to create a very detailed panorama with dazzling reflections and mysterious shadows - deep in the real Florida!
    Lime Spring
  • Primarily a western spring bloomer, the seep-spring monkeyflower, like other monkeyflowers, is often found very close to water or actually growing in standing water. It can be found in most western states and provinces and can be found sporadically in such eastern states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and even Maine! These were found growing on the damp Pacific Northwest cliffs on Fidalgo Island in Washington State.
    Seep-spring Monkeyflower
  • Primarily a western spring bloomer, the seep-spring monkeyflower, like other monkeyflowers, is often found very close to water or actually growing in standing water. It can be found in most western states and provinces and can be found sporadically in such eastern states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and even Maine! These were found growing on the damp Pacific Northwest cliffs on Fidalgo Island in Washington State.
    Seep-spring Monkeyflower
  • Waterfall photographed in Rainbow Springs State Park, Marion County, Fl.
    Natural Spring Waterfall
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • Fairly widespread across most of North America, excluding the Southeast and the extreme Northeast, the golden currant is a member of the currant and gooseberry family. In early spring, this plant is covered in hundreds of beautiful small bright yellow flowers. By late spring and early summer, the limbs of this small water-loving shrub become heavily laden with golden yellow/orange edible fruits, such as these growing next to Cowiche Creek, just west of Yakima, Washington.
    Golden Currant
  • Pretty much ignored until Christmastime, American mistletoe (also called oak mistletoe) is a very interesting member of the sandalwood family. It is hemiparasitic, meaning it not only makes food like typical green-leaved plant with chlorophyll, but since it grows high in (mostly) oak trees, it actually steals some of its nutrients directly from the branches it attaches itself to! This species is widely found across Mexico, the southern United States, California and parts of Oregon. This one was photographed in Harlingen, Texas on a hot spring afternoon in the Rio Grande Valley.
    American Mistletoe
  • This little skipper species has an enormous range, and can be found from the northeastern United States to just about all of South America to just about as far south of the equator as it lives north of the equator. This active whirlabout (it gets it's name from the pattern it flies when landing and taking off) was found actively feeding on lantana flowers in a park in Harlingen, Texas on a hot, early spring afternoon.
    Whirlabout (Polites vibex)
  • 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 found flying around a hackberry tree in South Texas in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge on a hot early spring day.
    Band-celled Sister (Adelpha fessonia)
  • Mount Shasta is one of the many active volcanoes found in the Pacific Northwest with a peak of 9772 feet. This beautiful mountain in Northern California has been erupting roughly every 800 years in the past 10,000 years, but has slightly picked up the pace to an average of every 600 years in the past 4500 years. This image was taken from the east in on a bitterly cold, early spring evening.
    Mount Shasta in the Springtime
  • An adult male desert spiny lizard basks in the spring afternoon sun in the desert sand in rural San Bernardino County. This individual had very vivid blues and oranges in the sunlight.
    Desert Spiny Lizard
  • These gorgeous spring bloomers are perfectly adapted to finding the best sources of water in the desert. By growing wedged into these cracks, they can tap into the parts of the canyon walls that retain the most water since the last rain, as seen here in Utah's Zion National Park.
    Eastwood Indian Paintbrush
  • Crystal blue water bubbling to the surface at Juniper Springs, Ocala National Forest, Marion County, Fl.
    Juniper Springs
  • A red fox licks its chops on a snowy spring morning on the slopes of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Hungry Red Fox
  • Mount Shasta is one of the many active volcanoes found in the Pacific Northwest with a peak of 9772 feet. This image was taken from the north in Medford, Oregon on a spectacularly clear spring day.
    Mount Shasta
  • Also known as the Rainier violet and desert pansy, the sagebrush violet is a stunningly beautiful member of the viola family that is only found in the dry sagebrush deserts of Oregon and Washington State in the early spring where melting snow leaves moist patches in the soil. This one was found growing on the hilltops just outside of Yakima, Washington in mid-March.
    Sagebrush Violet
  • Also known as the Rainier violet and desert pansy, the sagebrush violet is a stunningly beautiful member of the viola family that is only found in the dry sagebrush deserts of Oregon and Washington State in the early spring where melting snow leaves moist patches in the soil. This one was found growing on the hilltops just outside of Yakima, Washington in mid-March.
    Sagebrush Violet
  • Also known as the Rainier violet and desert pansy, the sagebrush violet is a stunningly beautiful member of the viola family that is only found in the dry sagebrush deserts of Oregon and Washington State in the early spring where melting snow leaves moist patches in the soil. This one was found growing on the hilltops just outside of Yakima, Washington in mid-March.
    Sagebrush Violet
  • This highly attractive terrestrial snail can be found near streams in the rainy forests of the Pacific Northwest from California to Alaska, and is mainly crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) during the wet spring and fall. This particularly colorful individual was found by lucky accident in Oregon's Cascade Mountains just east of Eugene.
    Pacific Sideband Snail
  • The Pacific wren is a very small songbird with a very loud, beautiful voice and a confusing history. As taxonomy gets better and better with our better understanding of genetics as it applies to wildlife, the Pacific wren was once considered the same species as the winter wren of the east coast. Although they do look very similar, it has been determined that they are indeed a separate species. This little wren was found singing its heart out about halfway up Cougar Mountain just outside of Seattle, Washington on a typically rainy spring day.
    Pacific Wren
  • Close-up of the flowerhead of the arrowleaf balsamroot. It is often thought the entire sunflower-like head is the flower, but what are often mistaken for the long yellow petals are actually the ray florets, and the actual flowers are the dozens of tiny "mini-flowers" called disk florets, and these when fertilized are what produce the seeds. This perfectly-shaped arrowleaf balsamroot was photographed on a beautiful spring day just outside of Yakima, Washington.
    Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • Common in most of the western United States and Canada, the arrowleaf balsamroot is a member of the sunflower and aster family (hence the sunflower resemblance) and has a historical significance to the various tribes and peoples of the American West as a source of food and medicine. The large root can be baked or steamed as a good source of carbohydrates. The stems can be peeled and eaten, and even the seeds are a great source for both nutrients and calorie-rich oils. These beautiful examples this springtime beauty were photographed on a beautiful spring day just outside of Yakima, Washington.
    Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • Common in most of the western United States and Canada, the arrowleaf balsamroot is a member of the sunflower and aster family (hence the sunflower resemblance) and has a historical significance to the various tribes and peoples of the American West as a source of food and medicine. The large root can be baked or steamed as a good source of carbohydrates. The stems can be peeled and eaten, and even the seeds are a great source for both nutrients and calorie-rich oils. These beautiful examples this springtime beauty were photographed on a beautiful spring day just outside of Yakima, Washington.
    Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • A favorite food source for hummingbirds in the Sonoran Desert, Parry's penstemon (also known as Parry's beardtongue) is a vibrantly pink to fuchsia hardy wildflower found natively in Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico. These tough plants can stand the heat of the desert and the heavy spring rainfalls typical of our southwestern deserts and are only bested by prolonged drought. These were among about a dozen beautiful tall blooming examples found growing in the hills of rural Santa Cruz County in southern Arizona.
    Parry's Penstemon
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. This one was found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. This one was found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. This one was found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." This one was found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lily
  • The pyrrhuloxia is a member of the cardinal family that has a range that just reaches into the Unites States in the states of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. It is very similar in appearance to the more common red (or Northern) cardinal, but has an overall gray coloration with a red face (males) and red crest. This beautiful male was found and followed through the Sonoran Desert in Tucson, Arizona on a hot spring morning.
    Pyrrhuloxia
  • Distinct from other native phloxes, spreading phlox grows in often harsh environments such as rocky desert cliffs, open areas with little water and lots of exposure to heat, wind and bitter cold. As a result, these tough little perennials have hard woody stems, and sharp needle-like leaves that stay low to the ground and bloom in profuse mats in the spring. These beautiful examples were found at the top of a lava plateau called The Peninsula in Central Oregon above Deschutes Canyon.
    Spreading Phlox
  • Distinct from other native phloxes, spreading phlox grows in often harsh environments such as rocky desert cliffs, open areas with little water and lots of exposure to heat, wind and bitter cold. As a result, these tough little perennials have hard woody stems, and sharp needle-like leaves that stay low to the ground and bloom in profuse mats in the spring. These beautiful examples were found at the top of a lava plateau called The Peninsula in Central Oregon above Deschutes Canyon.
    Spreading Phlox
  • A busy  female mallard takes a break from showing her eight bundled ducklings how to find and eat peamouth minnow eggs from a shaded tiny creek in Bellevue, Washington on a warm spring afternoon.
    Mallard Family
  • A brilliantly yellow stream violet pokes it's head out from the frond of a western sword fern on a rare sunny spring day in Enumclaw, Washington.
    Stream Violet
  • Almost anywhere you look in the Pacific Northwest's wild places in spring and summer you will usually find violets. These yellow stream violets were growing alongside a trail next to Deep Lake near Enumclaw, Washington.
    Stream Violets
  • Deep Lake near the Green River Gorge is about 40 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington is particularly beautiful in the late afternoon. It also happens to be an amazing place for biodiversity. The woods around this lake are filled with all kinds of birds, especially during migration, and the astounding variety of wildflowers changes every time you visit. This image was taken during a rare early spring day when it wasn't raining.
    Deep Lake, Late Afternoon
  • This is how it all starts: tiny bright yellow-green flowers show before even the first hint of leaves in the massive bigleaf maples. As the spring progresses into summer, the seed pods begin to form, and as fall approaches, we see the first of the falling "whirlie-birds" we all know and love!
    Bigleaf Maple Flower Bud
  • Deep Lake near the Green River Gorge is about 40 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington is particularly beautiful in the late afternoon. It also happens to be an amazing place for biodiversity. The woods around this lake are filled with all kinds of birds, especially during migration, and the astounding variety of wildflowers changes every time you visit. This image was taken during a rare early spring day when it wasn't raining. Just over the trees you can see the peak of Mount Rainier in the distance.
    Deep Lake, Late Afternoon
  • Deep Lake near the Green River Gorge is about 40 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington is particularly beautiful in the late afternoon. It also happens to be an amazing place for biodiversity. The woods around this lake are filled with all kinds of birds, especially during migration, and the astounding variety of wildflowers changes every time you visit. This image was taken during a rare early spring day when it wasn't raining. Just over the trees you can see the peak of Mount Rainier in the distance.
    Deep Lake, Late Afternoon
  • The red-flowering currant is not only a Pacific Northwest native found from Northern California all the way up to British Columbia, it is also a prized garden and landscaping shrub grown for its brightly colored and scented flowers in early spring. This one was found alongside Deep Lake in Enumclaw, Washington.
    Red-Flowering Currant
  • This beautiful male Anna's hummingbird is a common west coast species that is expanding it's territory every year. Once only found in Southern California and Mexico's Baja California, they have moved north as far as British Columbia as a result of ornamental plantings and hummingbird feeders that keep these little flying beauties fed year-round. This was one of several seen feeding on salmonberry flowers or resting in willows in Bellevue Washington on a beautiful spring Pacific Northwest afternoon.
    Male Anna's Hummingbird
  • A red-breasted nutchatch perches in a maple tree on a warm spring Pacific Northwest day in Kent, Washington.
    Red-breasted Nutchatch
  • A red-breasted nutchatch perches in a maple tree on a warm spring Pacific Northwest day in Kent, Washington.
    Red-breasted Nutchatch
  • The Mexican gold poppy is a desert-loving subspecies of the California gold poppy that is found across the American Southwest as well as Mexico, which is known for it's sweeping golden orange carpet of color across the desert after the winter rains. These poppies were seen near Sonoita Creek in Patagonia, Arizona on a hot spring afternoon.
    Mexican Gold Poppies
  • Close-up of the branches of the ocotillo, a somewhat common Southwestern plant found in most of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. In the spring, the long, thorny spines sprout small green leaves and brilliantly orange flowers from the mature stems that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds and carpenter bees. This one was found way out in SE California near the Arizona Border in Imperial County.
    Ocotillo Branch Close-Up
  • Close-up of the flowers of the ocotillo, a somewhat common Southwestern plant found in most of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. In the spring, the long, thorny spines sprout small green leaves and brilliantly orange flowers from the mature stems that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds and carpenter bees. This one was found way out in SE California near the Arizona Border in Imperial County.
    Ocotillo Flowers
  • Close-up of the flowers of the ocotillo, a somewhat common Southwestern plant found in most of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. In the spring, the long, thorny spines sprout small green leaves and brilliantly orange flowers from the mature stems that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds and carpenter bees. This one was found way out in SE California near the Arizona Border in Imperial County.
    Ocotillo Flowers
  • The skunkbush sumac is a very attractive shrub found in all of the states west of the Mississippi River excluding Minnesota, Missouri and Louisiana and can be found in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan and much of Northern Mexico. When crushed, the leaves emit a strong, unpleasant odor (hence the common name) but the sticky, edible fruit have a sharp, lime-like taste. These berries were found growing in rural Socorro County, about an hour south of Albuquerque, New Mexico on a chilly spring morning.
    Skunkbush Sumac
  • Not really a toad - it's a spadefoot (no poison glands), this Couch's spadefoot toad was one of many dozens found after a sudden flash-flood in Western Texas along and near the Rio Grande River. Because they are found only in very dry, desert-like habitats, these spadefoots spend a significant amount of their lives buried underground in a state of hibernation, only emerging after the first spring or summer rains. They will find water immediately and mate the first night. Because these sudden seasonal pools can dry up so quickly, emerging tadpoles can mature in as little as nine days after hatching from their eggs!
    Couch's Spadefoot
  • Not really a toad - it's a spadefoot (no poison glands), this Couch's spadefoot toad was one of many dozens found after a sudden flash-flood in Western Texas along and near the Rio Grande River. Because they are found only in very dry, desert-like habitats, these spadefoots spend a significant amount of their lives buried underground in a state of hibernation, only emerging after the first spring or summer rains. They will find water immediately and mate the first night. Because these sudden seasonal pools can dry up so quickly, emerging tadpoles can mature in as little as nine days after hatching from their eggs!
    Couch's Spadefoot
  • Not really a toad - it's a spadefoot (no poison glands), this Couch's spadefoot toad was one of many dozens found after a sudden flash-flood in Western Texas along and near the Rio Grande River. Because they are found only in very dry, desert-like habitats, these spadefoots spend a significant amount of their lives buried underground in a state of hibernation, only emerging after the first spring or summer rains. They will find water immediately and mate the first night. Because these sudden seasonal pools can dry up so quickly, emerging tadpoles can mature in as little as nine days after hatching from their eggs!
    Couch's Spadefoot
  • Found primarily in the arid regions of Texas and Northern Mexico, this huge slate millipede is also known as the Chihuahuan millipede. I found by this one by sheer accident on a chilly spring morning in the Big Bend area of Western Texas as I was winding my way up toward the Chisos Mountains.
    Slate Millipede (Comanchelus chihuanus)
  • Found primarily in the arid regions of Texas and Northern Mexico, this huge slate millipede is also known as the Chihuahuan millipede. I found by this one by sheer accident on a chilly spring morning in the Big Bend area of Western Texas as I was winding my way up toward the Chisos Mountains.
    Slate Millipede (Comanchelus chihuanus)
  • Found primarily in the arid regions of Texas and Northern Mexico, this huge slate millipede is also known as the Chihuahuan millipede. I found by this one by sheer accident on a chilly spring morning in the Big Bend area of Western Texas as I was winding my way up toward the Chisos Mountains.
    Slate Millipede (Comanchelus chihuanus)
  • Close-up look at the spines of a young fishhook barrel cactus, this one found and photographed in the Alamo Canyon, deep in the Ajo Mountains of Southern Pima County, Arizona near the Mexican border. As this plant grows larger, these spines will turn back inwards, giving them a "fishhook" like appearance. This rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Bright yellow fruit emerge and develop throughout the year after its bright orange blossoms are pollinated in summer, and by the following spring they will look like this. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas.
    Fishhook Barrel Cactus Spines
  • The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Bright yellow fruit emerge and develop throughout the year after its bright orange blossoms are pollinated in summer, and by the following spring they will look like this. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas. This one was found and photographed between the Ajo and Puerto Blanco Mountains ranges in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona.
    Fishhook Barrel
  • The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Bright yellow fruit emerge and develop throughout the year after its bright orange blossoms are pollinated in summer, and by the following spring they will look like this. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas. This one was found and photographed between the Ajo and Puerto Blanco Mountains ranges in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona.
    Fishhook Barrel
  • The fishhook barrel cactus is a rather common large barrel cactus found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the American Southwest with a range stretching from Arizona through New Mexico to Texas, as well as south of the border into the northern parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua. Bright yellow fruit emerge and develop throughout the year after its bright orange blossoms are pollinated in summer, and by the following spring they will look like this. As with many cacti, it has many regional names such as the Arizona barrel and biznaga-barril de Nuevo México and is found in open rocky ground, shrub-steppe, chaparral and at the base of desert hills and mountains where there is some gathering of water during seasonal rains. Mature plants can reach upwards of 5 feet tall, and live to 50 to 130 years, and as they get larger, they will tend to lean to face south or southwest-ward, which is why come people also call it the compass cactus. Vicious recurved spines (or "fishhooks") protect it from predators such as javelinas, and the fleshy yellow fruits are an important food source for birds, mule deer, and javelinas. This one was found and photographed between the Ajo and Puerto Blanco Mountains ranges in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Pima County, Arizona.
    Fishhook Barrel
  • This beautiful thick, cylindrical cactus found here in Big Bend National Park in West Texas is a species with dozens of common names such as: straw-colored hedgehog, pitaya, alicoche, green strawberry hedgehog cactus, etc. It is found natively in the Chihuahuan Desert close to the Rio Grande, specifically in west and south Texas, Dona Ana County in southern New Mexico, as well as in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Sonora. Recent spring rains have caused these plants to swell up with stored rainwater.
    Cob Cactus
  • This beautiful thick, cylindrical cactus found here in Big Bend National Park in West Texas is a species with dozens of common names such as: straw-colored hedgehog, pitaya, alicoche, green strawberry hedgehog cactus, etc. It is found natively in the Chihuahuan Desert close to the Rio Grande, specifically in west and south Texas, Dona Ana County in southern New Mexico, as well as in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Sonora. Recent spring rains have caused these plants to swell up with stored rainwater.
    Cob Cactus
  • This beautiful thick, cylindrical cactus found here in Big Bend National Park in West Texas is a species with dozens of common names such as: straw-colored hedgehog, pitaya, alicoche, green strawberry hedgehog cactus, etc. It is found natively in the Chihuahuan Desert close to the Rio Grande, specifically in west and south Texas, Dona Ana County in southern New Mexico, as well as in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Sonora. Recent spring rains have caused these plants to swell up with stored rainwater.
    Cob Cactus
  • This beautiful thick, cylindrical cactus found here in Big Bend National Park in West Texas is a species with dozens of common names such as: straw-colored hedgehog, pitaya, alicoche, green strawberry hedgehog cactus, etc. It is found natively in the Chihuahuan Desert close to the Rio Grande, specifically in west and south Texas, Dona Ana County in southern New Mexico, as well as in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Sonora. Recent spring rains have caused these plants to swell up with stored rainwater.
    Cob Cactus
  • The cane cholla is a very common native cactus species found across much of Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and Chihuahua and Sonora in Mexico. It prefers sandy to loamy soils at lower elevations, and has a lot of variety when it comes to flower color, and they are almost always very bright in color: yellow, pink, red, orange, etc. These were found just north of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Ajo, Arizona growing naturally in the Sonoran Desert on a bright, sunny spring morning near the Mexican border.
    Cane Cholla
  • The cane cholla is a very common native cactus species found across much of Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and Chihuahua and Sonora in Mexico. It prefers sandy to loamy soils at lower elevations, and has a lot of variety when it comes to flower color, and they are almost always very bright in color: yellow, pink, red, orange, etc. These were found just north of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Ajo, Arizona growing naturally in the Sonoran Desert on a bright, sunny spring morning near the Mexican border.
    Cane Cholla
  • The cane cholla is a very common native cactus species found across much of Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and Chihuahua and Sonora in Mexico. It prefers sandy to loamy soils at lower elevations, and has a lot of variety when it comes to flower color, and they are almost always very bright in color: yellow, pink, red, orange, etc. These were found just north of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Ajo, Arizona growing naturally in the Sonoran Desert on a bright, sunny spring morning near the Mexican border.
    Cane Cholla
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in Central New Mexico.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in Central New Mexico.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in Central New Mexico.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in Central New Mexico.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in Central New Mexico.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in Central New Mexico.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Northwestern Texas.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Northwestern Texas.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Northwestern Texas.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Northwestern Texas.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Northwestern Texas.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • One of the most striking and beautiful of all the "barrel" cacti of the American Southwestern deserts, the claret cup cactus (also known regionally by many names such as the kingcup, queencup, hedgehog cactus, pitaya roja, etc.) has large, showy and brilliantly red flowers that attract and are pollinated by hummingbirds. Unlike most cacti, the flowers of the claret cup stay open at night. Some native American tribes who shared the same habitat would collect these cacti, burn off the sharp spines, and mash them into a pulp with some locally procured sweetener (honey?) and bake them into mini sweet cakes. This one was found and photographed on a beautiful spring day in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Northwestern Texas.
    Claret Cup Cactus
  • This unusual flattened, short cactus is more common in its range than one might think, but because it barely grows above the ground level and can be as wide as four inches. Easier to find in the spring and summer, it can be difficult to spot in the winter when it is nearly below ground level and may be partially covered in gravel. The little nipple cactus (as well as all other members of its genus) are much more common in Mexico, but this species can be found in the United States in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma. This one was found as it was just about to flower in Big Bend National Park, in the lowlands just north of the Chisos Mountains in Western Texas.
    Little Nipple Cactus
  • The Texas rainbow cactus usually has a single stem, but may branch when older. Large yellow flowers bloom in the spring from the upper portions of the stem. The stem may have bands of tan, reddish or brown spines, giving it a rainbow appearance. This one was found and photographed in West Texas in the Chihuahuan Desert lowlands just north of the Chisos Mountains.
    Texas Rainbow Cactus
  • The Texas rainbow cactus usually has a single stem, but may branch when older. Large yellow flowers bloom in the spring from the upper portions of the stem. The stem may have bands of tan, reddish or brown spines, giving it a rainbow appearance. This one was found and photographed in West Texas in the Chihuahuan Desert lowlands just north of the Chisos Mountains.
    Texas Rainbow Cactus
  • This unusual flattened, short cactus is more common in its range than one might think, but because it barely grows above the ground level and can be as wide as four inches. Easier to find in the spring and summer, it can be difficult to spot in the winter when it is nearly below ground level and may be partially covered in gravel. The little nipple cactus (as well as all other members of its genus) are much more common in Mexico, but this species can be found in the United States in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma. This one was found and  photographed in the Chisos Mountains in Texas' Big Bend.
    Little Nipple Cactus
  • This unusual flattened, short cactus is more common in its range than one might think, but because it barely grows above the ground level and can be as wide as four inches. Easier to find in the spring and summer, it can be difficult to spot in the winter when it is nearly below ground level and may be partially covered in gravel. The little nipple cactus (as well as all other members of its genus) are much more common in Mexico, but this species can be found in the United States in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma. This one was found and  photographed in the Chisos Mountains in Texas' Big Bend.
    Little Nipple Cactus
  • This unusual tree found in California, Nevada, Arizona and parts of Mexico is named after its blue-green trunk and branches, and it's name in Spanish means "green  stick". Historically, the dried beans were an important food source for both wildlife and local indigenous native American tribes, the wood of the tree was important for making cooking utensils It also happens to be the State Tree of Arizona. I found this one in full blossom in the Colorado Desert, and it was swarming with bees, flies and other insects on a hot, dry spring morning just outside of Mecca, California.
    Blue Palo Verde with Beans
  • Often seen diving to depths of more than 40 feet (suspected at going even deeper to 150 feet or more), the Brandt's cormorant is found along North America's Pacific Coast from Alaska to the Gulf of California in Mexico where it hunts for fish above the ocean floor. It is often associated with sea lions. This one was seen near Los Angeles' Del Rey Lagoon on a sunny California spring morning.
    Brandt's Cormorant
  • Often seen diving to depths of more than 40 feet (suspected at going even deeper to 150 feet or more), the Brandt's cormorant is found along North America's Pacific Coast from Alaska to the Gulf of California in Mexico where it hunts for fish above the ocean floor. It is often associated with sea lions. This one was seen near Los Angeles' Del Rey Lagoon on a sunny California spring morning.
    Brandt's Cormorant
  • Smallest of all the sandpipers, this least sandpiper was actively hunting among the rocks and pools of water along the beach of Del Rey Lagoon in Los Angeles, California on a sunny spring morning. This amazing tiny migratory bird breeds in the arctic, yet spends its winters as far south as Chile and Brazil!
    Least Sandpiper
  • The infamous and rare, bleached earless lizard (Holbrookia maculata ruthveni) - a lizard with an evolutionary adaptation to living on the white gypsum sand dunes on White Sands (the largest gypsum sand dune desert in the world) found resting in the shade of an enormous dune late in the morning of a bright and sunny spring day.
    Bleached Earless Lizard
  • One of the more common lizards of the West Coast of North America, this one was found in its northernmost part of its range in Central Washington, by the bank of the Tieton River on a chilly late spring morning.
    Western Fence Lizard
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