Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • A "fattened-up-for-winter" eastern gray squirrel pauses in a tree long enough for me to make this image in the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge near Olympia, Washington.
    Eastern Gray Squirrel
  • A pair of baby gray squirrels peeks from their nest in the Florida Everglades. Gray squirrels are perhaps the most adaptable and hardy of all modern squirrel species, and can thrive in the most diverse kinds of habitat. Not only increasing their range in North America, but are beginning to spread into other continents too, wiping out or displacing native populations.
    Baby Eastern Gray Squirrels
  • An eastern gray squirrel forages among last Fall's leaves on a cold winter morning in Western Washington.
    Eastern Gray Squirrel
  • The notorious mountain camp thief, the gray jay is a very clever and charismatic member of the corvid family that includes blue jays, crows, ravens, and magpies. This one seen in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming shows the distinctive regional Rocky Mountain color variation with a nearly white head.
    Gray Jay
  • A wary gray jay keeps an eye on me as I pass along the top of Hurricane Ridge on Washington's Olympic Peninsula.
    Gray Jay
  • A gray jay pauses on a rock about halfway up Mount Rainier in the Pacific Northwest.
    Gray Jay
  • Gray hairstreak butterfly feeding on a blazing star wildflower in the CREW Marsh Hiking Trails in Collier County, Florida.
    Gray Hairstreak
  • Gray hairstreak in the Celery Fields of Sarasota County, Florida. This is an AMAZING place to search for butterflies ... they are everywhere in every shape, size, and color!
    Gray Hairstreak
  • A gray hairstreak  pauses on an unidentified species of liatris in the Fakahatchee Strand in Collier County, Florida.
    Gray Hairstreak
  • Gray hairstreak in the Fakahatchee Strand in the middle of summer. Roadside wildflowers attract thousands of these little butterflies every morning!
    Gray Hairstreak
  • This squirrel was at the top of this dead pine tree barking and chirping and making a huge racket early one morning in the Juniper Springs area in the Ocala National Forest.
    Eastern Gray Squirrel
  • Squirrel in Homosassa Springs, Citrus County, Fl.
    Eastern Gray Squirrel
  • A grey hairstreak feeding on wildflowers in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Gray Hairstreak
  • 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
  • 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
  • Acarospora socialis - pale yellow<br />
Candelariella aurella - bright yellow<br />
Xanthoria elegans - orange<br />
Caloplaca albovariegata - black/dark green<br />
Xanthoparmelia maricopensis - light gray/greenish<br />
Dimelaena oreina - pale green with black "blotches" (very tiny)
    Mojave Desert Lichen Community
  • Acarospora socialis - pale yellow<br />
Candelariella aurella - bright yellow<br />
Xanthoria elegans - orange<br />
Caloplaca albovariegata - black/dark green<br />
Xanthoparmelia maricopensis - light gray/greenish<br />
Dimelaena oreina - pale green with black "blotches" (very tiny)
    Mojave Desert Lichen Community
  • 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
  • A beautifully-colored fox squirrel with reddish fur searches for seeds and nuts on a late winter day in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near Weslaco, Texas. Common all over the Eastern United States, Northern Mexico, and some of the Canadian provinces such as Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, this is the largest squirrel species in North America and can vary wildly in coloration from silvery-gray, reddish brown, jet black and sometimes white leucistic (not albino) ones can be found such as one group in Tallahassee, Florida.
    Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
  • A wild northwestern ringneck snake posed in an antelope bitterbrush shrub solely for this photograph. This fast, secretive, nocturnal and beautiful small predator is a subspecies of the ringneck snake found all over North America. Unlike most other subspecies, instead of the normal black background, this group has a blue-gray color variation with the typical striking bright orange belly and neck ring. Notice the curled tail, which serves as a "warning flag" - a common threat display warning a bigger predator (me in this case) that it is toxic to eat, which is entirely a bluff.
    Northwestern Ringneck Snake
  • A juvenile grey squirrel cautiously watches from the safety of height and distance in a tree in the Fakahatchee Strand - part of the Northern Everglades near Naples, Florida.
    Juvenile Grey Squirrel
  • The Mexican jay is a gorgeous member of the crow and jay family that is found throughout Mexico and barely touches into parts of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Very similar to the Florida scrub jays in appearance from my birthplace in SW Florida, these noisy birds are intelligent, curious, and much like their relative - the magpie, are thieves for anything bright, shiny or tasty.
    Mexican Jay
  • The Mexican jay is a gorgeous member of the crow and jay family that is found throughout Mexico and barely touches into parts of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Very similar to the Florida scrub jays in appearance from my birthplace in SW Florida, these noisy birds are intelligent, curious, and much like their relative - the magpie, are thieves for anything bright, shiny or tasty. This one was photographed in the Chiricahua Mountains on the Arizona-Mexico border.
    Mexican Jay
  • A close-up of one of Florida's most striking native - the sandhill crane.
    Sandhill Crane
  • Bailey's ballmoss is an interesting medium-sized bromeliad native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley area in Texas and Northern Mexico that is usually found on the southern live oak or Texas ebony where it anchors itself into the tree's bark and gains nutrients from rainwater and whatever nutrients happen to land on them and their root anchor systems via wind and the weather. Like all bromeliads, these epiphytes do not harm the host tree, and are quite resistant to wind and storms. This one was one of many hundreds found in a growing in a Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) in Harlingen, Texas on a warm springtime afternoon.
    Bailey's Ballmoss (Tillandsia baileyi)
  • 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)
  • Very common across most of the Northern hemisphere, oakmoss is a type of fruticose lichen found not only on oaks, but pines and firs as well. In France and other parts of Southern Europe, it is harvested commercially for making perfume that has a sharp, slightly sweet odor. This one was found along with many hundreds of others above Soos Creek, in Kent, Washington State.
    Oakmoss (Evernia prunastri) - 1
  • Close-up of the wiry stems of Spanish moss. Contrary to the name, Spanish moss in neither a moss, nor is it Spanish. It's a native bromeliad that is closely related to pineapples and air plants found in the tropics and subtropics. This interesting epiphytic plant is most often found hanging from live oaks in the American Southeast, Texas, Mexico and Caribbean Islands where it clings to the bark of these trees by tiny scales on their long thread-like stems. Spanish moss is completely harmless to their host trees, except in some cases where there can be so much of it that it actually blocks the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. This small, isolated piece on was found in the Corkscrew Swamp near Naples, Florida.
    Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides)
  • Close-up of the flower of Bailey's ballmoss. This airplant is an interesting medium-sized bromeliad native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley area in Texas and Northern Mexico that is usually found on the southern live oak or Texas ebony where it anchors itself into the tree's bark and gains nutrients from rainwater and whatever nutrients happen to land on them and their root anchor systems via wind and the weather. Like all bromeliads, these epiphytes do not harm the host tree, and are quite resistant to wind and storms. This one was one of many hundreds found in a growing in a Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) in Harlingen, Texas on a warm springtime afternoon.
    Bailey's Ballmoss (Tillandsia baileyi)
  • Bailey's ballmoss is an interesting medium-sized bromeliad native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley area in Texas and Northern Mexico that is usually found on the southern live oak or Texas ebony where it anchors itself into the tree's bark and gains nutrients from rainwater and whatever nutrients happen to land on them and their root anchor systems via wind and the weather. Like all bromeliads, these epiphytes do not harm the host tree, and are quite resistant to wind and storms. This one was one of many hundreds found in a growing in a Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) in Harlingen, Texas on a warm springtime afternoon.
    Bailey's Ballmoss (Tillandsia baileyi)
  • Bailey's ballmoss is an interesting medium-sized bromeliad native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley area in Texas and Northern Mexico that is usually found on the southern live oak or Texas ebony where it anchors itself into the tree's bark and gains nutrients from rainwater and whatever nutrients happen to land on them and their root anchor systems via wind and the weather. Like all bromeliads, these epiphytes do not harm the host tree, and are quite resistant to wind and storms. This one was one of many hundreds found in a growing in a Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) in Harlingen, Texas on a warm springtime afternoon.
    Bailey's Ballmoss (Tillandsia baileyi)
  • Close-up of the flower of Bailey's ballmoss. This airplant is an interesting medium-sized bromeliad native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley area in Texas and Northern Mexico that is usually found on the southern live oak or Texas ebony where it anchors itself into the tree's bark and gains nutrients from rainwater and whatever nutrients happen to land on them and their root anchor systems via wind and the weather. Like all bromeliads, these epiphytes do not harm the host tree, and are quite resistant to wind and storms. This one was one of many hundreds found in a growing in a Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) in Harlingen, Texas on a warm springtime afternoon.
    Bailey's Ballmoss (Tillandsia baileyi)
  • 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 growing in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near the US-Mexico border near Weslaco, Texas.
    Ballmoss (Tillandsia recurvata)
  • 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 growing in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near the US-Mexico border near Weslaco, Texas.
    Ballmoss (Tillandsia recurvata)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • One of the 14 native doves to North America, the white-winged dove is one of the larger species and is rapidly spreading out of its native range in the desert of the American Southwest, Mexico, Central American and the Caribbean northward into American cities as it adapts to encroaching human development and disappearing natural habitat. These gorgeous doves are easy to spot with the white edges of their wings and the bright blue area around the eyes. This one was found and photographed new Weslaco Texas, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near the Mexican border.
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
  • One of the 14 native doves to North America, the white-winged dove is one of the larger species and is rapidly spreading out of its native range in the desert of the American Southwest, Mexico, Central American and the Caribbean northward into American cities as it adapts to encroaching human development and disappearing natural habitat. These gorgeous doves are easy to spot with the white edges of their wings and the bright blue area around the eyes. This one was found and photographed new Weslaco Texas, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near the Mexican border.
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
  • 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)
  • The Inca dove is one of the prettiest doves found in the New World. Not because it has brightly colored plumage or is large and showy, but because this small dove has feathers that very much resemble fish scales and make for a very intricate and high-contract pattern, which in turn makes for excellent camouflage in the their native habitat. Native to Central America to the Southern United States from Texas to California, this pair was seen foraging for seeds in near the Mexican border near Weslaco, Texas.
    Inca Doves (Columbina inca)
  • One of the 14 native doves to North America, the white-winged dove is one of the larger species and is rapidly spreading out of its native range in the desert of the American Southwest, Mexico, Central American and the Caribbean northward into American cities as it adapts to encroaching human development and disappearing natural habitat. These gorgeous doves are easy to spot with the white edges of their wings and the bright blue area around the eyes. This one was found and photographed new Weslaco Texas, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near the Mexican border.
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
  • Contrary to the name, Spanish moss in neither a moss, nor is it Spanish. It's a native bromeliad that is closely related to pineapples and air plants found in the tropics and subtropics. This interesting epiphytic plant is most often found hanging from live oaks in the American Southeast, Texas, Mexico and Caribbean Islands where it clings to the bark of these trees by tiny scales on their long thread-like stems. Spanish moss is completely harmless to their host trees, except in some cases where there can be so much of it that it actually blocks the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. This one was found in an area along the Rio Grande right next to the US-Mexico border near Alamo, Texas.
    Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) - 1
  • Contrary to the name, Spanish moss in neither a moss, nor is it Spanish. It's a native bromeliad that is closely related to pineapples and air plants found in the tropics and subtropics. This interesting epiphytic plant is most often found hanging from live oaks in the American Southeast, Texas, Mexico and Caribbean Islands where it clings to the bark of these trees by tiny scales on their long thread-like stems. Spanish moss is completely harmless to their host trees, except in some cases where there can be so much of it that it actually blocks the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. This was part of an enormous patch found in an area along the Rio Grande right next to the US-Mexico border near Alamo, Texas.
    Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) - 3
  • Close-up of the wiry stems of Spanish moss. Contrary to the name, Spanish moss in neither a moss, nor is it Spanish. It's a native bromeliad that is closely related to pineapples and air plants found in the tropics and subtropics. This interesting epiphytic plant is most often found hanging from live oaks in the American Southeast, Texas, Mexico and Caribbean Islands where it clings to the bark of these trees by tiny scales on their long thread-like stems. Spanish moss is completely harmless to their host trees, except in some cases where there can be so much of it that it actually blocks the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. This was found in an area along the Rio Grande right next to the US-Mexico border near Alamo, Texas.
    Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) - 2
  • Very common across most of the Northern hemisphere, oakmoss is a type of fruticose lichen found not only on oaks, but pines and firs as well. In France and other parts of Southern Europe, it is harvested commercially for making perfume that has a sharp, slightly sweet odor. This one was found along with many hundreds of others above Soos Creek, in Kent, Washington State.
    Oakmoss (Evernia prunastri) - 2
  • The bristly beard lichen (Usnea hirta) is a common type of fruticose lichen found in cooler or mountainous habitats and is a very good indicator species for environmental pollution. Where there is little to no air and water pollution, the strands of this fungus will grow long with many branches, and with poor quality surrounding, these lichens will either die, or not exceed more than a few millimeters in length. These long, healthy fiberous branches are indications a healthy Pacific Northwest habitat in next to Soos Creek in Kent, Washington.
    Bristly Beard Lichen (Usnea hirta)
  • 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
  • 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 -1
  • Old man's beard (also known as Methuselah's beard lichen) is a very common lichen found in the trees of the Pacific Northwest's conifer forests that can reach lengths of over 20 feet and spreads by fragmentation. It can also be found in Northeastern but never quite reaches the size and length of its West Coast counterparts. This small specimen was found growing above a small waterfall just outside of Yelm, Washington on a wet, late winter morning.
    Old Man's Beard Lichen
  • A song sparrow sings a beautiful song on a bright summer morning along Soos Creek in Kent, Washington.
    Song Sparrow
  • A song sparrow perches in a tree on a bright summer morning above Soos Creek in Kent, Washington.
    Song Sparrow
  • A song sparrow perches in a tree on a bright summer morning above Soos Creek in Kent, Washington.
    Song Sparrow
  • 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
  • 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-2
  • 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-1
  • 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)
  • These strikingly beautiful songbirds are favorite among just about every birdwatcher in North America, and the world. Not only are they fun to watch enormous numbers of them attack fruit-laden trees at peak ripeness, they are also one of the few North American species of birds that specialize in eating only fruit. This one was found in the Warm Springs State Wildlife Management Area near Anaconda, Montana.
    Cedar Waxwing
  • This strikingly beautiful member of the tyrant flycatcher bird family was seen protecting its territory and small family group of four individuals in a tree overlooking a pond in the Warm Springs State Wildlife Management Area near Anaconda, Montana. Eastern kingbirds are known for their aggression towards other birds and other animals and will often dive-bomb intruders, like this one did to me while getting this photograph.
    Eastern Kingbird-2
  • While mostly harmless to humans (they might bite is self-preservation), robber flies are fierce ambush predators that wait perch patiently for a flying insect to fly by, then launch into the air, overpower then dispatch their prey mid-flight. They hunt grasshoppers, bees, wasps, butterflies and even other flies! This one was found hunting in the Oak Creek State Wildlife Area, just outside of Yakima, Washington on a hot, late-spring day.
    Robber Fly (Efferia sp.)
  • The black-crowned night heron is one of the most elusive species of heron in North America, and can be found throughout most of the world on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Active primarily at night and nearly invisible during the day, these ambush hunters fish the water's edge for fish, reptiles, insects, crustaceans, mussels, clams, small rodents and anything else they can overpower. This one was found stalking its prey in the early evening in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Black-crowned Night Heron
  • The black-crowned night heron is one of the most elusive species of heron in North America, and can be found throughout most of the world on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Active primarily at night and nearly invisible during the day, these ambush hunters fish the water's edge for fish, reptiles, insects, crustaceans, mussels, clams, small rodents and anything else they can overpower. This one was found stalking its prey in the early evening in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Black-crowned Night Heron
  • The black-crowned night heron is one of the most elusive species of heron in North America, and can be found throughout most of the world on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Active primarily at night and nearly invisible during the day, these ambush hunters fish the water's edge for fish, reptiles, insects, crustaceans, mussels, clams, small rodents and anything else they can overpower. This one was found stalking its prey in the early evening in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Black-crowned Night Heron
  • A gorgeous one-eyed sphinx moth rests on a birch tree in Kent, Washington on a breezy early summer morning. Found primarily in the Rocky and Cascade Mountain Ranges as well as along most of the US-Canadian border where there is ample poplar and willow (host species) trees, these large perfectly camouflaged moths will flash their brightly-colored warning signs including "false eyes" if disturbed.
    One-Eyed Sphinx Moth-4.jpg
  • A gorgeous one-eyed sphinx moth rests on a birch tree in Kent, Washington on a breezy early summer morning. Found primarily in the Rocky and Cascade Mountain Ranges as well as along most of the US-Canadian border where there is ample poplar and willow (host species) trees, these large perfectly camouflaged moths will flash their brightly-colored warning signs including "false eyes" if disturbed.
    One-Eyed Sphinx Moth-1.jpg
  • A gorgeous one-eyed sphinx moth rests on a birch tree in Kent, Washington on a breezy early summer morning. Found primarily in the Rocky and Cascade Mountain Ranges as well as along most of the US-Canadian border where there are ample poplar and willow (host species) trees, these large perfectly camouflaged moths will flash their brightly-colored warning signs including "false eyes" if disturbed.
    One-Eyed Sphinx Moth-5.jpg
  • A gorgeous one-eyed sphinx moth rests on a birch tree in Kent, Washington on a breezy early summer morning. Found primarily in the Rocky and Cascade Mountain Ranges as well as along most of the US-Canadian border where there is ample poplar and willow (host species) trees, these large perfectly camouflaged moths will flash their brightly-colored warning signs including "false eyes" if disturbed.
    One-Eyed Sphinx Moth-2.jpg
  • Native to the deserts of the American Southwest and northern Mexico, these tiny, noisy relatives of the wrens are completely at home in the driest of deserts where they make their living among the mesquite and cacti and feeding on spiders and insects. This black-tailed gnatcatcher was found in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument within sight of the Mexican border in Arizona.
    Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
  • This song sparrow was welcoming the springtime with the most beautiful singing in Bellevue, Washington.
    Song Sparrow
  • This unusual trumpet-shaped club lichen is found throughout the world in cooler climates in both the northern and southern hemispheres and is usually growing from either moist forest soils or from wood. This colony was found growing among tree roots on Little Mount Si in North Bend, Washington on a chilly autumn late afternoon.
    False Pixie Cup
  • This truly wild and odd looking lichen is also known in some parts of the world as the nail lichen and is found in the Pacific Northwest of North America and in parts of Eastern Eurasia. The apothecia (round black heads) are the reproductive part of the lichen that will release millions of wind-blown spores (similar to a mushroom) that will start a new lichens if they land on a suitable rock. These were found next to the Greenwater River in Pierce County, Washington at mid-elevation in the Cascade Mountains.
    Devil's Matchstick
  • Also known as the green dog lichen, the common freckle pelt lichen (Peltigera aphthosa) is closely related and looks very similar to its coastal cousin, the freckle pelt lichen (Peltigera britannica) except that there are minor, small physiological differences in the brown/black "freckles" and that this one is not found in coastal environments. It is found commonly throughout the Northern hemisphere at alpine elevations, such as this one that was found in the Cascade Mountains east of Greenwater, Washington in Pierce County. This one shows the reddish-brown apothecia, the reproductive structures that form on the end of its "leaves".
    Common Freckle Pelt Lichen
  • This attractive little autumnal moth was found on the side of a moss-covered tree stump in Bellevue, Washington on a fall afternoon. Very common, all in North America and Europe, it is highly variable in color and pattern and is associated with birch trees.
    Autumnal Moth (Epirrita autumnata)
  • The California gull is a medium-sized, common migratory gull found across most of the western half of North America. Primarily feeding on fish, insects and eggs, it is a well-known scavenger of trash and garbage. It breeds far inland as far as Colorado north to Canada's Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, but it always returns to the Pacific Coast in the winter. This one was among many found in Los Angeles, California near Del Rey Lagoon on a warm, sunny springtime afternoon.
    California Gull
  • The California gull is a medium-sized, common migratory gull found across most of the western half of North America. Primarily feeding on fish, insects and eggs, it is a well-known scavenger of trash and garbage. It breeds far inland as far as Colorado north to Canada's Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, but it always returns to the Pacific Coast in the winter. This one was among many found in Los Angeles, California near Del Rey Lagoon on a warm, sunny springtime afternoon.
    California Gull
  • The California gull is a medium-sized, common migratory gull found across most of the western half of North America. Primarily feeding on fish, insects and eggs, it is a well-known scavenger of trash and garbage. It breeds far inland as far as Colorado north to Canada's Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, but it always returns to the Pacific Coast in the winter. This one was among many found in Los Angeles, California near Del Rey Lagoon on a warm, sunny springtime afternoon.
    California Gull
  • Smallest of all the world's loon species, this red-throated loon in non-breeding plumage found here close to the Del Rey Lagoon in Los Angeles, California winters regularly in California and south, but will spend most of its life in the arctic where it breeds.
    Red-throated Loon
  • Smallest of all the world's loon species, this red-throated loon in non-breeding plumage found here close to the Del Rey Lagoon in Los Angeles, California winters regularly in California and south, but will spend most of its life in the arctic where it breeds.
    Red-throated Loon
  • Close-up of a very curious glaucous-winged gull photographed above Ruby Beach on Washington's Pacific Coast, just south from Forks.
    Glaucous-winged Gull
  • A juvenile black-crowned night heron practices to hunt for prey in a tree overhanging a pond in the Big Cypress National Preserve in SW Florida.
    Juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron
  • Stone statue closeup of a cherub.
    American Gothic
  • Mouse-like in appearance, the American pika is a relative of rabbits and hares and is not a rodent. This one on Mount Rainier remained alert with the occasional surprisingly loud bark that is meant as an "intruder alert" alarm for other members of the colony. At least two different individuals were taking turns as I wound my way through the rocky trail across their home territory.
    American Pika
  • An American pika stands guard over its rocky scree near Lake Mowich on Mount Rainier. Like most of these rabbit-relatives, pikas send out a loud, barking warning to let others know that a potential threat has wandered into their territory.
    American Pika
  • A juvenile yellow-crowned night-heron close-up as it hunts for crabs and fish on the mangrove backwaters on SW Florida's Sanibel Island.
    Juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron
  • Side-view of an acmon blue butterfly in Central Washington in bright late-afternoon sunlight. This tiny butterfly has a wingspan of just over an inch.
    Acmon Blue
  • A male acmon blue butterfly in Central Washington drinks moisture from the mud after a soaking summer rain in the rural canyons south of Yakima, Washington.
    Acmon Blue Close-up
  • Close-up view of a Boisduval's blue (Icaricia icarioides), a small member of the gossamer-wing butterfly family collecting moisture from the edge of a creek in Kittitas County, Washington.
    Boisduval's Blue Butterfly
  • Hindwing (underwing) view of a Boisduval's blue (Icaricia icarioides), a small member of the brushfoot butterfly family collecting moisture from the edge of a creek in Kittitas County, Washington.
    Hindwing View of a Boisduval's Blue ..rfly
  • A super-energetic group of Boisduval's blues, drink up water quickly after a summer rain in the hot, arid sagebrush country of Kittitas County, Washington.
    Boisduval's Blue Butterflies
  • A pair of Boisduval's blues, land briefly just after a summer rain in the hot, arid sagebrush country of Kittitas County, Washington. This shot shows both the forewing, and the hindwing.
    Boisduval's Blue Butterflies
  • A pair of Boisduval's blues, land briefly just after a summer rain in the hot, arid sagebrush country of Kittitas County, Washington. This shot shows both the forewing, and the hindwing.
    Boisduval's Blue Butterflies
  • This beautiful teal-green bullseye lichen was found growing in the Oak Creek Wildlife Recreation Area just west of Yakima, Washington. If you look closely, you can see the small fleshy fruiting bodies in the center of each lichen that will eventually release its spores to propagate the next generation. This region of the Pacific Northwest is very dry and rocky, and most of the basalt surfaces are covered in multiple types of lichen.
    Bullseye Lichen
  • Brightly colored, yet perfectly camouflaged, the somewhat rare canyon wren blends in perfectly with the lichen encrusted basalt cliffs of White Pass, above the Tieton River.
    Canyon Wren
  • Occasionally heard in remote canyons and rocky cliffs, but seldom seen, this curious canyon wren stayed with me for some time as I wound my way up a narrow trail up the steep basalt cliffs of White Pass near Naches, Washington.
    Canyon Wren
  • Close-up of the structure of purple sage. I particularly like the minty scent it leaves on my hands when I run my fingers through the silvery-green leaves.
    Purple Sage
  • Close-up of the tiny flowers of purple sage. From this point of view, it is easy to see how it resembles mint, which it is a member of the same family called Lamiaceae.
    Purple Sage
  • The Audubon’s yellow-rumped warbler is a subspecies of the common yellow-rumped warbler and is found primarily on North America’s west coast. A bit of confusion exists in regards to the exact taxonomy of this species, and it’s very likely to be changed into its own distinct species. This adult breeding male was photographed in Central Washington above the Columbia River in Kittitas County at the top of a cliff several hundred feet high.
    Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler
  • Close-up detail of a northwestern ringneck snake in Cowiche Canyon, WA. Normally a moist forest-loving species, I was very surprised to find this slightly venomous, rear-fanged colubrid under a rock in the sagebrush desert next to Cowiche Creek.
    Northwestern Ringneck Snake
  • A wild male California quail hunts for seeds and insects in a disturbed field outside of Yakima, WA in Cowiche Canyon. Although it is California's state bird, this native quail is found from Canada to Mexico along the West Coast in dry, arid habitats.
    California Quail
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