Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • One of those maddeningly fast and difficult to photograph butterflies, the cabbage white never seems to stop flying, even while it is feeding. Although it is native to Europe, Asia and North Africa, it was accidentally released in Canada in the 1860's and spread throughout North America where it has become a pest to Brassicaceae crops (cabbage, kale, broccoli, horseradish, etc.) as the voracious little caterpillars are better known as the cabbage worm (not a real worm). This one was seen perching on some native buttercup leaves next to Soos Creek, part of the Green River watershed system in Kent, Washington on a very hot summer day.
    Cabbage White Butterfly
  • One of those maddeningly fast and difficult to photograph butterflies, the cabbage white never seems to stop flying, even while it is feeding. Although it is native to Europe, Asia and North Africa, it was accidentally released in Canada in the 1860's and spread throughout North America where it has become a pest to Brassicaceae crops (cabbage, kale, broccoli, horseradish, etc.) as the voracious little caterpillars are better known as the cabbage worm (not a real worm). This one was found feeding on Himalayan blackberry blossoms in an open field near the Carbon River near Mount Rainier, Washington.
    Cabbage White Butterfly
  • Slightly smaller than other raven species found around the world and about the size of the American crow, this Mexican raven may look like any other raven, but the differences stop there. Most notably, the under-feathers on its neck are pure white. In the dry grasslands of the American Southwest it replaces the common raven (Corvus corax) of the north and breeds in the Southwestern United States, but it is far more common to the south in Mexico where it is found year-round. At northern end of range (eastern Colorado, western Kansas), the Chihuahuan raven is far less common today than in 1800s. I saw this one quite by accident as I was setting up my tent and cooking some dinner on my travels on a small ground fire on top of a hill overlooking Sonoyta, Mexico in Southern Arizona on the US-Mexico border. It got my attention by crowing on top of an almost-flowering saguaro cactus while I was waiting for the water to boil on my camp stove.
    Chihuahuan Raven Showing White Feathers
  • Close-up view of the slender white piperia orchids, easily distinguished from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-2.jpg
  • Easily distinguishable from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-3.jpg
  • Easily distinguishable from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-1.jpg
  • A lone snowy egret hunts the brackish pools among the mangroves in a tidal pond on Sanibel Island, Florida.
    Snowy Egret
  • Sunlight reflected off the water illuminates a beautiful snowy egret as it congregates with other snowy egrets in the mangroves of Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida during breeding season.
    Snowy Egret
  • Ranging from toxic to poisonous to humans and several species of animals - particularly fish, the common snowberry is an important food source for wildlife. Moose, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and pronghorns will readily eat the foliage, while bears birds, rabbits and other small mammals can safely eat the waxy white berries. This snowberry bush was found growing next to the Green River about 20 miles south of Seattle, Washington on a warm summer day.
    Snowberry2020-3.jpg
  • Ranging from toxic to poisonous to humans and several species of animals - particularly fish, the common snowberry is an important food source for wildlife. Moose, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and pronghorns will readily eat the foliage, while bears birds, rabbits and other small mammals can safely eat the waxy white berries. This snowberry bush was found growing next to the Green River about 20 miles south of Seattle, Washington on a warm summer day.
    Snowberry2020-2.jpg
  • Ranging from toxic to poisonous to humans and several species of animals - particularly fish, the common snowberry is an important food source for wildlife. Moose, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and pronghorns will readily eat the foliage, while bears birds, rabbits and other small mammals can safely eat the waxy white berries. This snowberry bush was found growing next to the Green River about 20 miles south of Seattle, Washington on a warm summer day.
    Snowberry2020-1.jpg
  • One of the first flowers to be seen in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the Indian plum fills the forest with clusters of beautiful showy white flowers that soon develop small berries that turn from peach to red and finally dark blue or purple when ripe. Although not really a plum, it is a unique fruit that is pleasantly similar in taste to cherries or watermelon. Historically, local Native American tribes would mix these berries with generous amounts of oolichan (an oil from a local oily fish - similar to a smelt) and was popular at feasts. The bark was also used as a medicinal tea. This one was one fo the first of the season, showing itself along side Soos Creek in Kent, Washington, about 25 miles south of Seattle on a chilly, wet March afternoon.
    Indian Plum Blossoms
  • These very pretty little aquatic wildflowers are native to the American Southeast, and can be found in all the coastal states from Texas to Maryland in calm, still water such as ponds swamps and lakes, and are most abundant in Florida. These are perhaps best known to aquarium hobbyists as "banana plants" due to the thick underwater rhizomes that look lie a small cluster of bananas. These were found is a small pond in a pine scrub woodland just north of Jupiter, Florida.
    Big Floatinghearts
  • These very pretty little aquatic wildflowers are native to the American Southeast, and can be found in all the coastal states from Texas to Maryland in calm, still water such as ponds swamps and lakes, and are most abundant in Florida. These are perhaps best known to aquarium hobbyists as "banana plants" due to the thick underwater rhizomes that look lie a small cluster of bananas. These were found is a small pond in a pine scrub woodland just north of Jupiter, Florida.
    Big Floatinghearts
  • Among the first flowers to bloom each year, these beautiful white hanging flowers are a sign that spring is right around the corner. These were photographed at the edge of a wetland forest near Salem, Oregon on a rainy, chilly mid-March morning. In a few months, these flowers will be replaces with small purplish plums: a staple for the local, native wildlife.
    Indian Plum
  • Slightly smaller than other raven species found around the world and about the size of the American crow, this Mexican raven may look like any other raven, but the differences stop there. Most notably, the under-feathers on its neck are pure white. In the dry grasslands of the American Southwest it replaces the common raven (Corvus corax) of the north and breeds in the Southwestern United States, but it is far more common to the south in Mexico where it is found year-round. At northern end of range (eastern Colorado, western Kansas), the Chihuahuan raven is far less common today than in 1800s. I saw this one quite by accident as I was setting up my tent and cooking some dinner on my travels on a small ground fire on top of a hill overlooking Sonoyta, Mexico in Southern Arizona on the US-Mexico border. It got my attention by crowing on top of an almost-flowering saguaro cactus while I was waiting for the water to boil on my camp stove.
    Chihuahuan Raven in the Sonoran Desert
  • Slightly smaller than other raven species found around the world and about the size of the American crow, this Mexican raven may look like any other raven, but the differences stop there. Most notably, the under-feathers on its neck are pure white. In the dry grasslands of the American Southwest it replaces the common raven (Corvus corax) of the north and breeds in the Southwestern United States, but it is far more common to the south in Mexico where it is found year-round. At northern end of range (eastern Colorado, western Kansas), the Chihuahuan raven is far less common today than in 1800s. I saw this one quite by accident as I was setting up my tent and cooking some dinner on my travels on a small ground fire on top of a hill overlooking Sonoyta, Mexico in Southern Arizona on the US-Mexico border. It got my attention by crowing on top of an almost-flowering saguaro cactus while I was waiting for the water to boil on my camp stove.
    Chihuahuan Raven in the Wind
  • Among the first flowers to bloom each year, these beautiful white hanging flowers are a sign that spring is right around the corner. These were photographed at the edge of a wetland forest near Salem, Oregon on a rainy, chilly mid-March morning. In a few months, these flowers will be replaces with small purplish plums: a staple for the local, native wildlife.
    Indian Plum
  • Among the first flowers to bloom each year, these beautiful white hanging flowers are a sign that spring is right around the corner. These were photographed at the edge of a wetland forest near Salem, Oregon on a rainy, chilly mid-March morning. In a few months, these flowers will be replaces with small purplish plums: a staple for the local, native wildlife.
    Indian Plum
  • Slightly smaller than other raven species found around the world and about the size of the American crow, this Mexican raven may look like any other raven, but the differences stop there. Most notably, the under-feathers on its neck are pure white. In the dry grasslands of the American Southwest it replaces the common raven (Corvus corax) of the north and breeds in the Southwestern United States, but it is far more common to the south in Mexico where it is found year-round. At northern end of range (eastern Colorado, western Kansas), the Chihuahuan raven is far less common today than in 1800s. I saw this one quite by accident as I was setting up my tent and cooking some dinner on my travels on a small ground fire on top of a hill overlooking Sonoyta, Mexico in Southern Arizona on the US-Mexico border. It got my attention by crowing on top of an almost-flowering saguaro cactus while I was waiting for the water to boil on my camp stove.
    Chihuahuan Raven on a Saguaro
  • Slightly smaller than other raven species found around the world and about the size of the American crow, this Mexican raven may look like any other raven, but the differences stop there. Most notably, the under-feathers on its neck are pure white. In the dry grasslands of the American Southwest it replaces the common raven (Corvus corax) of the north and breeds in the Southwestern United States, but it is far more common to the south in Mexico where it is found year-round. At northern end of range (eastern Colorado, western Kansas), the Chihuahuan raven is far less common today than in 1800s. I saw this one quite by accident as I was setting up my tent and cooking some dinner on my travels on a small ground fire on top of a hill overlooking Sonoyta, Mexico in Southern Arizona on the US-Mexico border. It got my attention by crowing on top of an almost-flowering saguaro cactus while I was waiting for the water to boil on my camp stove.
    Chihuahuan Raven on a Saguaro Cactus
  • One of the very first small trees to flower in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the Indian plum is a very attractive springtime bloomer shat decorates the wet forests with tiny cascades of white in lovely contrast with the deep green of the forest trees.
    Indian Plum
  • Queen's cups are a small plain white lily that often grows in vast carpets in the wet forests of the Pacific Northwest. After the flower wilts, a bright blue berry develops and although it is inedible for humans, it is eaten by grouse, who then spread the seeds for the next season.
    Queen's Cup
  • An unidentified member of the assassin bug family (Reduviidae) tumbles and rolls along on a strong wind through the White Sands dunes of Southern New Mexico.
    Assassin Bug
  • 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)
  • The desert woodpecker! This small woodpecker is often seen throughout the American Southwest where it hunts among the cactus and mesquite for insects, larvae and cactus fruit in the one place you might not expect to find woodpeckers thriving. This secretive woodpecker can be found anywhere from the dry American states south to Central America, but you'll most likely hear them rather than see them. Patience afforded me this unexpected sight in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in South Texas near the US-Mexico border.
    Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates ..ris)
  • An incredible find! Swallows are among the most difficult birds to photograph because they are so secretive, fast, low-flying and extremely erratic in flight. Not to mention they are very small and almost never land where you can see them. Tree swallows? Even more impossible. I found this tree swallow only after I just happened to notice it fly out of a nearly-invisible hole in a dead tree. I waited and waited in the wetlands of Soos Creek in Kent, Washington until it came back to its nest.
    Nesting Tree Swallow 2
  • An incredible find! Swallows are among the most difficult birds to photograph because they are so secretive, fast, low-flying and extremely erratic in flight. Not to mention they are very small and almost never land where you can see them. Tree swallows? Even more impossible. I found this tree swallow only after I just happened to notice it fly out of a nearly-invisible hole in a dead tree. I waited and waited in the wetlands of Soos Creek in Kent, Washington until it came back to its nest.
    Nesting Tree Swallow 1
  • Extremely common throughout North America and easily overlooked, this native lily with small nondescript white flowers can be found mostly around mountain forests up to around 9000 feet in elevation. While the berries may be considered edible, some people complain of an upset stomach after eating them. The local Blackfeet Indians have been known to use a powder made of the roots of this plant to treat wounds. These ripe berries were found above Petty Creek in Alberton, Montana on a rocky mountain slope.
    Common False Solomon's Seal Berries
  • Extremely common throughout North America and easily overlooked, this native lily with small nondescript white flowers can be found mostly around mountain forests up to around 9000 feet in elevation. While the berries may be considered edible, some people complain of an upset stomach after eating them. The local Blackfeet Indians have been known to use a powder made of the roots of this plant to treat wounds. These ripe berries were found above Petty Creek in Alberton, Montana on a rocky mountain slope.
    Common False Solomon's Seal Berries
  • 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
  • Found primarily around the western half of North America, and more concentrated toward the Pacific Coast, this attractive little looper moth (Protitame subalbaria) with no common name was found next to a creek in a small aspen-filled canyon in the middle of the sagebrush desert near Ellensburg, Washington.
    Protitame subalbaria-1.jpg
  • The Japanese honeysuckle is an Asian import that has found its way into the wild into most of the continental United States excluding Oregon, the Rocky Mountain states and the Great Plains. It can also be found in parts of Ontario, Canada. This beautiful honeysuckle was in full bloom in a small wooded area in Kent, Washington.
    Japanese Honeysuckle
  • The Japanese honeysuckle is an Asian import that has found its way into the wild into most of the continental United States excluding Oregon, the Rocky Mountain states and the Great Plains. It can also be found in parts of Ontario, Canada. This beautiful honeysuckle was in full bloom in a small wooded area in Kent, Washington.
    Japanese Honeysuckle
  • A trio of black-necked stilts wading through the salt marshes of North Florida's St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in search of juvenile fish and small crustaceans, just outside of Tallahassee on the Gulf Coast.
    A Trio of Black-necked Stilts
  • One of the most frustrating of all birds to get on camera, the violet-green swallow is an extremely fast, small swallow found in all western American states, most of Mexico, and British Columbia and the Yukon in Canada. This one paused for a lucky second halfway up a rocky cliff wall in a canyon west of Yakima, Washington.
    Violet-Green Swallow
  • The western serviceberry is a native member of the rose family that grows as a small compact shrub. If North America was divided diagonally NW/SE - this service berry would be common in the NW part - especially in Western Canada. This one was photographed in its extreme southern range in Northwestern Wyoming.
    Western Serviceberry
  • Extremely common throughout North America and easily overlooked, this native lily with small nondescript white flowers can be found mostly around mountain forests up to around 9000 feet in elevation. While the berries may be considered edible, some people complain of an upset stomach after eating them. The local Blackfeet Indians have been known to use a powder made of the roots of this plant to treat wounds. These ripe berries were found above Petty Creek in Alberton, Montana on a rocky mountain slope.
    Common False Solomon's Seal Berries
  • 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
  • Just outside of Revelstoke, British Columbia, I just had to wait for the perfect light when I saw this small pond surrounded by lowland trees covered in hoarfrost.
    The Enchanted Forest, BC
  • The short-tailed weasel (also known as a stoat or ermine) is a small and voracious predator that will take on prey much larger than itself. It is what is known as a circumpolar species, meaning it is found all around the arctic circle and tends to be found in colder climates. In the United States, it is generally found in the northernmost states, especially in the Cascade and Rocky Mountain ranges. It is commonly found across most of Canada (except the prairies) where it prefers varied habitats in forests, tundra, mountains, wetlands and anywhere varying habitat types converge. This one was found outside of its den in in southern Alberta, Canada.
    Short-tailed Weasel
  • This small, compact member of the aster and daisy family is found at very high elevations in the mountains of Western North America, often near or at the snow line. They prefer wet meadows, and are often found growing in great profusion along with many other alpine/subalpine wildflowers during their brief, showy blooming period. This one was photographed on a  rainy late summer day within sight of Mount Rainier's incredible glaciers near the tree line.
    Subalpine Daisy
  • Rabbit-foot clover is an uncommon, small fluffy clover found in low-lying grasslands in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. These were photographed in a rocky field in Washington's Columbia River Gorge near Catherine Creek.
    Rabbit-foot Clover
  • The native and uncultivated woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) and is found through out much of Europe and parts of Asia, where there is eveidence of humans gathering and eating this small vibrant red strawberry from the stone age. This one in flower was photographed in Steven's Pass in Washington's Cascade Mountains.
    Woodland Strawberry
  • The unique buttonbush is a common small tree growing in the Everglades. This one was seen in the Fakahatchee Strand.
    Buttonbush
  • 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
  • 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-1
  • The black-chinned hummingbird is a common hummingbird at lower elevations in most of the American Southwest and parts of the Pacific Northwest, occasionally wintering near the Gulf of Mexico, but generally moving much further south along Mexico's Pacific Coast for the colder months of the year. This female was waiting her turn as some of the larger buff-bellied hummingbirds were chasing her away from the wildflowers she was trying to feed from. She finally paused for a moment for this shot in the Lower Rio Grande Valley on a warm winter morning near Weslaco, Texas.
    Female Black-chinned Hummingbird (Ar..dri)
  • 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
  • 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
  • If this little chipmunk looks wary, it is for good reason. It was being actively hunted by a short-tailed weasel (stoat) at the edge of Lower Waterton Lake in southern Alberta's Canadian Rocky Mountains.
    Least Chipmunk
  • The black-chinned hummingbird is a common hummingbird at lower elevations in most of the American Southwest and parts of the Pacific Northwest, occasionally wintering near the Gulf of Mexico, but generally moving much further south along Mexico's Pacific Coast for the colder months of the year. This female photographed near La Joya, New Mexico - is not as flashy and brightly-colored as her male counterpart, but is very active among the desert wildflowers and somewhat aggressive to anyone getting in her way!
    Black-Chinned Hummingbird
  • The black-chinned hummingbird is a common hummingbird at lower elevations in most of the American Southwest and parts of the Pacific Northwest, occasionally wintering near the Gulf of Mexico, but generally moving much further south along Mexico's Pacific Coast for the colder months of the year. This female photographed resting in a mesquite bush near La Joya, New Mexico - is not as flashy and brightly-colored as her male counterpart, but is very active among the desert wildflowers and somewhat aggressive to anyone getting in her way!
    Black-Chinned Hummingbird
  • The black-chinned hummingbird is a common hummingbird at lower elevations in most of the American Southwest and parts of the Pacific Northwest, occasionally wintering near the Gulf of Mexico, but generally moving much further south along Mexico's Pacific Coast for the colder months of the year. This male photographed near La Joya, New Mexico - if seen in the right position in the sunlight reflects bright iridescent feathers with an electric magenta throat!
    Black-Chinned Hummingbird
  • The black-chinned hummingbird is a common hummingbird at lower elevations in most of the American Southwest and parts of the Pacific Northwest, occasionally wintering near the Gulf of Mexico, but generally moving much further south along Mexico's Pacific Coast for the colder months of the year. This male photographed near La Joya, New Mexico - if seen in the right position in the sunlight reflects bright iridescent feathers with an electric magenta throat!
    Black-Chinned Hummingbird
  • This smallest member of the chipmunk family in North America is found in coniferous forests, juniper woodlands, and sagebrush deserts where it feasts on mostly seeds, but will also eat flowers, buds, leaves, grasses, fungi, and even insects, eggs, and carrion!
    Least Chipmunk
  • The smallest chipmunk found in North America, the least chipmunk is also one of the most widespread, found across most of the arid Western states and provinces at higher elevations from the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico clear up to the Arctic Circle. This one was photographed in Central Washington at a rest stop outside of Ellensburg, WA.
    Least Chipmunk
  • A gorgeous salad made from homegrown heirloom tomatoes, fresh Maine lobster, and garden-picked mint with organic olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.
    Mint Lobster Salad
  • The prickly poppy growing in the Pawnee National Grasslands in northeastern Colorado under a big summer sky. The sharp spiny leaves will leave a lasting stinging sensation.
    Prickly Poppy
  • The nylon hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus viridiflorus var. cylindricus) is native subspecies of the green-flowering hedgehog cactus, and is found in a narrow band stretching from the Big Bend of Texas and Mexico to southern New Mexico, and is mainly found in the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas. It has distinct creamy orange flowers and shows extreme variability in spine color: white, yellow, brown, reddish, black. Some plants have only short radials while other have a variable number of centrals. This one was photographed in the Big Bend National Park near the Rio Grande.
    Nylon Hedgehog Cactus
  • The nylon hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus viridiflorus var. cylindricus) is native subspecies of the green-flowering hedgehog cactus, and is found in a narrow band stretching from the Big Bend of Texas and Mexico to southern New Mexico, and is mainly found in the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas. It has distinct creamy orange flowers and shows extreme variability in spine color: white, yellow, brown, reddish, black. Some plants have only short radials while other have a variable number of centrals. This one was photographed in the Big Bend National Park near the Rio Grande.
    Nylon Hedgehog Cactus
  • The nylon hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus viridiflorus var. cylindricus) is native subspecies of the green-flowering hedgehog cactus, and is found in a narrow band stretching from the Big Bend of Texas and Mexico to southern New Mexico, and is mainly found in the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas. It has distinct creamy orange flowers and shows extreme variability in spine color: white, yellow, brown, reddish, black. Some plants have only short radials while other have a variable number of centrals. This one was photographed in the Big Bend National Park near the Rio Grande.
    Nylon Hedgehog Cactus
  • The nylon hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus viridiflorus var. cylindricus) is native subspecies of the green-flowering hedgehog cactus, and is found in a narrow band stretching from the Big Bend of Texas and Mexico to southern New Mexico, and is mainly found in the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas. It has distinct creamy orange flowers and shows extreme variability in spine color: white, yellow, brown, reddish, black. Some plants have only short radials while other have a variable number of centrals. This one was photographed in the Big Bend National Park near the Rio Grande.
    Nylon Hedgehog Cactus
  • The nylon hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus viridiflorus var. cylindricus) is native subspecies of the green-flowering hedgehog cactus, and is found in a narrow band stretching from the Big Bend of Texas and Mexico to southern New Mexico, and is mainly found in the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas. It has distinct creamy orange flowers and shows extreme variability in spine color: white, yellow, brown, reddish, black. Some plants have only short radials while other have a variable number of centrals. This one was photographed in the Big Bend National Park near the Rio Grande.
    Nylon Hedgehog Cactus
  • A pair of roseate spoonbills and a white ibis hunt for small fish and crustaceans in the shallow waters of Merritt Island, on Florida's East Coast.
    Roseate Spoonbills
  • This edible and harmless but mostly tasteless pretty bright red fruit with a velvety texture is the end result of a nondescript native forest lily with tiny white flowers after undergoing natural pollination. It can be found in all of the western states (excluding California) and all of the western Canadian provinces including Ontario. This one was found growing next to a small mountain stream in rural Southwestern Montana in Mineral County.
    Rough-fruited Fairybell Berry
  • An exquisitely rare find for even such a rare and beautiful native orchid in its natural environment! This unusual crimson-lipped form (forma welchii) of the mountain lady's-slipper was found alongside a small colony of the typical white-lipped individuals in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State.
    Mountain Lady's-Slipper (Cypripedium..hii)