Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • Close-up of the tubular flowers of the foxglove. Pollinated by bees, the busy worker bees travel from flower to flower and climb up into these tubes for the pollen, while at the same time fertilizing the next generation of foxgloves.
    Foxglove
  • The crested caracara is member of the falcon family that is common throughout central and the northern part of South America. There is a moderate-sized population in central-south Florida, especially in Hendry County. I almost always see one every time I am on the highway south of LaBelle. These scavengers are most often soaring high above the arid countryside or competing with vulture for roadkill.
    Crested Caracara
  • A photograph from within a cave in Southern Nevada while hunting unsuccessfully for vinegaroons while climbing the cliffs in the area. I just arrived in time for perfect light!
    Inside the Cave...
  • This buck clearly saw me on one of the meadows of Hurricane Ridge on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, yet from a distance behaved quite calmly and after some time I was able to get this beautifully serene shot.
    Mule Deer Buck
  • A western fairy-slipper (Calypso bulbosa var. occidentalis) photographed by Lake Wenatchee in the Cascades Mountains in Washington. First time I've seen this one!
    Western Fairy-Slipper (Calypso bulbo..lis)
  • This fuzzy foot mushroom was found on one of the many fallen/rotting logs that are found near the Lake Jackson Indian Mounds in Tallahassee, Florida just north of Interstate 10. I had a difficult time finding the correct identification for this one (at least I think I did  98% sure).
    Fuzzy-Foot
  • Lover's Key in Lee County. Just in the right spot at the right time.
    Lover's Key
  • This small and beautiful orchid was found growing with about a dozen others along the road outside of Auburn, Alabama. First time I'd ever seen this delicate member of the Spiranthes genus.
    Northern Slender Ladies'-tresses
  • A view of Chewacla Falls near Auburn, Alabama while the water level was low... still a beautiful place but better luck next time for lots of white water!
    Chewacla Falls, Alabama
  • This is one of the strangest things ever .... six wild boars roamed into our suburban Fort Myers, Florida yard and had a blast rolling in the dried up, muddy canal in the back yard. I was out there with my cameras and a couple of lenses, and it was the first time I was able to get close to them. In fact - some got so close that I couldn't get a clear shot because I was using a zoom lens! Then I did something dumb. I put out my hand to see if one would come close enough for me to be able to say I actually touched a wild boar. Four of them let me scratch them and leaned into me like a pet dog would! They loved it! It was incredible!!!! I have since then been called the "Pig Whisperer" as a result.
    Wild Boar
  • This white fox squirrel was showing off and having a great time doing flips and attacking twigs! We got quite a laugh from this little guy!
    White Fox Squirrel
  • This fuzzy foot mushroom was found on one of the many fallen/rotting logs that are found near the Lake Jackson Indian Mounds in Tallahassee, Florida just north of Interstate 10. I had a difficult time finding the correct identification for this one (at least I think I did - 98% sure).
    Fuzzy Foot (Xeromphalina campanella)
  • A red-eyed horned grebe in winter plumage toying with a photographer on a cold winter morning on the St. Joseph Peninsula by diving under the surface every time the camera is pointed at it - except for this shot!
    Horned Grebe
  • Another very rare sight! Three seedling jingle bell orchids with vestigial leaves and recognizable epiphytic roots. These were found in an area with very many young pop ash trees with at least 200 established jingle bells growing on them. Soon these leaves will disappear and in time will become the normal leafless tangles of roots common to both of Florida's Dendrophylax orchids.
    Jingle Bell Orchid Seedling (Dendrop..tus)
  • By the time I saw my first Rickett's noddingcaps orchid, It had already flowered and gone to seed. A good key to identifying this species is the underside of the heart-shaped leaves. If they are green - they you probably have this orchid.
    Rickett's Noddingcaps (Triphora rick..tii)
  • This nice looking little crested orchid was in perfect shape for a photo. Most of the time, the flowers are shriveled at the bottom, open in the middle, and still unopened at the top. The short spur behind the flower is the best identification tool for this late summer bloomer.
    Orange Crested Orchid (Platanthera c..ata)
  • The clamshell orchid is one of the most beautiful of all of Florida's native orchids, and can flower for a very long time. This is one of those orchids that if you see one in flower, you are likely to see a lot more in the surrounding trees, as they tend to grow in huge colonies.
    Clamshell Orchid (Prosthechea cochle..dra)
  • Red-shouldered hawk by the Myakka River in Sarasota County. Florida. I followed this one through a flooded wooded area for some time, until it let me get close enough for this shot.
    Red-Shouldered Hawk
  • Hackberry butterfly resting after being chased down for a period of time and finally photographed near the Apalachicola River at Torreya State Park on the Florida Panhandle.
    Hackberry Butterfly
  • I once heard a joke about this mushroom: "A very bad song by Madonna is improved immeasurably if you walk through the woods singing:<br />
'Lycoperdon, puffed for the very first time . . .'" I found this beauty growing in the forest just outside of Buckley, Washington.
    Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum)
  • 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
  • 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
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one with bright red flowers was found and photographed in Southern Arizona's Diablo Mountains near the Mexican border.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one with deep red and yellow flowers was found and photographed in the Alamo Canyon, deep in the Ajo Mountains of Southern Pima County, Arizona near the Mexican border.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • Common in southeastern Arizona, Baja California and Sonora in Mexico, parts of Southern California, as well as select locations in Utah and Nevada, the buckhorn cholla gets its name from its similarity in appearance to deer antlers. Flowers are quite variable in color - ranging from lemon yellow, fiery orange to a deep scarlet, and are followed later in the season by smooth, plump, mostly spineless, green, purplish, or reddish edible fruits. Like many other cactus species in the Southwest, the mature fruits of the buckhorn cholla drop off long before it blooms during the next season, therefore you will never see one with both fruits and flowers at the same time. This one was photographed in the Puerto Blanco Mountains of Southern Arizona near Sonoyta, Mexico.
    Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acan..rpa)
  • The spiny-fruited prickly pear (Opuntia x spinosibacca) is a naturally occurring hybrid between two overlapping Opuntia species (O. aureispina and O. phaeacantha) found in the Big-Bend Region of Texas and is believed to be reproducing with others of the same hybrid in the wild, which is a common way over time we end up with distinct new species. In some circles, it is already being referred to as a unique species: Opuntia spinosibacca. Although they are considered rare in the wild, I happened to find many hundreds of them in bloom like this one spread out in the lowland region north of the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park in West Texas near the Rio Grande.
    Spiny-Fruited Prickly Pear
  • The spiny-fruited prickly pear (Opuntia x spinosibacca) is a naturally occurring hybrid between two overlapping Opuntia species (O. aureispina and O. phaeacantha) found in the Big-Bend Region of Texas and is believed to be reproducing with others of the same hybrid in the wild, which is a common way over time we end up with distinct new species. In some circles, it is already being referred to as a unique species: Opuntia spinosibacca. Although they are considered rare in the wild, I happened to find many hundreds of them in bloom like this one spread out in the lowland region north of the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park in West Texas near the Rio Grande.
    Spiny-Fruited Prickly Pear
  • Close-up detail of a ghost orchid bud at night in the Fakahatchee Strand! Probably not recommended for the bravest of orchid hunters, the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida is an especially busy time at night! This bud opened a few days later.
    Ghost Orchid Bud
  • This Chihuahua Desert native agave is about to go into flower! Not a large agave, the slimfoot century plant ranges in size from one to three feet in width, but it's flowering stalk can reach an impressive 15 feet by the time the flowers are ready to be pollinated!!
    Slimfoot Century Plant
  • The fruiting body of the highly poisonous fly agaric emerges from the forest humus on Mount Rainier. Normally a bright red, some colonies (like the one this was part of) tend to be either orange or even white. There is a lot of taxonomical work being done currently with this group of mushrooms, and time will tell if many of these aren't reclassified as distinct species.
    Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)
  • Deep in the remote wilderness between the Florida Everglades and Lake Okeechobee in South Florida there is a wildly disturbed area, that once was part of the  great Everglades watershed system, but now is mostly drained from human activity, water management, and citrus and sugarcane farming leaving behind a vast tangle of dry wilderness where there are few people, roads or even access (for the faint of heart). One part of this vast landscape that still does carry water south is the Okaloacoochee Slough. In pockets of this region, you can still find survivors hanging on for dear life, such as this northern needleleaf bromeliad, which was found way off the highway in a rare dome of bald cypress trees. This was the first time I'd ever seen one so far north, and it looked healthy and ready to bloom!
    Northern Needleleaf (Tillandsia balb..ana)
  • Springtime means lots of melting snow in the Cascade Mountains to the west, and can be an exciting time to watch the explosive, often-violent and icy whitewater rapids as gravity forces water over submerged rocks and knocked-down trees. Here banks reach their ultimate capacity at Cowiche Creek in Yakima County, WA.
    Cowiche Creek
  • Easily the most beautiful of all of the native currants that grow wild in the Pacific Northwest, the waxy current is also one of the most flavorless. I actually ate one of these after the shot and there was no sweetness or taste, just texture which I thought was very strange. Apparently not so to the hummingbirds, who take advantage of these early spring bloomers to feed on the nectar of the tubular white flowers where they might be the only flowers available to them at the time.
    Wax Currant
  • Horsetails have a long history. They were around in the time of dinosaurs, when they grew as tall as trees and grew as great forests, long before flowers had evolved into existence. Somewhat fern-like, they reproduce from spores, and plants will either be the big "leafy" females like these, or a short club-like male.
    Giant Horsetail
  • It's been discoved that these highly-dense covering of pale spines not only deter animals from eating it, but also reflect heat, keeping the cactus cool and shaded at the same time.
    Teddybear Cholla
  • This is a fantastic example of a nursery log. Many large trees start off at a disadvantage, and some trees seem to do best when they start off as a tiny sapling on top of a fallen log. As these saplings grow with more access to sunlight, the strongest outcompete the weakest and eventually the roots will reach the soil, resulting in a line of trees with exposed roots. In this example, a line of growing Sitka spruce trees flourish on what once was a huge fallen log, but is now decomposed by time and decay.
    Nursery Log
  • Although not native to America, this native to Europe, Asia and North Africa has spread to every continent on the planet except Antarctica. This one saved me the time of going to find him, and let me photograph him on my back porch!
    House Sparrow
  • One of the best natural areas in all of Florida - Fisheating Creek. Completely rural with no signs of modern life - this is our favorite canoe trip for stepping back into time!
    Fisheating Creek
  • Lover's Key in Lee County, Florida. Just in the right spot at the right time.
    Sunset at Lover's Key
  • Eastern ribbon snake lunching on a treefrog in the Florida Everglades. Just in the right place at the right time for this shot!
    Eastern Ribbon Snake
  • A one-time escapee from gardens and landscaping, the parrot gladiolus is here to stay. This one was photographed on the edge of a slash pine forest in southern Grady County in Georgia.
    Parrot Gladiolus
  • I hit the jackpot in the bog where I photographed this beautiful snowy orchid.... there were upwards of 3000 or more in bloom within an area the size of a football field! A week later I only found three of them that still had flowers. Timing is everything!
    Snowy Orchid (Gymnadeniopsis nivea)
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    PurplishPricklyPear2015-32.jpg
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • The lesser striped scorpion (Hoffmannius coahuilae) is a small and somewhat high-strung burrowing scorpion found in the American Southwest. Although this one stung the stick I was using to position it for this photo about a dozen times, the venom is temporarily painful but certainly not dangerous.
    Lesser Stripetail Scorpion
  • This native buckwheat is found throughout most of the American West (excluding the southernmost states) and is an extremely important food source for many of the sagebrush desert inhabitants where it is found. For bees, butterflies, birds, and other insects and animals it can at times be the only food available to them, and some species of butterflies will lay their eggs only on this plant.
    Parsley Desert Buckwheat
  • Closeup detail of a blooming strawberry hedgehog cactus in the early morning golden light in the Mojave Desert. Early April is one of the best times to see blooming cacti throughout the American Southwest.
    Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus
  • A carpet of large western sword ferns covers the understory of the Hoh Rain Forest on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, where the air is always cool and dark, and the forest floor is nearly always wet. Historically and importantly, the original native peoples of this part of the world could rely and survive off of the roasted roots (rhizomes) of these ferns during lean times.
    Western Sword Ferns
  • A great blue heron in winter plumage perches over a pond in Washington's Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. I photographed this same heron several times this day, and with the changing light, this image came out beautifully backlit when the sun started coming through the clouds.
    Great Blue Heron
  • Little blue heron catching a pig frog during a rainstorm in the Corkscrew Swamp in Collier County, Florida. Just perfect timing!
    Little Blue Heron
  • Close up of the tiny jingle bell orchid. This is the largest one of these I have found to date, and I repeated the five mile hike from the road about a half dozen times until this 3mm flower bud finally opened for this photograph!
    Jingle Bell Orchid (Dendrophylax por..tus)
  • This is one of those orchids that  I just can't seem to get the timing right on catching it in flower. Shown here is the split seedpod, with all seeds already blown away by the wind.
    Craighead's Noddingcaps (Triphora cr..dii)
  • It might be strange to think that you can find wild ferns growing out in the desert, but there are in fact many types of ferns found out in the driest of habitats. This beautiful star cloak fern photographed in the Quitman Mountains of West Texas has recently had access to water (via rain). In times of drought and extreme heat, these leaves will curl up and the plant will become dormant until it rains again. Somewhat common throughout the Chihuahuan Desert of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico, they are most often found under the north side of rocks and boulders where they can get the most shade and moisture.
    Star Cloak Fern
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Found only within the greater Big Bend Region, this prickly pear can be vibrant green during wet times, or deep magenta during colder months or dry times. Yellow flowers with red centers will bloom from April to July.  This one was photographed<br />
 in Big Bend National Park in Western Texas.
    Purplish Prickly Pear
  • Yellow pitcher plants found growing in a dried bog in the Apalachicola National Forest. At times, whole prairies can be loaded with these large trumpet-shaped plants!
    Yellow Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)
  • Vanilla orchid photographed in the early morning in the Fakahatchee Strand. Timing is important here because the flowers last only a couple of hours and wilt by midday.
    Oblong-leaved Vanilla Orchid (Vanill..tha)
  • I hit the jackpot in the bog where I photographed this beautiful snowy orchid.... there were upwards of 3000 or more in bloom within an area the size of a football field! A week later I only found three of them that still had flowers. Timing is everything!
    Snowy Orchid (Gymnadeniopsis nivea)
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