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2013-05-18 01:15:10 (21 comments, 0 reshares, 68 +1s)

Great Horned Owlet –This is the same Saguaro I visit every year. Last year, nothing. The year before, there were three. There are two Owlets this year but even after waiting over an hour, the other one still had his back turned.  Not a very good quality image but I could not believe my little Canon Powershot N could reach this far! This was digital zoom but it was the only camera I had with me so I’m very happy. I hope to go back later with an SLR and my Canon SX50 and get higher quality shots of both babies.  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_horned_owl/id

(still can't figure out how to share a single image from an existing album. Very frustrating)

2013-05-17 14:43:55 (25 comments, 1 reshares, 46 +1s)

Bloody Net-winged Beetle - I’m on belly surveillance duty again this week and came across this 17mm long (slightly over ½ inch) creature. He’s a Smart little guy. Just look at him with his cute little “hello” wave but I’m not fooled for a minute! Sure…he seems very friendly but my Alien Detector App tells me different. Imagine a red sky made up of an army of these guys….

#alienabductionfriday +Alien Abduction Friday
(wasted an hour and a half trying to figure out to share just ONE photo! )

2013-05-12 16:48:59 (26 comments, 1 reshares, 58 +1s)

Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) - These miniscule butterflies are here in great numbers laying eggs on Mesquite and nectaring on catkins of Mesquite and Cat Claw Acacia. Who can resist butterfly faces :-) (http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Leptotes-marina)

#onthewingsofbutterflies +On the Wings of Butterflies! 

2013-05-10 20:42:10 (29 comments, 0 reshares, 49 +1s)

Ash-throated Flycatcher - This time I looked out of my kitchen window for birds and spotted a single Ash-throated Flycatcher. As I was shooting, a second one comes to the branch below! I had to use the full 1200mm reach of the Canon SX50 so the image isn’t very sharp but I’m so happy to have this photo of them :-)  (http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ash-throated_Flycatcher/lifehistory)

#birds4all #songbirdsaturday #textureblendphotography  

2013-05-10 12:15:50 (28 comments, 0 reshares, 32 +1s)

Stalking Aliens  – I decided to do some reconnaissance in the desert last night and now I’m on the run. Requesting backup asap!

#pareidolia #alienabductionfriday +Alien Abduction Friday #owcbn #gplusaliennation  

2013-05-09 22:27:34 (14 comments, 0 reshares, 45 +1s)

Desert Digger Bee (Centris pallida) - Doing his job taking care of my Prickly Pear Cactus this afternoon. I love our native bees! http://askabiologist.asu.edu/explore/desert-digger-bees

(captured with a Canon Powershot N and is almost straight out of the camera!)

#macro4all   #gardening #bees  

2013-05-06 18:53:52 (48 comments, 1 reshares, 74 +1s)

Echinopisis via Android - A nice surprise this morning! However, being in a hurry, the only camera I had time for was my Android. I'm never disappointed!

#androidography #vignetteforandroid  

2013-05-06 12:51:10 (25 comments, 0 reshares, 53 +1s)

House Finch Enjoying Ocotillo Blooms - Captured with my Canon SX50 through my living room window. It’s truly like having a camera inside really high powered binoculars! Love it. (http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Finch/id) 

#backyardbirdingmonday  

2013-05-04 20:30:39 (25 comments, 0 reshares, 33 +1s)

May the 4th Be With You - A little fun for a special day :-)
Also for +Sharon Jeannette who is under the weather today :-(

#maythe4thbewithyou #maythefourthbewithyou #icm #icmphotography  

2013-05-03 11:47:23 (34 comments, 1 reshares, 43 +1s)

Funnel-web Spider – I’ve long suspected spiders were in cahoots with aliens (especially this species) so I decided to venture deep into a web. I wasn’t afraid because I knew our Funnel-web spiders are not related to the poisonous ones around the world but even so, I didn’t get far before I decided to re-think my decision.  http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2008/05/12/funnel-web-spider/

#alienabductionfriday #owcbn #gplusaliennation +Irene Kato +Michele Cornelius +Heiko Mahr +Karl Geiger Jr +Karl Geiger +Jon Beall
(early submission for) #spidersunday +Kimberly Hosey +Mandy Allen 

2013-04-29 01:16:15 (48 comments, 0 reshares, 54 +1s)

Reptile Survey at Granite Mountain - Last night was our monthly Herp Survey. This time we went to a newly acquired area for the Preserve...Granite Mountain. I hope this image gives some sense of how spectacular the scenery is! We hiked for 5 hours but didn't find very much. A fantastic night, though! Here's a link to some images: http://ezpixels.com/herp-04-2013/

All photos captured with Canon SX50 and my Adroid Smartphone!

2013-04-28 14:16:59 (50 comments, 1 reshares, 75 +1s)

Johnson's Jumper (Phidippus johnsoni)- I feel confident about the identity but please correct me if you think otherwise. The stripe apparently indicates it is a female. I found her on a hike in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve a few days ago. No macro lens with me but I’m a documenter and always want to show the surroundings so I got a wide angle macro with the Canon SX50  :-) http://bugguide.net/node/view/15152/bgimage

#spidersunday  

2013-04-28 12:44:00 (35 comments, 1 reshares, 54 +1s)

Canyon Towhee - While hiking with an avid bird photographer friend the other day, I wanted to show him the range of the Canon SX50. I focused on a bird we could barely see and zoomed in to the max of 1200mm. I then enlarged the image on the LCD screen so he could see the detail and I was excited to see a caterpillar in the bird’s mouth!!! Needless to say, he was impressed. Definitely the most fun camera ever  :-)  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/canyon_towhee/id

#songbirdsaturday #birds4all  
#buggylunch +Mandy Allen 

2013-04-26 12:54:10 (48 comments, 0 reshares, 64 +1s)

Aliens in our Preserve – I wanted to confess to my AAF colleagues that I have been lying down on my job as a special agent for the past couple of weeks.  Lying down on the ground, to be exact. At ground level, I can more easily monitor all suspicious life forms and this guy has been the most suspicious so far. My alien detector app tells me this species is only interested in our plants which doesn’t sound too scary until you think about what would happen if there were millions of these guys here. It could spell doom for us all! What will we eat?! Oh…I just got goosebumps.  Soylent Green came to mind! *Shiver*….. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green

#alienabductionfriday +Alex Lapidus +Michele Cornelius +Jon Beall +Karl Geiger +Karl Geiger Jr +Heiko Mahr +Irene Kato
#gplusaliennation #owcbn  

2013-04-22 14:43:48 (45 comments, 1 reshares, 63 +1s)

It's earth day! Get outside, breathe in the fresh air and appreciate this amazing planet we live on! ... (unknown)  http://www.earthday.org/2013/

#earthday2013  

2013-04-21 14:11:47 (63 comments, 3 reshares, 69 +1s)

Echinopsis Hybrid - I eagerly await these beauties every year and was rewarded early this morning. Just in time for +Sharon Jeannette's birthday! Have a fantastic day being adored by all those close to you! (Also wishing another Gplusser the same wish....and you know who you are :-)

2013-04-18 13:13:18 (44 comments, 0 reshares, 50 +1s)

Hidden Adventure Close to Home - OK…I admit living in Arizona, I have an advantage in this regard but I think there are many who have no idea of the wonderful photo opportunities close to their own home.  Mesquite Wash was my latest adventure. I’ve been hearing about this place ever since I joined my butterfly group and I finally visited this week. My friends were not exaggerating! What an amazing place and only 45 minutes from home. This collage represents most of what I saw. Mesquite Wash is a birders paradise but I didn’t have any luck getting photos of the multiple species we saw because they were high in the trees hidden by foliage. I was able to get a Phainopepla on her nest, though. My Canon SX50 did an impressive job of finding focus through the multiple branches. My Android gets credit for the stream, the flowers and the Frog. All other images are courtesy of my CanonSX50. ... more »

2013-04-17 13:52:37 (41 comments, 0 reshares, 58 +1s)

Orange Skipperling - LOVE these miniscule Skippers! They are really difficult to spot and almost impossible to follow if they start flying. A little research tells you where and when to find them and they were exactly where we expected them to be. This is another capture from our Rackensack Canyon outing.
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Copaeodes-aurantiaca

#onthewingsofbutterflies #inpraiseofpollinators  

2013-04-17 02:10:18 (35 comments, 0 reshares, 62 +1s)

Gray Hairstreak - Can you see why this is called a Hairstreak? I love seeing them! I wish I could nave eliminated the shadow on his wing but I'm happy I got him :-) http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Strymon-melinus

For those interested in Hairstreaks and Blues, you might be interested to know they are in different subfamilies. The Hairstreak is Theclinae and Blues are Polyommatinae

#onthewingsofbutterflies  

2013-04-17 01:18:06 (39 comments, 0 reshares, 33 +1s)

APHIDS! – A very wet Winter and Spring has produced a tremendous infestation of Aphids throughout our area. Almost all the Yucca baccata along the Lookout Trail in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve were affected but (to my delight) were also covered with Lady Bugs! Here you see two species along with a larvae which my botanist friend Steve J. identified for me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccinella_septempunctata, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippodamia_convergens

#macro4all +Macro4All 

2013-04-15 13:17:15 (40 comments, 0 reshares, 35 +1s)

Perils in my Garden – I pride myself in seeing snakes before it is too late but I almost stepped on one in my Cactus/Aloe garden yesterday!!! I was doing a little supplemental watering and was about to walk between the two Aloes when I saw him. I don’t kill snakes so after taking several photos, I sprayed the area with a stronger stream of water thinking he would slither away. Instead…he climbed up into the Aloe where he stayed for a bit before finally leaving. I truly hated to disturb him but I prefer he stay out of this particular area :-)

#reptilemonday #gardening   #mosaicmonday +Mim Eisenberg +Mosaic Montage Monday +Carrie McGann 

2013-04-14 13:18:40 (38 comments, 2 reshares, 71 +1s)

Reakirt's Blue - TINY butterfly captured yesterday in Rackensack Canyon. The smallest are the most challenging to shoot but the most rewarding! (captured at full 1200mm range with Canon SX50) http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Echinargus-isola

#onthewingsofbutterflies +On the Wings of Butterflies! #zensunday   #rackensackcanyon

2013-04-12 23:26:39 (21 comments, 0 reshares, 29 +1s)

Islands in the Sky? - I was trying to get a photo of some cool clouds but when I ran it through my Alien Detector App, this appeared. I hope this is large enough for you to see that there is a face in the center island. Could these islands be a way for them to do aerial surveillance or am I just seeing things……again!

#alienabductionfriday +Alien Abduction Friday #owcbn #gplusaliennation #android #vignette #galaxy #phoneography   #pareidolia  

2013-04-14 00:31:05 (46 comments, 1 reshares, 78 +1s)

Great Horned Owl - I'm mostly looking for flowers these days but I always keep an eye out for other living things! It is very likely the eggs have already hatched but the Owlets won't peek out for another week or two. I hope to catch them! (The Saguaro Cactus is approximately 40 feet tall).

#birds4all +Walter Soestbergen +Ricky L Jones 

2013-04-10 13:44:15 (19 comments, 2 reshares, 40 +1s)

Woolly Daisy (Eriophyllum lanosum) - We encountered many large patches of this diminutive flower during our flora survey yesterday. The day started out cold and rainy (50degrees) which was a big change from the 80s we’ve been having but it was a nice break. The higher elevations got snow! It did warm up, though. We hiked over 6 miles and documented several species so it was a good day.

#wildflowers

2013-04-08 18:54:13 (41 comments, 1 reshares, 58 +1s)

Sonoran Desert Moose - During my hike yesterday, my Android captured these vacationing Cholla Moose. I've never seen Moose walking upright and thought you all would like to see them :-)

#pareidolia #android #androidography  

2013-04-06 22:35:05 (39 comments, 0 reshares, 44 +1s)

Sleepy Orange Caterpillar - I'm so excited to finally see a caterpillar on my Desert Senna (Senna covesii).  I'm fairly sure this is a Sleepy Orange because 1. It's the only Suphur I'm seeing so far and 2. It looks like the photos I'm finding. The most interesting thing I've learned (and seen) about these incredibly small cats is the little drops of clear oily residue on the ends of their hairs. It's thought it serves the purpose of repelling ants and other predators. Certainly is cool! By the way, for those who have an SX50, you'll be happy to know this was a hand held shot! http://www.butterflyfunfacts.com/sleepy-orange-butterfly.php

#onthewingsofbutterflies #allthingsgreen #macro4all  

2013-04-05 18:12:45 (49 comments, 0 reshares, 50 +1s)

Aliens Activity in Butterflies? – When documenting flora, I’ve seen Alien activity and now with Butterflies, my Alien Activity Detector sees several aliens looking back at me! Some look really mean but I kind of like the Green one. I’m such a sucker for a green face and these guys look really nice :-)  I’m doomed, aren’t I…….

#alienabductionfriday +Alien Abduction Friday #owcbn #gplusaliennation   #android #picsaypro

2013-04-04 15:19:46 (23 comments, 1 reshares, 38 +1s)

Red Maids (Calandrinia ciliata) - are abundant this year! Today I am posting a sample page from my Wildflowers and More guide. I created the guide as a fundraiser for the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy and am donating all my profits to them. Even if the flowers/shrubs/trees in the guide are not in your area, you might enjoy seeing how I photographed them and still help me support our Preserve! More information here: http://wildflowersandmore.com/

#wildflowers

2013-04-03 12:28:28 (42 comments, 1 reshares, 58 +1s)

Two-tailed Swallowtail – Tis’ the season! Butterfly season, that is, and although I’m exhausted from going out every day in search of them, I cannot get enough :-)  Rackensack Canyon is one of the best places to search for butterflies because the large number of host plants attracts a wide variety of butterfly species. The Canon SX50 has been fantastic at capturing them and a true joy to use compared to carrying a DSLR and long lens. This is an un-cropped image taken at 1200mm and one of my favorites since it’s only the second time I’ve captured a Two-tailed Swallowtail on a flower :-) http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Papilio-multicaudata

#onthewingsofbutterflies +On the Wings of Butterflies! 

2013-04-01 23:26:05 (33 comments, 0 reshares, 49 +1s)

Antelope Squirrel Babies - My cats alerted me to these cuties and I did  not get any work done for the rest of the day! Here's a link to a short video of the babies.Antelope Squirrel Babies

By the way...the lizard is a Desert Spiny who enjoys eating the flowers off this Little Leaf Cordia. Check it out here: Desert Spiny Lizard

2013-04-01 13:25:42 (22 comments, 0 reshares, 35 +1s)

Waterfall in the Desert - Camp Creek Wash and Falls is another fantastic canyon just a 30 minute drive from my house. Even in the middle of summer, there is always a little bit of water coming over the falls but when we have a wet year, it flows strong. Couple that with butterflies and a beautifully overcast day, and you have a perfect photo outing!

2013-04-01 01:08:50 (30 comments, 2 reshares, 44 +1s)

Rackensack Canyon is just 35 minutes from my house and is just one of several riparian areas less than an hour away. Bird and Butterfly lovers flock there in Spring, Fall and Winter. My butterfly group is going there later this month but I wanted to check it out so I spent this morning there seeing what butterflies might have arrived. I wasn’t disappointed! For those interested, here’s a list of most of the butterflies in the Sonoran Desert. http://www.arizonensis.org/sonoran/fieldguide/arthropoda/lepidoptera.html

#onthewingsofbutterflies +On the Wings of Butterflies! 

2013-03-30 12:08:26 (50 comments, 9 reshares, 71 +1s)

Puddling is the term used to describe a gathering of butterflies on puddles or muddy ground. So why do butterflies puddle? I always thought they were just drinking water but there's a more important reason. By sipping moisture from these areas, butterflies take in salts and minerals from the soil. This behavior is mostly seen in male butterflies. That's because males incorporate those extra salts and minerals into their sperm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud-puddling

(Canon SX50 - full frame at 1200mm)

#onthewingsofbutterflies +On the Wings of Butterflies! 

2013-03-30 03:46:01 (17 comments, 1 reshares, 53 +1s)

Two-tailed Swallowtail - I saw these beauties a couple of days ago but could not get a photo to save my life. So when I went back today, it was my goal to get at least one image!  I don't think I've ever been as excited as I was when we came across 8 of these beauties drinking and getting salts from the sand! I was on my stomach for most of the time :-) The Two-tailed Swallowtail is the largest of our butterflies and our State butterfly. http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Arizona/state_butterfly.html

#onthewingsofbutterflies +On the Wings of Butterflies!
#inpraiseofpollinators ++In Praise of Polllinators 

2013-03-29 01:13:11 (25 comments, 0 reshares, 46 +1s)

In Praise of Android Photography - I have been so impressed with the quality of my phone images lately I use it more and more! Another bonus is having my Alien Detector App working as I'm shooting. In this image, for instance, it tells me there is definitely alien activity which is something I've always suspected when going through Saguaro forests. The higher I hiked with my new equestrian friends, the stronger the activity read!

Early submission to #alienabductionfriday +Alien Abduction Friday #owcbn #androidography #androidphotography #snapseed
+Landscape Photography #landscapephotography

2013-03-28 13:10:11 (32 comments, 0 reshares, 39 +1s)

Lace Pod (Thysanocarpus curvipes)- The blooms of this Mustard are pretty, but it is the seedpods that draw attention! It is easy to see how they got their common name "Lace Pod". As they mature, the seed pods become especially lacy along their edges making each one look like a tiny doiley :-) http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxauthid=1&taxon=1114&cl=2560ICM

#wildflowers  

2013-03-27 11:44:19 (13 comments, 0 reshares, 54 +1s)

Lesser Yellowthroat Gilia  (Gilia flavocincta) - This is one of my favorite flowers. Not only is it beautiful but it has blue pollen! Something to note is that unlike California and Colorado, the majority of our Wildflowers are VERY small and sometimes TINY. However…… they are no less beautiful. When I first started gathering photos for my flora guide, I was blown away by the beauty and intricacy of our tiniest flowers! (http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxauthid=1&taxon=2125&cl=2560)

#wildflowers  

2013-03-26 13:04:41 (20 comments, 2 reshares, 37 +1s)

Phacelia distans – is one of the most common species in our area but we have many others. Phacelia cryptantha, Phacelia crenulata var. ambigua, Phacelia ramosissima, Phacelia campanularia to mention some. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phacelia

#wildflowers  

2013-03-25 13:24:29 (30 comments, 0 reshares, 44 +1s)

Goldfields – (Lasthenia californica) It is very easy to understand how these flowers got their name! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasthenia

#wildflowers

2013-03-24 12:20:43 (25 comments, 0 reshares, 45 +1s)

Desert Hyacinth (Dichelostemma capitatum) - In average years, we see only a few of these beauties scattered about but in a wet year, we get this display! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichelostemma_capitatum

(More wildflower species photos to come this week.)

2013-03-23 23:34:18 (25 comments, 0 reshares, 47 +1s)

Variable Checkerspot - Today marked the first outing for my butterfly group (cazba.org) and we saw lots of this beauty and even saw some caterpillars which was a real treat.  During the four hours we hunted, however, we only saw 10 species of butterfly (not a lot) but no one was disappointed because we're having a banner year for Wildflowers and this place was covered with them! (http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Euphydryas-chalcedona)

#onthewingsofbutterflies +On the Wings of Butterflies! +Cicely Robin Laing +Sharon Jeannette 

2013-03-23 23:23:36 (14 comments, 1 reshares, 30 +1s)

Decomposer - Doing his job between a rock and a hard place! (I don't have an ID for this one.)

#fungusfriday +Fungus Friday (late submission)
#shroomshotsaturday +ShroomshotSaturday

2013-03-22 22:38:22 (36 comments, 0 reshares, 34 +1s)

My Yucca is Inhabited by Aliens - I'm very busy gardening these days so this is a quick post. My Yucca are blooming and as I was leaning in to take a photo, it once again drew blood. I have always considered this carelessness on my part but after using my Alien Detector App on this Yucca, I feel sure there is a colony in there.They have drawn a lot of blood from me these last 18 years I've lived here so I guess they have a full workup of me. I'm probably doing things for them already without knowing it!!! By the way...they sure are symmetrically minded, aren't they?

#alienabductionfriday +Alien Abduction Friday #gplusaliennation #owcbn #abstract #android #kaleidoscope  

2013-03-21 12:34:19 (30 comments, 1 reshares, 60 +1s)

Miner’s Lettuce - (Claytonia perfoliata) This flower is so tiny, most people pass it by without noticing. Too bad because it is an excellent source of vitamin C! The common name refers to its use by California Gold Rush miners who ate it to get their vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Today it is often added raw to salads; it has a taste similar to spinach. http://fat-of-the-land.blogspot.com/2010/03/green-gold-miners-lettuce.html

2013-03-18 01:43:01 (35 comments, 0 reshares, 47 +1s)

Android captures from my garden today and shared via my smartphone. L-R and Top to Bottom: Chuparosa, Lantana, Goodings Verbena, Dalia, Fairy Duster (native), Desert Marigold, Globemallow, Brittlebush. (Botanical names upon request :-) Collage created with PicsArt.

#androidography  

2013-03-16 21:20:09 (40 comments, 2 reshares, 69 +1s)

Mexican Gold Poppy - (Eschscholzia californica ssp. mexicana) OurPoppies are smaller and lighter in color than their California cousin. This is another Lensbaby capture on a fabulous overcast day! http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/4/eschscholzia-californica-ssp-mexicana-california-poppy/

#poppypics +Poppy Pics +Rosie Nixon
#unsharpsaturday +Unsharp Saturday +Nathan Beaulne 

2013-03-15 15:30:41 (25 comments, 0 reshares, 34 +1s)

Alien on Ice – I have captured an Alien baby. Now what?!!! Note also that if you rotate the image, you have another alien which appears to be more mature. Two in one? A transformer? I await directions from the Alien Abduction crew who might have already had this experience.

#alienabductionfriday +Alien Abduction Friday +Michele Cornelius +Heiko Mahr +Irene Kato +Jon Beall +Alex Lapidus +Karl Geiger Jr +Karl Geiger #owcbn #gplusaliennation  

2013-03-15 14:17:47 (24 comments, 2 reshares, 32 +1s)

Spore Prints – Identifying fungi can be very difficult so everything you document about a subject can help…including the color of the spores. You can identify the color a couple of ways. One is to look at the ground directly below the mushroom to see if there is a ring of discoloration which would probably be caused by spores. The second way is to create a spore print. I am so eager to create my first ones this year! Check out this link to learn how to make your own: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/spore_print.html

#fungusfriday +Fungus Friday +Dan Bowden +Chris Sullivan
#shroomshotsaturday +ShroomshotSaturday +Patti Colston +Michael Albrecht +Gary Crawford 

2013-03-14 21:00:46 (40 comments, 0 reshares, 53 +1s)

Diamonback Rattlesnake - The perils of wildflower hunting! I was scouting a trail for an upcoming wildflower hike and my friend and I were so distracted talking about flora, I came within 6 inches of stepping on this guy!!! I'm sure we must have looked very comical jumping back :-) Captured hurridly with my Canon SX50 so it isn't the greatest but it tells the story.
http://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Diamondback%20Rattlesnake.php