Inverts

I wanted to give provide some shots of the various, colorful invertebrates that are all around us

Slug:

This is a dragonfly (or skimmer) of the family Libellulidae. There are many beautiful and much more color varieties.

This is a cicada killer wasp (Genus Sphecius). You can read about them, but in short, they burrow in the ground and kill one cicada, which they bring into the burrow for all the eggs to feast on after they hatch. I happened to walk into a colony of them, where burrows were spaced out every 2 feet. They are large and fly very slow and apparently have trouble seeing because they have no problem flying right into you.

This is another view of the very common monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus).

I'm not sure which dragonfly category this individual belongs to...

Morning Sun Song

Marsh Wren in Fords, NJ

Herps

It's been a while since I've added pictures. Here are some photos of frogs/ toads and a snake! from my work site in Fords, New Jersey. I've been fortunate that the Fowler's toads were such great subjects. They probably think they are so great at camouflaging that they'd rather not move. Works for me! There is a green frog, three Fowler's toads in different habitats, and a green snake (I think):

Who doesn't like feeling the wind through their hair?

Great Egret in New Jersey

Birds

I've been working on a site in New Jersey, performing avian point count surveys. Here are some shots of what I've found out there.



Swainson's Thrush



Yellow Warbler



Song Sparrow



Palm Warbler

Green Heron

Osprey

Common Yellowthroat

Greater Yellowlegs

Eastern Kingbird (with a dragonfly dinner)

Leaf Macros

Lizard Lizard

These were taken at the American Orchid Society in Boca Raton, Florida

New York Botanical Gardens

Beautiful orchids to be seen at the NYBG...

This is a close up of the center of an orchid closely resembling its pollinator... (and maybe even a gift for its mate?)

 

A couple other shots...

Black Throated Gray Warbler

Taken at Grand Canyon National Park, 2008

Three Reflections

Taken at Denali National Park, 2006

New Site

Hi everyone. I'm excited to open this new site and share some of my photos and other various art with others. I'm an amateur photographer who is trying to improve, so that I may show the world how I see it... details and beauty that sometimes go unseen. I hope you enjoy them. Please comment and let me know what you like or don't like. Thanks!