ATLANTIC CORDGRASS – IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERNED At high tide you would not be able to see the cordgrass in this photo This month our theme is “backyard nature”. One of my favorite things about shooting photos in your backyard is that you have lots of opportunists to capture weather. I live in Hampton […]
Cotton Stainer – IUCN Conservation Status: INSUFFICIENT DATA Cotton stainers are about one centimeter long as adults This bug is called a “cotton stainer”, but my friend Tyler and I called these “red driveway bugs”. These wild colored bugs could be found daily in our yard and across our driveway. At the time, I lived […]
EASTERN HEMLOCK – IUCN Conservation Status: NEAR THREATENED Each photo is a game of patience This photo was taken at Annett State Forest in southwestern New Hampshire. I was the only person at this beautiful 1500-acre forest on this day, so things were very tranquil. It was a cold day, and it had just stopped […]
IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN Striated frogfish can change colors! This is a black-phase striated frogfish. Let’s breakdown what we are looking at. This is a fish that lives in salt water. It is not a frog. It is pea-sized. That is my fingertip in the bottom left corner, for scale. These fish can take […]
IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN Shortnose batfish have bright pink lips! Sometimes with macro photography, you can get so zoomed in that it’s hard to tell what you are even looking at. That is part of the fun of macro photography. Images can look even sharper than what your eye can see. DONATE This is […]
IUCN Conservation Status: DATA DEFICIENT This harlequin blue sea goddess is only about an inch long This ornate creature is a type of nudibranch called a Harlequin Blue Sea Goddess. The photo was taken at Blue Heron Bridge near West Palm Beach, Florida. This small marine sea slug is only about an inch long! These […]
IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN Sharptail eels orange eyes match their orange spots This is the head of a sharptail eel, which is a type of snake eel. Although these creatures resemble a snake, don’t confuse this with a “sea snake”. So, what’s the difference? Sea snakes are reptiles that need to surface to breathe […]
IUCN Conservation Status: VULNERABLE With a front like a ray and a back like a shark, it’s easy to see where the guitarfish gets its name This interesting creature is called a guitarfish. The body shape of this fish resembles a guitar. The front half looks like a ray, while the back half looks like […]
Red Clover – IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN The red clover’s deep roots make them a drought tolerant wildflower This perennial wildflower is called a Red Clover (State Flower of Vermont). They are native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. However, these flowers have been naturalized in North and South America. They can grow to 31” […]
Wildflower.org Plant Database: Black-eyed Susan The Rudbeckia hirta (commonly called Black-Eyed Susan) is Maryland’s state flower The Rudbeckia hirta (commonly called Black-Eyed Susan) is Maryland’s state flower. This flower is in the sunflower family. Native to North America, it can be found in every state except Alaska and Hawaii. There are actually a few varieties […]