Florida Softshell Turtle – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern They get this name from their cartilaginous carapace This is Virgil the Turtle. Virgil is a Florida softshell turtle that lives near Williston, Florida. Williston is a small town about half an hour south of Gainesville. North Central Florida is known for its fresh water springs, caverns, and caves. Virgil […]
Jordan Pond – Acadia National Park This is the deepest body of water in Acadia reaching depths of 150 feet My favorite place east of the Mississippi River is Acadia National Park. This beautiful national park is located on an island along the northeast coast of Maine. It is not far from the most easterly part of […]
Fraternal Potter Wasp – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data Once the nest is complete, they will collect beetle larvae, spiders, or caterpillars One day I decided to work from the deck that is right outside my bedroom. While I was sitting there, I noticed that a fraternal potter wasp was coming and going. It wasn’t […]
Mustard Yellow Polypore – IUCN Description: Insufficient Data It is easiest to identify this mushroom when it is growing I took this photo of a mustard yellow polypore mushroom while hiking at Eagle Creek Park in Indiana. I was letting Landon, my dog, guide me along the trail and allowing him to stop and sniff […]
Cape Neddick – Nubble Lighthouse The lighthouse is 41 feet tall There is nothing like the Maine coastline. This is a dynamic environment with large tidal exchanges. In fact, the high tides during certain lunar events can be almost eleven feet above the normal sea level. To help protect boaters in these treacherous waters, a lighthouse was built. Construction […]
Florida Box Turtle – IUCN Conservation Status: Vulnerable The Florida box turtle is only found in southeastern Georgia and Florida I ran when I first saw this Florida box turtle. I didn’t run away from it; instead, I ran towards it. It was teetering on a ledge about three feet off the ground over a […]
Orb Weaver – IUCN Conservations Status: Varies The orb weaver bounced around in the breeze I love macro photography, but to do macro photography, the photographer must get close to their subject, ideally just a few inches from the front of the lens. When your subject is static and safe, like say a flower, no big […]
Fakahatchee Strand Fakahatchee Strand is known for its incredible biodiversity Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is a swamp forest in southern Florida. The park runs north to south and the dimensions are roughly 20 miles long by 5 miles wide. It is a part of the Everglades hydrologic system. These waters eventually drain to the Ten Thousand Islands, […]
Redspotted Hawkfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern These fish can be very shy This is the only species of hawkfish we have in the Atlantic basin! This 2”-3” reef dwelling fish was common to see where I used to live, in the Florida Keys. However, this fish was also a challenging one to get a photo […]
Hedgehog Cactus – IUCN Conservation Status: Varied This is likely either a Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus or a Strawberry Cactus When walking through the desert during the golden hour right before or after sunset, there are so many amazing photos that you can take. This photo is of a hedgehog cactus that I took near the […]