Lower Antelope Canyon Flash flooding can occur even when there isn’t any rainfall locally Lion’s Head is one of the most iconic photo subjects in Lower Antelope Canyon. I was fortunate enough to take this photo while on a guided tour through the canyon, which is the only way that you can visit this slot […]
Silvery Checkerspot Caterpillar – Butterflies and Moths of North America Silvery checkerspot caterpillars are typically black with yellow lines and spots This family of caterpillars (Nymphalidae) are known for their branched spines. If you look at the silvery checkerspot caterpillar from above, these spiked spines are easier to see. Silvery checkerspot caterpillars are typically black with yellow […]
Yellowstone National Park [Opal Pool] can eject water up to 70 feet in the air! This lesser-known hot spring in the Midway Geyser Basin is called Opal Pool. This hot spring sits at roughly 132 degrees Fahrenheit. It is classified as a fountain geyser. Although its eruptions are rare and random Opal Pool is still considered active. Typically, the […]
Havasupai Tribe The Havasupai Tribe refers to themselves as the “People of the Blue Green Water” The trail down to Havasu Falls begins at Hualapai Hilltop which overlooks Hualapai Canyon. The canyon rim sits 5,200 feet, nearly one mile, above the canyon floor. After 8 miles of hiking, you are rewarded with one of the […]
Havasupai Tribe Website This means that it comes from a time span of 47 million years The hike into Hualapai Canyon is one that is full of beauty. The rock strata of Hualapai Canyon are diverse and cover many millennia. The top layer is Kaibab Formation. Below this is Toroweap Formation. Then comes Coconino Sandstone. […]
Black-Tailed Deer – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern I was hiking Kestner Homestead Trailhead when I came across this black-tailed deer You have probably heard of white-tailed deer, but did you know there is a black-tailed deer? These deer are found in the coastal areas of western North America. I saw this black-tailed deer in the Olympic […]
Swift Feather-Legged Fly – Bug Guide Look in grasslands, hedge rows, and crops, which they are likely to inhabit This photo of a swift feather-legged fly was taken in my backyard. The fly was staying around as I was cutting zucchini off the vine. There were a few in the garden, but this one was […]
Black Blister Beetle – Bug Guide Through most of this portion of the Rio Grande, there are sweeping canyon walls on either side of the river I would not have guessed that I would see this black blister beetle while on a canoe trip on the Rio Grande. We were staying in Big Bend National […]
Large Milkweed Bug – Bug Guide Aposematism is when an organism advertises to its predators that it is not worth eating Unsurprisingly this photo of a large milkweed bug was taken on a milkweed plant. Their common name is in fact “large milkweed bug”. The scientific name for this insect is Oncopeltus fasciatus. The geographic […]
Sawfly Larvae – More Info These groups of eggs are referred to as pods or rafts What is a sawfly? Sawflies are a wasp-like creature. However, this photograph shows sawfly larvae, which is the worm-like stage of this animal. This is what a sawfly looks like after hatching from an egg, but before metamorphosis transforms this caterpillar-looking creature into […]