Plume Thistles – iNaturalist In a home garden many people would consider thistles to be a weed I took this photo during a hike on the east side of Eagle Creek Park. This is the side of the park that does not get as much traffic. I think this is because you do not have […]
Desert Christmas Cactus – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The fruits will stay on the stem until winter This photo of a desert Christmas cactus was taken while on a trip to Big Bend National Park in southwestern Texas. This was a plant that I had never seen before, but I was immediately taken aback […]
Mason Wasps – BugGuide The abdomen is noted by three thin stripes The wasp pictured here is a pitted mason wasp. This is a solitary wasp that is found across the United States and southern Canada. It’s most common east of the Great Plains. Within the Euodynerus genus, it is the most common species. The […]
Spotted Scorpionfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern You can generally get very close because this fish trusts its camouflage Scorpionfish are masters of camouflage. They have numerous cirri covering their body (mainly head). Cirri are the fleshy appendages that are used for sensing and camouflage. This scorpionfish is facing to the right. The red eye in the top […]
Porkfish – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern With the proper exposure and lighting, a photograph can reveal interesting details Porkfish is a funny name for a fish, especially for a fish that humans generally don’t eat. Porkfish are a member of the grunt family. Like other grunts, porkfish can grind their teeth to make a pig-like grunting […]
Bandtail Searobin – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern With the proper exposure and lighting, a photograph can reveal interesting details This month we are highlighting “close up” photography, also referred to as “macro” photography. This is my favorite type of photography when it comes to shooting underwater. I enjoy this because as a diver you often can’t […]
Lilies – Wildflower Center Lilies can grow to be 1 to 6 feet tall! A common flower encountered in the Midwest is the lily. Lilies have the scientific name of Lilium, is a Latin word which comes from the Greek word leirion. The Greek word comes from the Egyptian word for Flower. Lilies grow in southern […]
American robin – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The scientific name for the America robin is Turdus migratorius Pictured here are several robin eggs sitting in a tree about four feet off the ground. I chose this picture because when I think Midwest bird, I immediately think of the American robin. I wanted to use this […]
Speckle-Winged Rangeland Grasshopper – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data If you look closely, even their eyes are speckled! This interesting looking grasshopper is called a speckle-winged rangeland grasshopper. Its name is a mouthful so for the remainder of this article we will refer to it as the SWRG. This grasshopper is relatively small. The one in this photo is […]
Cabbage White Butterfly – IUCN Conservation Status: Insufficient Data There were lots of pollinators amongst the thick vegetation. The last few years I’ve made a concerted effort to visit the few states I have not seen. This summer I made it to Nebraska for the first time. Just south of Omaha is an awesome riverside park called […]