Wilderness Portraits by Lloyd Paul Aiello

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  • The July 4, 2018 Boston Massachusetts fireworks celebration lights the sky over the MIT Dome and campus.  Over 10,000 pyrotechnic explosions initiated by over 4,000 computer comands originate from barges in the Charles River and the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.  The fireworks can soar as high as 1,500 feet into the summer night sky.  This spectacular event has been a tradition in Boston since 1974.
    _1LA1107-Edit-fireworks-Boston-MIT.tif
  • The July 4, 2018 Boston Massachusetts fireworks celebration lights the sky over the MIT Dome and campus.  Over 10,000 pyrotechnic explosions initiated by over 4,000 computer comands originate from barges in the Charles River and the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.  The fireworks can soar as high as 1,500 feet into the summer night sky.  This spectacular event has been a tradition in Boston since 1974.
    _1LA1104-Edit-fireworks-MIT-boston.tif
  • An autumn Japanese Maple leaf (Acer palmatum) has fallen on a lichen and moss covered rock in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _1LA1579-Edit-Japanese-maple-leaf-ro...tif
  • An autumn leaf from a nearby Japanese Maple tree (Acer palmatum) rests on the moss covered bark of a Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _1LA1490-Edit-Japanese-maple-leaf-no...tif
  • This eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) is eating while perched on a small tree branch in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Although they climb trees well, it is rare to see them on such small branches.  They generally construct underground nests with extensive tunnel systems, and several entrances.  To hide the construction of its burrow, the eastern chipmunk carries soil away from its hole in its cheek pouches.  <br />
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The eastern chipmunk is the sole living member of the chipmunk subgenus Tamias, and is found only in eastern North America.  The name "chipmunk" is derived from the Algonquian language meaning “one who descends trees headlong.”  <br />
<br />
The eastern chipmunk reaches 30 cm (12 in) in length including the tail, with a weight of 66–150 g (2.3–5.3 oz).  Interestingly, it has two fewer teeth than other chipmunks and four toes each on the front legs, but five toes on each of the hind legs.  They are mainly active during the day, consuming bulbs, seeds, fruits, nuts, green plants, mushrooms, insects, worms, and bird eggs.  <br />
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The eastern chipmunk leads a solitary life, except during mating season. Females usually produce one or two litters of three to five young, usually from February to April and/or June to August. On average, eastern chipmunks live three or more years in the wild, although in captivity they may live up to eight years.
    _LPA1116-Edit-American-chipmunk-tree...tif
  • Thirty Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) head for the marsh at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, in  Sudbury, Massachusetts.  There are seven subspecies of the Canada Goose, of varying sizes and plumage details, but all look similar.  These birds range from 30-43 inches in length, with a 50–73 inch wingspan and weigh 7–14 pounds.  Canada Geese are known for their seasonal migrations during which time they can travel 2,000 - 3,000 miles at altitudes of 2,000 - 9,000 feet.  They can fly 1,500 miles in 24 hours under ideal weather conditions. The geese generally travel 40 miles per hour, but they can reach 70 mph with a good wind. The lifespan of a Canada Goose is generally 10–24 years.
    _LPA5190-canada-goose-geese-flying-s...tif
  • The black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is a small, nonmigratory, North American songbird that lives in deciduous and mixed forests. The chickadee is the state bird of Massachusetts, USA.  Its familiar call of chick-a-dee-dee-dee gave this bird its name.  The chickadee total body length is 12–15 cm (4.7–5.9 in), with a wingspan is 16–21 cm (6.3–8.3 in) and a body mass of 9–14 g (0.32–0.49 oz).   Sexes look alike, but males are slightly larger and longer than females.<br />
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The chickadee has fascinating eating habits.  Insects (especially caterpillars) form a large part of their diet in summer. Seeds and berries become more important in winter.  Like many other species in the family Paridae, black-capped chickadees commonly cache their food, mostly seeds but sometimes insects also.  Items are stored singly in various sites such as bark, dead leaves, clusters of conifer needles, or knotholes. The chickadee can remember the location of caches up to 28 days.   Within the first 24 hours, the birds can even remember the relative quality of the stored items. <br />
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The chichadee is also well known for its uncommon capability to lower its body temperature.  During cold winter nights, these birds can reduce their body temperature by as much as 10 to 12 °C (from their normal temperature of about 42 °C) to conserve energy.
    _LPA2360-Edit-chickadee-bird-snow-bl...tif
  • The tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is a small, common songbird found throughout the east coast of the United States, to southern Ontario, Canada and westward to the plains of central Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa.  They are 5.9–6.7 inches long, weigh 0.6–0.9 ounces and have a lifespan of 2–13 years.  The highest population densities of tufted titmice occur along the Ohio, Cumberland, Arkansas, and Mississippi rivers where they prefer deciduous and mixed-deciduous forests, especially those with a dense canopy or tall vegetation. Tufted titmice feed on insects and seeds. This angry-looking tufted titmouse is waiting out a winter blizzard in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _LPA2344-Edit-tufted-titmouse-bird-c...tif
  • Three autumn leaves from a nearby Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) have fallen onto the moss covered trunk of a Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) in Belmont, Massachusetts.  Moments later, a breeze blew the leaves off the trunk.
    _1LA1505-Edit-Japanese-maple-leaf-ba...tif
  • An eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) basks on a lillypad eye-to-eye with an approaching emerald damselfly (Lestes sponsa) and it shadow in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  <br />
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The eastern painted turtle is the most widespread native turtle of North America. Fossils show that the painted turtle existed 15 million years ago. The adult painted turtle female is 10–25 cm (4–10 in) long while the male is smaller. Reliant on warmth from its surroundings, the painted turtle is active only during the day when it basks for hours on logs or rocks, or in this unusual case on a lillypad. During winter, these turtles hibernate, usually in the mud at the bottom of the pond. Adults in the wild can live for more than 55 years.<br />
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Damselflies (suborder Zygoptera) are similar to dragonflies but have slender bodies and are weaker fliers.  Most damselfly species fold their wings over the abdomen when stationary, and the eyes are well separated on the sides of the head.  In contrast, dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera) are heavy-bodied, strong-flying insects that hold their wings horizontally both in flight and at rest.
    _LPA0107-Edit-turtle-dragonfly-damse...tif
  • Early morning reflections dance atop the Concord River as it flows through Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts.  The refuge consists of more than 3,800 acres of which roughly 85 percent is comprised of freshwater wetlands stretching along 12 miles of the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. It is a nesting, resting, and feeding habitat for wildlife, especially migratory birds, that is protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Over 220 species of birds have been identified in the refuge.  The first tract of refuge land was donated by Samuel Hoar in 1944.
    _LPA8191-Edit-reflection-tree-river-...tif
  • Early morning reflections dance atop the Concord River as it flows through Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts.  The refuge consists of more than 3,800 acres of which roughly 85 percent is comprised of freshwater wetlands stretching along 12 miles of the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. It is a nesting, resting, and feeding habitat for wildlife, especially migratory birds, that is protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Over 220 species of birds have been identified in the refuge.  The first tract of refuge land was donated by Samuel Hoar in 1944.
    _LPA8184-Edit-reflection-tree-river-...tif
  • An eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) stares defiantly from his seat on an old granite urn in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  The eastern chipmunk is the sole living member of the chipmunk subgenus Tamias, and is found only in eastern North America.  The name "chipmunk" is derived from the Algonquian language meaning “one who descends trees headlong.”  The eastern chipmunk reaches 30 cm (12 in) in length including the tail, with a weight of 66–150 g (2.3–5.3 oz).  Interestingly, it has two fewer teeth than other chipmunks and four toes each on the front legs, but five toes on each of the hind legs.  Although they climb trees well, they construct underground nests with extensive tunnel systems, and several entrances. To hide the construction of its burrow, the eastern chipmunk carries soil away from its hole in its cheek pouches.  They are mainly active during the day, consuming bulbs, seeds, fruits, nuts, green plants, mushrooms, insects, worms, and bird eggs.  The eastern chipmunk leads a solitary life, except during mating season. Females usually produce one or two litters of three to five young, usually from February to April and/or June to August. On average, eastern chipmunks live three or more years in the wild, although in captivity they may live up to eight years.
    _LPA1138-Edit-chipmunk-urn.tif
  • The tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is a small, common songbird found throughout the east coast of the United States, to southern Ontario, Canada and westward to the plains of central Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa.  They are 5.9–6.7 inches long, weigh 0.6–0.9 ounces and have a lifespan of 2–13 years.  The highest population densities of tufted titmice occur along the Ohio, Cumberland, Arkansas, and Mississippi rivers where they prefer deciduous and mixed-deciduous forests, especially those with a dense canopy or tall vegetation. Tufted titmice feed on insects and seeds. This tufted titmouse is waiting out a winter blizzard in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _LPA2526-Edit-tufted-titmouse-bird-v...tif
  • The tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is a small, common songbird found throughout the east coast of the United States, to southern Ontario, Canada and westward to the plains of central Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa.  They are 5.9–6.7 inches long, weigh 0.6–0.9 ounces and have a lifespan of 2–13 years.  The highest population densities of tufted titmice occur along the Ohio, Cumberland, Arkansas, and Mississippi rivers where they prefer deciduous and mixed-deciduous forests, especially those with a dense canopy or tall vegetation. Tufted titmice feed on insects and seeds. This angry-looking tufted titmouse is waiting out a winter blizzard in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _LPA2344-Edit-tufted-titmouse-blizza...tif
  • A Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) dropping its leaves in late autumn in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _1LA1478-Edit-Japanese-maple-red-tre...tif
  • A yellow Norway Maple leaf (Acer platanoides) is caught in the branches of a Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _1LA1539-Edit-maple-leaves-norway-ja...tif
  • An American Robin (Turdus migratorius) finishes a worm for breakfast while perched on a sign in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  The American Robin is a migratory songbird of the thrush family, widely distributed throughout North America.  They winter from southern Canada to central Mexico and along the Pacific Coast. It is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The American Robin is the second most abundant land bird in North America (after the Red-winged Blackbird). They are generally 23 - 28 cm (9.1 - 11.0 in) long with a wingspan ranging from 31 - 41 cm (12 - 16 in) and averages about 77 g (2.7 oz) in weight.  The American Robin has an extensive range, estimated at 16 million km2 (6,2 million sq mi), and a large population of about 320 million individuals. At one point, the bird was killed for its meat, but it is now protected throughout its range in the United States.  They lay 3 - 5 light blue eggs which are incubated by the female alone. The eggs hatch after 14 days, and the chicks leave the nest 2 weeks later.  Only 25% of chicks survive the first year.  The longest known lifespan in the wild of an American Robin is 14 years, but the average lifespan is about 2 years.
    _LPA1834-Edit-american-robin-road-cl...tif
  • An autumn Japanese Maple Leaf (Acer palmatum) has fallen on a lichen and moss covered rock in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _1LA1556-Edit-square-leaf-maple-japa...tif
  • A yellow Norway Maple leaf (Acer platanoides) has fallen onto a bed of moss in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _1LA1595-Edit-leaf-maple-yellow-moss...tif
  • As autumn leaves fall, a yellow Norway Maple leaf (Acer platanoides) comes to rest naturally on the branches of a Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _1LA1530-Edit-leaf-maple-yellow-red-...tif
  • A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) stalks his prey along a ponds edge at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  <br />
<br />
The Great Blue Heron is common near the shores of open water and in wetlands throughput most of North and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. It is the largest North American heron and the third largest heron in the world.  Great blue herons are 115–138 cm (45–54 in) tall with a wingspan of 167–201 cm (66–79 in) and weigh about 2.23 kg (4.9 lb) in New England where this individual was photographed.  These herons have long legs and cover approximately 22 cm (8.7 in) with each stride.  <br />
<br />
Herons locate their food by sight and usually swallow it whole. Typically, the great blue heron feeds in shallow waters, usually less than 50 cm (20 in) deep, by wading slowly and quickly spearing prey with its long, sharp bill. The primary food for the great blue heron is small fish, although they have been observed to feed on shrimp, crabs, aquatic insects, rodents, and small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds.
    _LPA5991-Edit-great-blue-heron-daffo...tif
  • Three autumn leaves from a nearby Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) have fallen onto the moss covered trunk of a Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) in Belmont, Massachusetts.  Moments later, a breeze blew the leaves off the trunk.
    _1LA1513-Edit-Japanese-Maple-tree-tr...tif
  • An autumn Japanese Maple Leaf (Acer palmatum) has fallen on a lichen and moss covered rock in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _1LA1556-Edit-leaf-maple-japanese-re...tif
  • A young Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) perches amongst common cattails (Typha latifolia) at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. <br />
<br />
The red-winged blackbird is found throughout most of North and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, with isolated populations in western El Salvador, northwestern Honduras, and northwestern Costa Rica. It may winter as far north as Pennsylvania and British Columbia, but northern populations are generally migratory, moving south to Mexico and the southern United States. <br />
<br />
The red-winged blackbird has been considered the most abundant living land bird in North America, with more than a million birds per flock and the total number of breeding pairs across North and Central America exceeding 250 million in peak years. The red-winged blackbird is sexually dimorphic with the male being all black with a red shoulder and yellow wing bar, while the female is a nondescript dark brown. Red-winged blackbirds are polygynous, with territorial males defending up to 10 females. Seeds and insects make up the bulk of the red-winged blackbird's diet.<br />
<br />
Male red-wing blackbirds are 22–24 cm (8.7–9.4 in) long and weigh 64 g (2.3 oz).  Females are smaller.  The build their nests in cattails, rushes, grasses, sedge, or in alder or willow bushes. The nest is constructed entirely by the female over the course of three to six days. A clutch consists of three or four, rarely five, eggs. Eggs are oval, smooth and slightly glossy, and measure 24.8 mm × 17.55 mm (0.976 in × 0.691 in). They are incubated by the female alone, and hatch in 11 to 12 days both blind and naked.  However, they are ready to leave the nest 11 to 14 days after hatching.
    _LPA8205-Edit-red-winged-blackbird-c...tif
  • The Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) is a small shy North American songbird usually less than 5 inches long and with a wingspan of about 6 inches.  It is sometimes called a Long-billed Marsh Wren to distinguish it from the Sedge Wren, also known as Short-billed Marsh Wren. The male's song is a loud gurgle used to declare ownership of territory and they often sing both day and night.
    _LPA0714-marsh-wren-cattail-flying-b...tif
  • Mini Cattleya orchid bloomed by the photographer.  The cattleya is a genus containing 113 species of orchids that are indigenous from Costa Rica to tropical South America, growing throughout the Amazon region and to the south of Brazil..  The cattleya  is an epiphyte (air plant),  which stores water in expanded stems called pseudobulbs.
    _1LA0798-Edit.tif
  • Phaleanopsis orchid bloomed by the photographer.  Phalaenopsis are also known as Moth Orchids and are native throughout southeast Asia from the Himalayan mountains to the islands of Polillo, Palawan and Zamboanga del Norte in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines and northern Australia.
    _1LA0797-Edit.tif
  • This female Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) is basking on warm rocks in the morning sun.  Northern Water Snakes are found throughout eastern and central North America, from southern Ontario and southern Quebec in the north, to Texas and Florida in the south.  They can grow up to 135 cm (4 ft 5 in) in total length.  Adult females can weigh up to 408 g (14.4 oz) in average body mass while the smaller males average up to 151 g (5.3 oz). The largest females can weigh up to 560 g (20 oz) while the largest males are 370 g (13 oz). <br />
<br />
The northern water snake is nonvenomous but can give a painful bite.  They superficially resemble the venomous cottonmouth and are often misidentified. Being active during the day and night, they hunt using both smell and sight. During the day, they hunt among plants at the water's edge, looking for small fish, frogs, worms, leeches, crayfish, salamanders, small birds and mammals. At night, they concentrate on minnows and other small fish sleeping in shallow water.
    _1LA8697-Edit-black-water-snake-bask...tif
  • A young Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) perches amongst common cattails (Typha latifolia) at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. <br />
<br />
The red-winged blackbird is found throughout most of North and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, with isolated populations in western El Salvador, northwestern Honduras, and northwestern Costa Rica. It may winter as far north as Pennsylvania and British Columbia, but northern populations are generally migratory, moving south to Mexico and the southern United States. <br />
<br />
The red-winged blackbird has been considered the most abundant living land bird in North America, with more than a million birds per flock and the total number of breeding pairs across North and Central America exceeding 250 million in peak years. <br />
<br />
The red-winged blackbird is sexually dimorphic with the male being all black with a red shoulder and yellow wing bar, while the female is a nondescript dark brown. Red-winged blackbirds are polygynous, with territorial males defending up to 10 females. Seeds and insects make up the bulk of the red-winged blackbird's diet.<br />
<br />
Male red-wing blackbirds are 22–24 cm (8.7–9.4 in) long and weigh 64 g (2.3 oz).  Females are smaller.  They build their nests in cattails, rushes, grasses, sedge, or in alder or willow bushes. The nest is constructed entirely by the female over the course of three to six days. A clutch consists of three or four, rarely five, eggs. Eggs are oval, smooth and slightly glossy, and measure 24.8 mm × 17.55 mm (0.976 in × 0.691 in). They are incubated by the female alone, and hatch in 11 to 12 days both blind and naked.  However, they are ready to leave the nest 11 to 14 days after hatching.
    _LPA8206-Edit-red-winged-blackbird-c...tif
  • The American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is a small migratory North American bird found from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canada–United States border to Mexico during the winter. It is a small finch, 11–14 cm (4.3–5.5 in) long, with a wingspan of 19–22 cm (7.5–8.7 in). It weighs between 11–20 g (0.39–0.71 oz). <br />
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The song of the American goldfinch is a series of musical warbles and twitters, often with a long note.  <br />
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The American goldfinch displays sexual dimorphism in its coloration with the male being a vibrant yellow in the summer as shown here, and an olive color during the winter.  The female is a dull yellow-brown, brightening only slightly during the summer.
    _LPA8246-Edit-goldfinch-great-meadow...tif
  • The  Downy Woodpecker is the smallest of North America's woodpeckers being 5.5 - 7.1 inches long with a wingspan of 9.8 to 12 inches and weighing 0.7 to 1.2 ounces.  Like other woodpeckers, the Downy Woodpecker also produces a drumming sound with its beak as it pecks into trees in search of food.  However, compared to other North American species its drums are slow. Downy Woodpeckers pick the bark surface in summer and dig deeper in winter. They mainly eat insects, however, they will also consume seeds and berries. In winter, Downy Woodpeckers roost in tree cavities.
    _LPA5198-downy-woodpecker-tree-bird.tif
  • The cattail is a member of the genuse Typha composed of about eleven species of flowering plants found mostly in wetland habitats These plants have many common names including catninetail, bulrush, reedmace, cumbungi, raupo, punks, or corn dog grass.  Their rhizomes are edible, being used as food as early  as 30,000 years ago in Europe.  The cattail also serves as food and shelter for a variety of wetland animals such as the muskrat which eats the roots and constructs feeding platforms and dens from the reeds.  In this image, the cattail blossom has already partially gone to seed.
    _LPA5189-Edit-cattail-backlight.tif
  • A Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) approaches an Indian Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) and casts its shadow on the Lotus blossom petals.  <br />
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The Western or European honey bee is the most common of the 7–12 species of honey bee worldwide, and one of the first domesticated insects.  It is the primary species maintained by beekeepers to this day for both its honey production and pollination activities. With human assistance, the western honey bee now occupies every continent except Antarctica. Because of its wide cultivation, this species is the single most important pollinator for agriculture globally. <br />
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The Indian or Sacred Lotus has roots in the soil of the pond bottom, while the leaves float on top of the water surface or are held well above it. The flowers rise above the leaves and the plant normally grows to a height of about 150 cm (60 inches) and a horizontal spread of up to 3 meters (over 3 feet).  A single leaf may be as large as 60 cm (24 inches) in diameter, while the showy flowers can be up to 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter.  The lotus has a remarkable ability to regulate the temperature of its flowers to within a narrow range.  Lotus flowers have been shown to maintain a temperature of 30–35 °C (86–95 °F), even when the air temperature dropped to 10 °C (50 °F). The Lotus is one of only three species of known thermoregulating, heat-producing, plants. Lotus flowers, seeds, young leaves, and roots are all edible.  An individual lotus can live for over a thousand years and has the rare ability to revive into activity after stasis. In 1994, a seed from a sacred lotus, dated at roughly 1,300 years old ± 270 years, was successfully germinated.<br />
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In Buddhist symbolism, the lotus represents purity of the body, speech, and mind as if floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. In classical written and oral literature of many Asian cultures, the lotus represents elegance, beauty, perfection, purity and grace.
    _LPA8293-Edit-lotus-honey-bee-shadow...tif
  • An American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) reveals only a heart-shaped head through a carpet of Duckweed (Lemnaceae) completely covering a small pond.<br />
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The bullfrog is native to eastern North America with a natural range from the Atlantic Coast to as far west as Oklahoma and Kansas.  However, it has been introduced elsewhere where it is considered an invasive species, including Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, Italy, Netherlands, France, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Colombia, China, South Korea and Japan.  In some areas, the bullfrog is used as a food source.  <br />
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Bullfrogs are voracious, ambush predators that eat any small animal they can stuff down their throats. Bullfrog stomachs have been found to contain rodents, reptiles, amphibians, crayfish, birds, bats, fish, tadpoles, snails and their usual food – insects.  Bullfrogs are able to jump a distance 10x their body length.  The female lays up to 20,000 eggs at a time that form a thin, floating sheet which may cover an area of 0.5 -1 m2 (5.4 - 10.8 sq ft). The embryos hatch in 3 - 5 days. Time to metamorphize into an adult frog ranges from a few months in the southern part of their range to 3 years in the north where the colder water slows development.  Maximum lifespan in the wild is 8 - 10 years, but one bullfrog lived for almost 16 years in captivity.<br />
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Duckweed (Lemnoideae) are small flowering aquatic plants which float on or just beneath the surface of still or slow-moving bodies of fresh water. These plants lack obvious stems or leaves, and depending on the species, each plant may have no root or one or more simple rootlets.  Reproduction is mostly by asexual budding, however, occasionally three tiny flowers are produced for sexual reproduction.  The flower of the duckweed measures a mere 0.3 mm (1/100th of an inch) long.
    _LPA0970-Edit-american-bullfrog-hear...tif
  • A pair of young muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) warm themselves by resting in the sun on top of their "push-up" or lodge made from old cattail stalks and lotus seedpods.   The parents were foraging nearby.  The muskrat is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North American wetlands over a wide range of climates and habitats. The muskrat is the largest species in the subfamily Arvicolinae, which includes 142 other species of rodents including voles and lemmings; however, they are not true rats. An adult muskrat is about 16–28 in long, and weighs 1.3–4.4 pounds.  Almost half of its length is tail.  Muskrats can swim under water for 12 to 17 minutes at a time and breed two or three times a year with six to eight young per litter.
    _LPA5478-muskrat-young-lodge-lotus.tif
  • The Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) is a small shy North American songbird usually less than 5 inches long and with a wingspan of about 6 inches.  It is sometimes called a Long-billed Marsh Wren to distinguish it from the Sedge Wren, also known as Short-billed Marsh Wren. The male's song is a loud gurgle used to declare ownership of territory and they often sing both day and night.
    _LPA0713-marsh-wren-cattail-bird-per...tif
  • The July 4, 2018 Boston Massachusetts fireworks celebration lights the sky over Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Over 10,000 pyrotechnic explosions initiated by over 4,000 computer comands originate from barges in the Charles River and the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.  The fireworks can soar as high as 1,500 feet into the summer night sky.  This spectacular event has been a tradition in Boston since 1974.
    _1LA0921-Edit-firworks-cambridge.tif
  • The July 4, 2018 Boston Massachusetts fireworks celebration lights the sky over Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Over 10,000 pyrotechnic explosions initiated by over 4,000 computer comands originate from barges in the Charles River and the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.  The fireworks can soar as high as 1,500 feet into the summer night sky.  This spectacular event has been a tradition in Boston since 1974.
    _1LA0922-Edit.tif
  • The July 4, 2018 Boston Massachusetts fireworks celebration lights the sky over the MIT Dome and campus.  Over 10,000 pyrotechnic explosions initiated by over 4,000 computer comands originate from barges in the Charles River and the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.  The fireworks can soar as high as 1,500 feet into the summer night sky.  This spectacular event has been a tradition in Boston since 1974.
    _1LA1054-Edit-fireworks-Boston-MIT.tif
  • The July 4, 2018 Boston Massachusetts fireworks celebration lights the sky.  Over 10,000 pyrotechnic explosions initiated by over 4,000 computer comands originate from barges in the Charles River and the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.  The fireworks can soar as high as 1,500 feet into the summer night sky.  This spectacular event has been a tradition in Boston since 1974.
    _1LA1105-Edit-fireworks-Boston-MIT-E...tif
  • The July 4, 2018 Boston Massachusetts fireworks celebration lights the sky over the MIT Dome and campus.  Over 10,000 pyrotechnic explosions initiated by over 4,000 computer comands originate from barges in the Charles River and the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.  The fireworks can soar as high as 1,500 feet into the summer night sky.  This spectacular event has been a tradition in Boston since 1974.
    _1LA1105-Edit-fireworks-Boston-MIT.tif
  • The July 4, 2018 Boston Massachusetts fireworks celebration lights the sky over the MIT Dome and campus.  Over 10,000 pyrotechnic explosions initiated by over 4,000 computer comands originate from barges in the Charles River and the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.  The fireworks can soar as high as 1,500 feet into the summer night sky.  This spectacular event has been a tradition in Boston since 1974.
    _1LA0991-Edit-fireworks-Boston-MIT-c...tif
  • The July 4, 2018 Boston Massachusetts fireworks celebration lights the sky.  Over 10,000 pyrotechnic explosions initiated by over 4,000 computer comands originate from barges in the Charles River and the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.  The fireworks can soar as high as 1,500 feet into the summer night sky.  This spectacular event has been a tradition in Boston since 1974.
    _1LA1050-Edit-fireworks-Boston.tif
  • The July 4, 2018 Boston Massachusetts fireworks celebration lights the sky over the MIT Dome and campus.  Over 10,000 pyrotechnic explosions initiated by over 4,000 computer comands originate from barges in the Charles River and the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.  The fireworks can soar as high as 1,500 feet into the summer night sky.  This spectacular event has been a tradition in Boston since 1974.
    _1LA1106-Edit-fireworks-Boston-MIT.tif
  • The Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) is a common species of wren found in the eastern half of the United States, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico. Their preferred habitat is in dense cover in forests, farm edges and suburban areas. However, Carolina wrens are wary, and are more often heard than seen This wren is the state bird of South Carolina.<br />
There are seven recognized subspecies of the Carolina wren each with slight differences in song and appearance. The Carolina wren is 12.5 to 14.0 cm (4.9 to 5.5 in) long, with a 29 cm (11 in) wingspan and a weight of about 18 to 23 g (0.63 to 0.81 oz).  It is the second largest wren in the United States after the cactus wren.  Carolina wrens raise multiple broods during the summer breeding season.  This photograph captures the elusive wren enduring a winter snowstorm in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _LPA2272-Edit-carolina-wren-bird-sno...tif
  • The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a North American bird also known colloquially as redbird or common cardinal. It can be found from southern Canada, through the eastern United States and south to Mexico. It prefers woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and swamps.  The Northern Cardinal has a body length of 8-9 inches and a wingspan of 10-12 inches.  The male is a vibrant red, while the female has a dull red-brown splotchy plumage. The Northern Cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on fruit or insects.  The cardinal was once prized as a pet, but its sale as cage birds is now banned in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.  This particular female Northern Cardinal is enduring a winter blizzard in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _LPA2234-Edit-female-cardinal-winter...tif
  • The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a North American bird also known colloquially as redbird or common cardinal. It can be found from southern Canada, through the eastern United States and south to Mexico. It prefers woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and swamps.  The Northern Cardinal has a body length of 8-9 inches and a wingspan of 10-12 inches.  The male is a vibrant red, while the female has a dull red-brown splotchy plumage. The Northern Cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on fruit or insects.  The cardinal was once prized as a pet, but its sale as cage birds is now banned in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.  This particular female Northern Cardinal is enduring a winter blizzard in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _LPA2694-Edit-female-cardinal-snow-w...tif
  • Norway Maple leaves (Acer platanoides) lay scattered upon a bed of moss in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _1LA1582-Edit-leaves-moss-Norway-map...tif
  • A garden of Rudbeckia at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts as seen through an 8mm fisheye lens.  Rudbeckia, also commonly known as coneflowers and black-eyed-susans, are native to North America and a member of the sunflower family.  These perennial plants grow 0.5–3 meters (1.6 - 9.8 feet) tall depending on the species and are eaten by some caterpillars, including those of the Cabbage Moth and Dot Moth.  The 8mm fisheye lens used in this photograph provides 180 degrees of view in all directions.
    _LPA0235-Edit-daisy-coneflower-rudbe...tif
  • A garden of Rudbeckia at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts as seen through an 8mm fisheye lens.  Rudbeckia, also commonly known as coneflowers and black-eyed-susans, are native to North America and a member of the sunflower family.  These perennial plants grow 0.5–3 meters (1.6 - 9.8 feet) tall depending on the species and are eaten by some caterpillars, including those of the Cabbage Moth and Dot Moth.  The 8mm fisheye lens used in this photograph provides 180 degrees of view in all directions.
    _LPA0235-Edit-daisy-coneflower-rudbe...tif
  • A bumblebee (genus Bombus) and black beetle gather nectar from amongst the stamens of a hibiscus flower (family Malvaceae) at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts.   Like their relatives the honeybees, bumblebees feed on nectar, using their long hairy proboscis which is folded under the head during flight. Numerous grains of pollen can be seen adherent to this bee’s legs, demonstrating why bumblebees are important agricultural pollinators.  Over 250 species of bumblebee are known, being found primarily at higher altitudes or latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, although they are also found in South America.  <br />
<br />
The hibiscus genus is comprised of several hundred species that are native to subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. They are renowned for their large, showy flowers and are commonly known simply as hibiscus, or less commonly as rose mallow.
    _LPA9289-Edit-bumble-bee-beetle-hibi...tif
  • This Red-tailed Hawk was stalking insects and small rodents in the grass at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  <br />
<br />
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), also sometimes known as a "chicken hawk", is one of the most common buteos in North America.  These hawks most commonly prey on small mammals such as rodents, but they will also consume birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians.  Usually, they will eaither swoop down from an elevated location or attack in midair.  <br />
<br />
These hawks breed throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies.  There are fourteen recognized subspecies, which vary in appearance and range. The Red-tail typically has a wingspan of 43 to 57 inches, being 18 to 26 inches in length and weighing 1.5 to 3.5 pounds, thus making it one of the largest members of the genus Buteo in North America.
    _LPA8028-Edit-red-tailed-hawk-stalki...tif
  • Early morning reflections dance atop the Concord River as it flows through Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts.  The refuge consists of more than 3,800 acres of which roughly 85 percent is comprised of freshwater wetlands stretching along 12 miles of the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. It is a nesting, resting, and feeding habitat for wildlife, especially migratory birds, that is protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Over 220 species of birds have been identified in the refuge.  The first tract of refuge land was donated by Samuel Hoar in 1944.
    _LPA8194-Edit-reflection-tree-river-...tif
  • Early morning reflections dance atop the Concord River as it flows through Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts.  The refuge consists of more than 3,800 acres of which roughly 85 percent is comprised of freshwater wetlands stretching along 12 miles of the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. It is a nesting, resting, and feeding habitat for wildlife, especially migratory birds, that is protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Over 220 species of birds have been identified in the refuge.  The first tract of refuge land was donated by Samuel Hoar in 1944.
    _LPA8189-Edit-reflection-tree-river-...tif
  • Early morning reflections dance atop the Concord River as it flows through Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts.  The refuge consists of more than 3,800 acres of which roughly 85 percent is comprised of freshwater wetlands stretching along 12 miles of the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. It is a nesting, resting, and feeding habitat for wildlife, especially migratory birds, that is protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Over 220 species of birds have been identified in the refuge.  The first tract of refuge land was donated by Samuel Hoar in 1944.
    _LPA8176-Edit-reflection-tree-river-...tif
  • A flock of ducks rest on the frozen ocean mudflats at low tide with the ice and puddles reflecting the pinks, blues and mauves of a winter sunset in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
    Scan-101211-0017-Edit-ice-sunset-duc...tif
  • AJ (age 12) and LB (age 10) marvel at the mirror-like reflection of the woods surrounding Auburn Lake in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _LPA0296-tree-lake-children-pond-woo...tif
  • The blue sky and white snow are reflected in the crystal contours of an icicle at Drumlin Farm, Lincoln, Massachusetts.  (Maco panorama composed of 5 individual images.)
    ice-icicle-blue-white-winter.tif
  • AJ (age 8) jumps for joy over an incoming wave on Crane Beach in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
    _LPA0144-jump-joy-child-wave-girl-be...tif
  • The black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is a small, nonmigratory, North American songbird that lives in deciduous and mixed forests. The chickadee is the state bird of Massachusetts, USA.  Its familiar call of chick-a-dee-dee-dee gave this bird its name.  The chickadee total body length is 12–15 cm (4.7–5.9 in), with a wingspan is 16–21 cm (6.3–8.3 in) and a body mass of 9–14 g (0.32–0.49 oz).   Sexes look alike, but males are slightly larger and longer than females.<br />
<br />
The chickadee has fascinating eating habits.  Insects (especially caterpillars) form a large part of their diet in summer. Seeds and berries become more important in winter.  Like many other species in the family Paridae, black-capped chickadees commonly cache their food, mostly seeds but sometimes insects also.  Items are stored singly in various sites such as bark, dead leaves, clusters of conifer needles, or knotholes. The chickadee can remember the location of caches up to 28 days.   Within the first 24 hours, the birds can even remember the relative quality of the stored items. <br />
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The chichadee is also well known for its uncommon capability to lower its body temperature.  During cold winter nights, these birds can reduce their body temperature by as much as 10 to 12 °C (from their normal temperature of about 42 °C) to conserve energy.
    _LPA2462-Edit-chickadee-winter-snow.tif
  • The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a North American bird also known colloquially as redbird or common cardinal. It can be found from southern Canada, through the eastern United States and south to Mexico. It prefers woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and swamps.  The Northern Cardinal has a body length of 8-9 inches and a wingspan of 10-12 inches.  The male is a vibrant red, while the female has a dull red-brown splotchy plumage. The Northern Cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on fruit or insects.  The cardinal was once prized as a pet, but its sale as cage birds is now banned in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.  This particular female Northern Cardinal is enduring a winter blizzard in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _LPA2421-Edit-female-cardinal-snow-b...tif
  • A sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) hides amongst brown Rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) and green Sea Lettuce (Ulva) in 25 feet of water off Folly Cove in Rockport, Massachusetts. Although also commonly known as "sand eels", the sand lance is not related to true eels. The family and genus name (Ammodytes) means "sand burrower", a reference to the sand lance's habit of burrowing into sand to avoid tidal currents.<br />
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Sand lances are most common in the North Pacific and North Atlantic, but are found in oceans throughout the world. These fish do not have pelvic fins and do not develop swim bladders, being bottom-dwelling as adults. The larval form of the Sand Lance may be the most abundant of all fish larvae in areas such as the northwest Atlantic, serving as a major food for cod, salmon, whales and diving birds such as puffins, auks, terns, and cormorants. Sand lances can control the movement of each eye independently.
    Scan-101211-0010-Edit-fish-sand-lanc...tif
  • This dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) is perched on an Eastern Redbud tree (Cercis canadensis ) during a snowstorm in Belmont, Massachusetts.  Juncos are a genus of small American sparrows that are common across much of temperate North America and in summer may range far into the Arctic. The adult can have a surprising amount of variation in plumage color and details. Males tend to have darker, more conspicuous markings than the females. The dark-eyed junco is 13 to 17.5 cm (5.1 to 6.9 in) long and has a wingspan of 18 to 25 cm (7.1 to 9.8 in).  They may weigh from 18 to 30 g (0.63 to 1.06 oz). The dark-eyed junco song is generally a trill, but calls can include tick sounds and very high-pitched tinkling chips.
    _LPA8427-Edit-Edit-junco-winter-snow.tif
  • Early morning reflections dance atop the Concord River as it flows through Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts.  The refuge consists of more than 3,800 acres of which roughly 85 percent is comprised of freshwater wetlands stretching along 12 miles of the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. It is a nesting, resting, and feeding habitat for wildlife, especially migratory birds, that is protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Over 220 species of birds have been identified in the refuge.  The first tract of refuge land was donated by Samuel Hoar in 1944.
    _LPA8224-Edit-reflection-tree-river-...tif
  • Early morning reflections dance atop the Concord River as it flows through Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts.  The refuge consists of more than 3,800 acres of which roughly 85 percent is comprised of freshwater wetlands stretching along 12 miles of the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. It is a nesting, resting, and feeding habitat for wildlife, especially migratory birds, that is protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Over 220 species of birds have been identified in the refuge.  The first tract of refuge land was donated by Samuel Hoar in 1944.
    _LPA8180-Edit-reflection-tree-river-...tif
  • Ashlyn, age 11, and her grandmother take a rest from paddling their kayaks on the Charles River in Newton, Massachusetts
    IMG_0957-kayak-child-grandmother-gra...tif
  • AJ (age 8) and LB (age 6) share a warm towel after a springtime ocean swim at Crane Beach in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
    _LPA0209-towel-beach-children-crane.tif
  • The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a North American bird also known colloquially as redbird or common cardinal. It can be found from southern Canada, through the eastern United States and south to Mexico. It prefers woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and swamps.  The Northern Cardinal has a body length of 8-9 inches and a wingspan of 10-12 inches.  The male is a vibrant red, while the female has a dull red-brown splotchy plumage. The Northern Cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on fruit or insects.  The cardinal was once prized as a pet, but its sale as cage birds is now banned in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.  This particular male Northern Cardinal is enduring a winter blizzard in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _LPA2396-Edit-cardinal-male-snow-bra...tif
  • An autumn Japanese Maple leaf (Acer palmatum) has fallen on a lichen and moss covered rock in Belmont, Massachusetts.
    _1LA1570-Edit-Japanese-maple-rock-re...tif
  • This Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) is hunting along the edges of a marsh in Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts. This a large, nonvenomous, common water snake native to North America and can grow up to 135 cm (4 ft 5 in) in total length. In the wild, adult females generally weigh between 158.9 and 408 g (5.61 and 14.39 oz) while the smaller male averages from 80.8 to 151 g (2.85 to 5.33 oz). The largest females can weigh up to 560 g (20 oz) while the largest males can weigh 370 g (13 oz). The coloration of the Northern Water Snake is quite variable (brown, gray, reddish, or brownish-black) and they darken with age. Some individuals, as shown here, can become almost completely black. The belly of this snake also varies in color including white, yellow, or gray - usually with reddish or black crescents.<br />
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The Northern Water Snake is found throughout eastern and central North America, from southern Ontario and southern Quebec in the north, to Texas and Florida in the south.  They are active during the day and at night. During the day, they hunt among plants at the water's edge, looking for small fish, frogs, worms, leeches, crayfish, salamanders, small birds and mammals. At night, they concentrate on minnows and other small fish sleeping in shallow water. They hunt using both smell and sight.
    _LPA0789-Edit-northern-water-snake-t...tif
  • Mom and Dad setting milkweed seeds free to fly upon the breeze on a perfect fall day at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts.
    _LPA0296-Edit-sunstar-sun-milkweed.tif
  • The sun shines through the trees and reflections dance atop the Concord River as it flows through Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts.  The refuge consists of more than 3,800 acres of which roughly 85 percent is comprised of freshwater wetlands stretching along 12 miles of the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. It is a nesting, resting, and feeding habitat for wildlife, especially migratory birds, that is protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Over 220 species of birds have been identified in the refuge.  The first tract of refuge land was donated by Samuel Hoar in 1944. (single fisheye exposure)
    _LPA0292-4x6-concord-river-fisheye.tif
  • The sun shines through the trees and reflections dance atop the Concord River as it flows through Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Concord, Massachusetts.  The refuge consists of more than 3,800 acres of which roughly 85 percent is comprised of freshwater wetlands stretching along 12 miles of the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. It is a nesting, resting, and feeding habitat for wildlife, especially migratory birds, that is protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Over 220 species of birds have been identified in the refuge.  The first tract of refuge land was donated by Samuel Hoar in 1944. (single fisheye exposure)
    _LPA0292-concord-river-square.tif
  • A phaleanopsis orchid grown and bloomed by the photographer.  <br />
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Phalaenopsis are also known as Moth Orchids and are native throughout southeast Asia from the Himalayan mountains to the islands of Polillo, Palawan and Zamboanga del Norte in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines and northern Australia.
    IMG_0222-purple-orchid-pair-phaleano...tif
  • A foliose lichen (Xanthoparmelia sp.) dusted by blowing snow clings to the bark of a pine trree
    _LPA8620-lichen-tree-wood-snow.tif
  • Oncidium "Sherry Baby" grown by the photographer delights AJ (age 9) and LB (age 7) with a flower spike over 4 feet tall yielding 57 individual flowers.<br />
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Oncidium is a genus that contains over 330 species of orchids.  It is an extraordinarily large and diverse group from varied habitats. Most species in the Oncidium genus are epiphytes (grow on other plants), although some are lithophytes (grow on rocks) or terrestrials (grow in the ground). They are widespread from northern Mexico, the Caribbean, and some parts of South Florida to South America, usually occurring in seasonally dry areas.  This genus was first described by Olof Swartz in 1800, a Swedish botanist and taxonomist and the first specialist of orchid taxonomy.  The name is derived from the Greek word "onkos", meaning "swelling" due to the callus at the flower's lower lip.
    _LPA2390-orchid-bloom-kids-smile.tif
  • A phaleanopsis orchid grown and bloomed by the photographer.<br />
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Phalaenopsis are also known as Moth Orchids and are native throughout southeast Asia from the Himalayan mountains to the islands of Polillo, Palawan and Zamboanga del Norte in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines and northern Australia.
    _LPA1727-orchid-phaleanopsis-flower-...tif
  • A red phaleanopsis orchid grown and bloomed by the photographer.<br />
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Phalaenopsis are also known as Moth Orchids and are native throughout southeast Asia from the Himalayan mountains to the islands of Polillo, Palawan and Zamboanga del Norte in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines and northern Australia.
    _LPA1772-orchid-phaleanopsis-red-whi...tif
  • A spray of phaleanopsis orchid blossoms grown and bloomed by the photographer surround AJ (age 10) and LB (age 8).<br />
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Phalaenopsis are also known as Moth Orchids and are native throughout southeast Asia from the Himalayan mountains to the islands of Polillo, Palawan and Zamboanga del Norte in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines and northern Australia.
    _LPA4981-orchid-phaleanopsis-kids-fl...tif
  • A phaleanopsis orchid grown and bloomed by the photographer.<br />
<br />
Phalaenopsis are also known as Moth Orchids and are native throughout southeast Asia from the Himalayan mountains to the islands of Polillo, Palawan and Zamboanga del Norte in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines and northern Australia.
    _LPA1718-orchid-phaleanopsis-flower-...tif
  • A brassia orchid grown and bloomed by the photographer.
    _LPA2407-oncidium-yellow-spider-orch...tif
  • A phaleanopsis orchid grown and bloomed by the photographer.<br />
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Phalaenopsis are also known as Moth Orchids and are native throughout southeast Asia from the Himalayan mountains to the islands of Polillo, Palawan and Zamboanga del Norte in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines and northern Australia.
    _LPA1711-orchid-phaleanopsis-orange-...tif
  • A paphiopedilum orchid grown and bloomed by the photographer.
    _LPA4916-orchid-paphiopedilum-flower.tif
  • A Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) approaches an Indian Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) Blossom.  <br />
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The Western or European honey bee is the most common of the 7–12 species of honey bee worldwide, and one of the first domesticated insects.  It is the primary species maintained by beekeepers to this day for both its honey production and pollination activities. With human assistance, the western honey bee now occupies every continent except Antarctica. Because of its wide cultivation, this species is the single most important pollinator for agriculture globally. <br />
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The Indian or Sacred Lotus has roots in the soil of the pond bottom, while the leaves float on top of the water surface or are held well above it. The flowers rise above the leaves and the plant normally grows to a height of about 150 cm (60 inches) and a horizontal spread of up to 3 meters (over 3 feet).  A single leaf may be as large as 60 cm (24 inches) in diameter, while the showy flowers can be up to 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter.  The lotus has a remarkable ability to regulate the temperature of its flowers to within a narrow range.  Lotus flowers have been shown to maintain a temperature of 30–35 °C (86–95 °F), even when the air temperature dropped to 10 °C (50 °F). The Lotus is one of only three species of known thermoregulating, heat-producing, plants. Lotus flowers, seeds, young leaves, and roots are all edible.  An individual lotus can live for over a thousand years and has the rare ability to revive into activity after stasis. In 1994, a seed from a sacred lotus, dated at roughly 1,300 years old ± 270 years, was successfully germinated.<br />
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In Buddhist symbolism, the lotus represents purity of the body, speech, and mind as if floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire. In classical written and oral literature of many Asian cultures, the lotus represents elegance, beauty, perfection, purity and grace.
    _LPA8307-Edit-1-honey-bee-lotus-blos...tif
  • The Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) is a small, formally common, North American songbird inhabiting cattail marshes whose numbers have declined with the loss of suitable wetland habitat. Draining of marshes leads to its local extinction.  These birds forage actively in vegetation, sometimes flying up to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects, but may also consume spiders and snails.  The Marsh Wren sings all day and throughout the night producing a gurgling, rattling trill often used to declare ownership of its territory.  The nest is an oval lump of woven wet grass, cattails, and rushes, which is lined with fine grass, plant down, and feathers.  It is attached to marsh vegetation and entered from the side. Industrious male Marsh Wrens build "dummy nests" in their nesting territories, occasionally up to twenty or more, although most are never used for raising young.  Normally four to six eggs are laid twice each year, although the number can range from three to ten.  The eggs are generally pale brown and heavily dotted with dark brown; although sometimes they may be all white. Only the female incubates the eggs which hatch after 13-16 days. The young leave the nest about 12-16 days after hatching.
    _LPA7641-Edit-marsh-wren-cattail-sin...tif
  • The Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) is a small, formally common, North American songbird inhabiting cattail marshes whose numbers have declined with the loss of suitable wetland habitat. Draining of marshes leads to its local extinction.  These birds forage actively in vegetation, sometimes flying up to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects, but may also consume spiders and snails.  The Marsh Wren sings all day and throughout the night producing a gurgling, rattling trill often used to declare ownership of its territory.  The nest is an oval lump of woven wet grass, cattails, and rushes, which is lined with fine grass, plant down, and feathers.  It is attached to marsh vegetation and entered from the side. Industrious male Marsh Wrens build "dummy nests" in their nesting territories, occasionally up to twenty or more, although most are never used for raising young.  Normally four to six eggs are laid twice each year, although the number can range from three to ten.  The eggs are generally pale brown and heavily dotted with dark brown; although sometimes they may be all white. Only the female incubates the eggs which hatch after 13-16 days. The young leave the nest about 12-16 days after hatching.
    _LPA7637-Edit-marsh-wren-cattail.tif
  • The Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) is a small, formally common, North American songbird inhabiting cattail marshes whose numbers have declined with the loss of suitable wetland habitat. Draining of marshes leads to its local extinction.  These birds forage actively in vegetation, sometimes flying up to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects, but may also consume spiders and snails.  The Marsh Wren sings all day and throughout the night producing a gurgling, rattling trill often used to declare ownership of its territory.  The nest is an oval lump of woven wet grass, cattails, and rushes, which is lined with fine grass, plant down, and feathers.  It is attached to marsh vegetation and entered from the side. Industrious male Marsh Wrens build "dummy nests" in their nesting territories, occasionally up to twenty or more, although most are never used for raising young.  Normally four to six eggs are laid twice each year, although the number can range from three to ten.  The eggs are generally pale brown and heavily dotted with dark brown; although sometimes they may be all white. Only the female incubates the eggs which hatch after 13-16 days. The young leave the nest about 12-16 days after hatching.
    _LPA7636-Edit-marsh-wren-cattail.tif
  • A mini Cattleya Laleliocattleya hybrid orchid bloomed by the photographer.  Cattleya is a genus of 113 species of orchids found from Costa Rica to tropical South America, growing throughout the Amazon region and to the south of Brazil..  The cattleya  is an epiphyte (air plant), which stores water in expanded stems called pseudobulbs. <br />
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The genus was named in 1824 by John Lindley after Sir William Cattley who was the first to bloom a specimen of Cattleya labiata. William Swainson had discovered the new plant in Pernambuco, Brazil, in 1817 and shipped it to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens for identification.  Later, Swainson requested that a few plants be sent to Cattley who was able to bloom one a full year before the plants in Glasgow. It would be another 70 years before a Cattleya would be rediscovered in the wild because of a mixup in the assumed location of the plants. <br />
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Cattleya are widely known for their large, showy flowers. The flowers of the hybrids can vary in size from 2 - 6 inches (5 -15 cm). They occur in all colors except true blue and black.  Cattleya have been hybridized for more than a century.  Beeding Cattleya with Laelia produces Laleliocattleya  and results in a more elongated closed "cone" that gracefully opens into the full lip of the blossom.  Laelia also contributes to the intense violet shade.
    _LPA7239-orchid-flower-cattleya-bloo...tif
  • Dendrobium orchid (Thongchai x Canaliculatum) grown by the photographer, 20 inches tall, with two flower spikes supporting 28 individual blossoms. <br />
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The Dendrobium genus of orchids was established in 1799 and contains about 1,200 species.  Dendrobium grow in diverse habitats throughout much of south, east and southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Borneo, Australia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Zealand.
    _LPA7185-dendrobium-orchid-flower-bl...tif
  • A brown moth (possibly Archips argyrospila) hides under an Asian Lilly leaf.
    _LPA7282-moth-asian-lilly-leaf-insec...tif
  • A European (Western) honey bee (Apis mellifera) gathers pollen from stonecrop blooms
    _LPA8084-honey-bee-flower-stonecrop.tif
  • Dew drops cling to a Funnel Weaver Spider (Agelenidae) web spread over Sedum
    _LPA2016-dew-spider-web-moss-sedum.tif
  • A Funnel Weaver Spider (Agelenidae) tends his dew drop laden web spread across a Sedum groundcover.
    _LPA2009-spider-dew-drops-web.tif
  • Dew drops cling to a Funnel Weaver Spider (Agelenidae) web spread over Sedum
    _LPA1985-dew-spider-web-sedum-rotate...tif
  • AJ (age 7) and her new friend, a common toad  (Bufo bufo).
    2004-06-09-toad-girl-smile.tif
  • A male and female Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) bask on warm rocks in the morning sun.  As is usuall for this species, the female is far larger than the male.<br />
<br />
These snakes can grow up to 135 cm (4 ft 5 in) in total length.  Adult females can weigh up to 408 g (14.4 oz) in average body mass while the smaller males average up to 151 g (5.3 oz). The largest females can weigh up to 560 g (20 oz) while the largest males are 370 g (13 oz). <br />
<br />
Northern Water Snakes are found throughout eastern and central North America, from southern Ontario and southern Quebec in the north, to Texas and Florida in the south.  <br />
<br />
The northern water snake is nonvenomous but can give a painful bite.  They superficially resemble the venomous cottonmouth and are often misidentified. Being active during the day and night, they hunt using both smell and sight. During the day, they hunt among plants at the water's edge, looking for small fish, frogs, worms, leeches, crayfish, salamanders, small birds and mammals. At night, they concentrate on minnows and other small fish sleeping in shallow water. <br />
<br />
This photograph is a two image focus stack.
    _1LA8658m-snake-water-black-pair- ba...tif
  • This female Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) is hunting near the edge of a marsh.  Northern Water Snakes are found throughout eastern and central North America, from southern Ontario and southern Quebec in the north, to Texas and Florida in the south.  They can grow up to 135 cm (4 ft 5 in) in total length.  Adult females can weigh up to 408 g (14.4 oz) in average body mass while the smaller males average up to 151 g (5.3 oz). The largest females can weigh up to 560 g (20 oz) while the largest males are 370 g (13 oz). <br />
<br />
The northern water snake is nonvenomous but can give a painful bite.  They superficially resemble the venomous cottonmouth and are often misidentified. Being active during the day and night, they hunt using both smell and sight. During the day, they hunt among plants at the water's edge, looking for small fish, frogs, worms, leeches, crayfish, salamanders, small birds and mammals. At night, they concentrate on minnows and other small fish sleeping in shallow water.
    _1LA8614-Edit2-snake-water-black-hor...tif
  • This female Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) is hunting near the edge of a marsh.  Northern Water Snakes are found throughout eastern and central North America, from southern Ontario and southern Quebec in the north, to Texas and Florida in the south.  They can grow up to 135 cm (4 ft 5 in) in total length.  Adult females can weigh up to 408 g (14.4 oz) in average body mass while the smaller males average up to 151 g (5.3 oz). The largest females can weigh up to 560 g (20 oz) while the largest males are 370 g (13 oz). <br />
<br />
The northern water snake is nonvenomous but can give a painful bite.  They superficially resemble the venomous cottonmouth and are often misidentified. Being active during the day and night, they hunt using both smell and sight. During the day, they hunt among plants at the water's edge, looking for small fish, frogs, worms, leeches, crayfish, salamanders, small birds and mammals. At night, they concentrate on minnows and other small fish sleeping in shallow water.
    _1LA8614-Edit-snake-water-black-hori...tif
  • This female Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) is basking on warm rocks in the morning sun.  Northern Water Snakes are found throughout eastern and central North America, from southern Ontario and southern Quebec in the north, to Texas and Florida in the south.  They can grow up to 135 cm (4 ft 5 in) in total length.  Adult females can weigh up to 408 g (14.4 oz) in average body mass while the smaller males average up to 151 g (5.3 oz). The largest females can weigh up to 560 g (20 oz) while the largest males are 370 g (13 oz). <br />
<br />
The northern water snake is nonvenomous but can give a painful bite.  They superficially resemble the venomous cottonmouth and are often misidentified. Being active during the day and night, they hunt using both smell and sight. During the day, they hunt among plants at the water's edge, looking for small fish, frogs, worms, leeches, crayfish, salamanders, small birds and mammals. At night, they concentrate on minnows and other small fish sleeping in shallow water.
    _1LA8614-Edit-2-snake-water-black-ho...tif
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