Wilderness Portraits by Lloyd Paul Aiello

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  • The Hemlock Looper or Mournful Thorn (Lambdina fiscellaria) is a moth found in North America, from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast and from Canada south to Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and California.  The wingspan is about 35 mm (1.4 in) and the moth flies from August to early October depending on the location.  The larvae feed on hemlock, balsam fir, white spruce, oak and other hardwoods.  This individual was photographed in Kingfield Maine in August.<br />
<br />
The image is a focus stack of 6 exposures.
    _1LA9738-Edit-hemlock-looper-mournfu...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 />
<br />
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 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 />
<br />
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
  • On August 21, 2017 the path of the first solar eclipses over the Unites States in 38 years traversed approximately 2,500 miles of the country from Newport, Oregon to McClellanville, South Carolina.  Just outside Shoshoni, Wyoming, the path passed over Boysen Reservoir.  At this location, totality lasted 2 minutes and 22 seconds, being at its maximum about 11:40 am.  With the moon blocking the solar disk during totality, red flares called solar prominences become visible at the edge of the dark disk.  The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas composed of electrically charged hydrogen and helium. These prominences look small in relation to the size of the sun, but typically extend over many thousands of kilometers with the largest on record being estimated at over 800,000 kilometres (500,000 miles).  A prominence forms over timescales of about a day and may persist for several weeks or months.<br />
<br />
During the total solar eclipse, the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona becomes visible as it extends millions of miles into space.  The corona consists of extremely hot ionized gases which exceed 1 million degrees Kelvin – 150- to 450-times hotter than the surface of the sun.  Being over 1 million million times less dense and much hotter than the sun’s surface and the solar prominences, the corona actually produces about one-millionth as much visible light, thus becoming visible from earth typically only during a total solar eclipse. The sun’s magnetic fields bend the corona into its remarkable shapes.<br />
<br />
In this image, 10 different photographic exposures of the solar eclipse were composited to show the eclipsing moon, solar prominences and the corona.  The image was then manipulated by a process called embossing where each pixel is replaced either by a highlight or a shadow, depending on light/dark boundaries on the original image.  The final image represents the rate of color change at each location of the original. This approach accentuates the pattern
    total-solar-eclipse-sun-corona-solar...tif
  • On August 21, 2017 the path of the first solar eclipses over the Unites States in 38 years traversed approximately 2,500 miles of the country from Newport, Oregon to McClellanville, South Carolina.  Just outside Shoshoni, Wyoming, the path passed over Boysen Reservoir.  At this location, totality lasted 2 minutes and 22 seconds, being at its maximum about 11:40 am.  With the moon blocking the solar disk during totality, red flares called solar prominences become visible at the edge of the dark disk.  The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas composed of electrically charged hydrogen and helium. These prominences look small in relation to the size of the sun, but typically extend over many thousands of kilometers with the largest on record being estimated at over 800,000 kilometres (500,000 miles).  A prominence forms over timescales of about a day and may persist for several weeks or months.<br />
<br />
During the total solar eclipse, the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona becomes visible as it extends millions of miles into space.  The corona consists of extremely hot ionized gases which exceed 1 million degrees Kelvin – 150- to 450-times hotter than the surface of the sun.  Being over 1 million million times less dense and much hotter than the sun’s surface and the solar prominences, the corona actually produces about one-millionth as much visible light, thus becoming visible from earth typically only during a total solar eclipse. The sun’s magnetic fields bend the corona into its remarkable shapes.<br />
<br />
In this image, 10 different photographic exposures of the solar eclipse were composited to show the eclipsing moon, solar prominences and the corona.  The image was then manipulated by a process called embossing where each pixel is replaced either by a highlight or a shadow, depending on light/dark boundaries on the original image.  The final image represents the rate of color change at each location of the original. This approach accentuates the pattern
    total-solar-eclipse-sun-corona-embos...tif
  • On August 21, 2017 the path of the first solar eclipses over the Unites States in 38 years traversed approximately 2,500 miles of the country from Newport, Oregon to McClellanville, South Carolina.  Just outside Shoshoni, Wyoming, the path passed over Boysen Reservoir.  At this location, totality lasted 2 minutes and 22 seconds, being at its maximum about 11:40 am.  With the moon blocking the solar disk during totality, red flares called solar prominences become visible at the edge of the dark disk.  The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas composed of electrically charged hydrogen and helium. These prominences look small in relation to the size of the sun, but typically extend over many thousands of kilometers with the largest on record being estimated at over 800,000 kilometres (500,000 miles).  A prominence forms over timescales of about a day and may persist for several weeks or months.<br />
<br />
During the total solar eclipse, the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona becomes visible as it extends millions of miles into space.  The corona consists of extremely hot ionized gases which exceed 1 million degrees Kelvin – 150- to 450-times hotter than the surface of the sun.  Being over 1 million million times less dense and much hotter than the sun’s surface and the solar prominences, the corona actually produces about one-millionth as much visible light, thus becoming visible from earth typically only during a total solar eclipse. The sun’s magnetic fields bend the corona into its remarkable shapes.<br />
<br />
In this image, 10 different photographic exposures of the solar eclipse were composited to show the eclipsing moon, solar prominences and the corona.  The image was then manipulated by a process called embossing where each pixel is replaced either by a highlight or a shadow, depending on light/dark boundaries on the original image.  The final image represents the rate of color change at each location of the original. This approach accentuates the pattern
    total-solar-eclipse-sun-corona-embos...tif
  • On August 21, 2017 the path of the first solar eclipses over the Unites States in 38 years traversed approximately 2,500 miles of the country from Newport, Oregon to McClellanville, South Carolina.  Just outside Shoshoni, Wyoming, the path passed over Boysen Reservoir.  At this location, totality lasted 2 minutes and 22 seconds, being at its maximum about 11:40 am.  With the moon blocking the solar disk during totality, red flares called solar prominences become visible at the edge of the dark disk.  The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas composed of electrically charged hydrogen and helium. These prominences look small in relation to the size of the sun, but typically extend over many thousands of kilometers with the largest on record being estimated at over 800,000 kilometres (500,000 miles).  A prominence forms over timescales of about a day and may persist for several weeks or months.<br />
<br />
During the total solar eclipse, the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona becomes visible as it extends millions of miles into space.  The corona consists of extremely hot ionized gases which exceed 1 million degrees Kelvin – 150- to 450-times hotter than the surface of the sun.  Being over 1 million million times less dense and much hotter than the sun’s surface and the solar prominences, the corona actually produces about one-millionth as much visible light, thus becoming visible from earth typically only during a total solar eclipse. The sun’s magnetic fields bend the corona into its remarkable shapes.<br />
<br />
In this image, 10 different photographic exposures of the solar eclipse were composited to show the eclipsing moon, solar prominences and the corona.  The image was then manipulated by a process called embossing where each pixel is replaced either by a highlight or a shadow, depending on light/dark boundaries on the original image.  The final image represents the rate of color change at each location of the original. This approach accentuates the pattern
    total-solar-eclipse-sun-corona-solar...tif
  • LB catches a 19.5 inch Rainbow Trout on a dry fly while flyfishing on the Upper Narrows of the Teton River near Drggs, Idaho. The fish was released unharmed after the photograph.
    _LPA0035-Edit-Rainbow-Trout-Teton-Ri...tif
  • On August 21, 2017 the path of the first solar eclipses over the Unites States in 38 years traversed approximately 2,500 miles of the country from Newport, Oregon to McClellanville, South Carolina.  Just outside Shoshoni, Wyoming, the path passed over Boysen Reservoir and these Cotttonwoods (Populus deltoids), as seen here from the western shore.  At this location, totality lasted 2 minutes and 22 seconds, being at its maximum about 11:40 am.  During totality, there was approximately as much light as during a full moon night, and the sunset like appearance of the horizon extended for 360 degrees surrounding the area.  The totally occluded face of the sun surrounded by the sun’s corona can be seen in the upper right of this single exposure image.   <br />
<br />
Boysen Reservoir is located at 4,732 feet above sea level and was formed after the Wind River was dammed repeatedly in 1908, 1947 and 1952, ultimately creating a 20 mile long, 5.5 mile wide, 19,560 acre lake with 76 miles of shoreline.
    _LPA0362-Edit-total-solar-eclipse-bo...tif
  • On August 21, 2017 the path of the first solar eclipses over the Unites States in 38 years traversed approximately 2,500 miles of the country from Newport, Oregon to McClellanville, South Carolina.  Just outside Shoshoni, Wyoming, the path passed over Boysen Reservoir.  At this location, totality lasted 2 minutes and 22 seconds, being at its maximum about 11:40 am.  With the moon blocking the solar disk during totality, red flares called solar prominences become visible at the edge of the dark disk.  The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas composed of electrically charged hydrogen and helium. These prominences look small in relation to the size of the sun, but typically extend over many thousands of kilometers with the largest on record being estimated at over 800,000 kilometres (500,000 miles).  A prominence forms over timescales of about a day and may persist for several weeks or months.<br />
<br />
During the total solar eclipse, the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona becomes visible as it extends millions of miles into space.  The corona consists of extremely hot ionized gases which exceed 1 million degrees Kelvin – 150- to 450-times hotter than the surface of the sun.  Being over 1 million million times less dense and much hotter than the sun’s surface and the solar prominences, the corona actually produces about one-millionth as much visible light, thus becoming visible from earth typically only during a total solar eclipse. The sun’s magnetic fields bend the corona into its remarkable shapes.<br />
<br />
In this image, 10 different photographic exposures of the solar eclipse were composited to show the eclipsing moon, solar prominences and the corona.  The image was then manipulated by a process involving radial blur subtraction and image offset overlay to accentuate the pattern of the corona. The coloration of the eclipsing moon and the solar prominences were retained in this rendition.  (exposure stack of 10 images)
    total-solar-eclipse-sun-corona-overl...tif
  • On August 21, 2017 the path of the first solar eclipses over the Unites States in 38 years traversed approximately 2,500 miles of the country from Newport, Oregon to McClellanville, South Carolina.  Just outside Shoshoni, Wyoming, the path passed over Boysen Reservoir.  At this location, totality lasted 2 minutes and 22 seconds, being at its maximum about 11:40 am.  With the moon blocking the solar disk during totality, red flares called solar prominences become visible at the edge of the dark disk.  The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas composed of electrically charged hydrogen and helium. These prominences look small in relation to the size of the sun, but typically extend over many thousands of kilometers with the largest on record being estimated at over 800,000 kilometres (500,000 miles).  A prominence forms over timescales of about a day and may persist for several weeks or months.<br />
<br />
During the total solar eclipse, the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona becomes visible as it extends millions of miles into space.  The corona consists of extremely hot ionized gases which exceed 1 million degrees Kelvin – 150- to 450-times hotter than the surface of the sun.  Being over 1 million million times less dense and much hotter than the sun’s surface and the solar prominences, the corona actually produces about one-millionth as much visible light, thus becoming visible from earth typically only during a total solar eclipse. The sun’s magnetic fields bend the corona into its remarkable shapes.<br />
<br />
In this image, 10 different photographic exposures of the solar eclipse were composited to show the eclipsing moon, solar prominences and the corona.  The image was then manipulated by a process involving radial blur subtraction and image offset overlay to accentuate the pattern of the corona. The coloration of the eclipsing moon and the solar prominences were retained in this rendition.  (exposure stack of 10 images)
    total-solar-eclipse-sun-corona-overl...tif
  • On August 21, 2017 the path of the first solar eclipses over the Unites States in 38 years traversed approximately 2,500 miles of the country from Newport, Oregon to McClellanville, South Carolina.  Just outside Shoshoni, Wyoming, the path passed over Boysen Reservoir.  At this location, totality lasted 2 minutes and 22 seconds, being at its maximum about 11:40 am.  With the moon blocking the solar disk during totality, red flares called solar prominences become visible at the edge of the dark disk.  The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas composed of electrically charged hydrogen and helium. These prominences look small in relation to the size of the sun, but typically extend over many thousands of kilometers with the largest on record being estimated at over 800,000 kilometres (500,000 miles).  A prominence forms over timescales of about a day and may persist for several weeks or months.<br />
<br />
During the total solar eclipse, the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona becomes visible as it extends millions of miles into space.  The corona consists of extremely hot ionized gases which exceed 1 million degrees Kelvin – 150- to 450-times hotter than the surface of the sun.  Being over 1 million million times less dense and much hotter than the sun’s surface and the solar prominences, the corona actually produces about one-millionth as much visible light, thus becoming visible from earth typically only during a total solar eclipse. The sun’s magnetic fields bend the corona into its remarkable shapes.<br />
<br />
In this image, 10 different photographic exposures of the solar eclipse were composited to show the eclipsing moon, solar prominences and the corona.  (exposure stack of 10 images)
    total-solar-eclipse-sun-corona-squar...tif
  • A Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) stands silhouetted against a stormy sunset within the 57,930 acre Saguaro National Park in Arizona.  Being composed of 85% water, these 50 foot tall giants can weigh over 8 tons and are the largest member of the cactus family in the United States. Their skin is smooth and waxy with stout, 2-inch spines clustered on their ribs. The outer pulp can expand like an accordion when water is absorbed, increasing the diameter of the stem and raising its weight by up to a ton.  <br />
<br />
The Saguaro generally takes 47 to 67 years to attain a height of 6 feet, and can live for 150 – 200 years.  During that lifetime, a single cactus will produce 40 million seeds; however, in its harsh native environment, only one of these seeds will survive to replace the parent plant.  Indeed, young Saguaro’s must start life under a tree or shrub to prevent them from desiccating.  <br />
<br />
On this particular winter evening, the heavy storm clouds parted to the west shortly before sunset.  As the sun dropped below the horizon, it lit the underside of the stormy sky causing it to blaze with color for less than 5 minutes before the spectacle vanished even more quickly than it had appeared.
    _LPA5546-Edit-saguaro-cactus-sunset-...tif
  • The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper (microptera), native the to southeastern and south central portion of the United States and reaching nearly 3 inches in size, now only exists in Florida and South Carolina
    _LPA8645-eastern-lubber-grasshopper-...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.
    IMG_0222-purple-orchid-pair-phaleano...tif
  • On August 21, 2017 the path of the first solar eclipses over the Unites States in 38 years traversed approximately 2,500 miles of the country from Newport, Oregon to McClellanville, South Carolina.  Just outside Shoshoni, Wyoming, the path passed over Boysen Reservoir.  At this location, totality lasted 2 minutes and 22 seconds, being at its maximum about 11:40 am.  With the moon blocking the solar disk during totality, red flares called solar prominences become visible at the edge of the dark disk.  The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas composed of electrically charged hydrogen and helium. These prominences look small in relation to the size of the sun, but typically extend over many thousands of kilometers with the largest on record being estimated at over 800,000 kilometres (500,000 miles).  A prominence forms over timescales of about a day and may persist for several weeks or months.<br />
<br />
During the total solar eclipse, the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona becomes visible as it extends millions of miles into space.  The corona consists of extremely hot ionized gases which exceed 1 million degrees Kelvin – 150- to 450-times hotter than the surface of the sun.  Being over 1 million million times less dense and much hotter than the sun’s surface and the solar prominences, the corona actually produces about one-millionth as much visible light, thus becoming visible from earth typically only during a total solar eclipse. The sun’s magnetic fields bend the corona into its remarkable shapes.<br />
<br />
In this image, 10 different photographic exposures of the solar eclipse were composited to show the eclipsing moon, solar prominences and the corona.  (exposure stack of 10 images)
    total-solar-eclipse-sun-corona.tif
  • Under a moonless night sky in Death Valley California, headlights from a passing car light the barren landscape at Zambriske Point making it seem as though one is standing on another planet looking out into the universe.  The upper left star cluster is the Pleiades (also known as the Seven Sisters or Messier object 45) which is a 100 million year old formation approximately 130 parsecs (424 light-years) from earth.<br />
<br />
Zabriskie Point is part of the Amargosa Range located on the eastern side of Death Valley.  The area is noted for its erosional landscape, composed of sediments from Furnace Creek Lake, which dried up 5 million years ago—long before Death Valley came into existence.  This ancient lake began forming approximately nine million years ago. During the several million years of the lake's existence, sediments composed of saline muds, mountain gravels, and ashfalls from the then-active Black Mountain volcanic field collected at the bottom of the lake.<br />
<br />
Camels, mastodons, horses, carnivores, and birds left tracks in the lakeshore muds, along with fossilized grass and reeds. Borates were concentrated in the lakebeds from hot spring waters and decomposition of rhyolite in the nearby volcanic fields. Indeed, the location is named after Christian Brevoort Zabriskie, vice-president and general manager of the Pacific Coast Borax Company in the early 20th century. The company's twenty-mule teams were used to transport borax from its mining operations in Death Valley.
    _LPA3780-Edit-stars-death-valley-Zam...tif
  • A Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) stands silhouetted against a stormy sunset within the 57,930 acre Saguaro National Park in Arizona.  Composed of 85% water, these 50-foot-tall giants can weigh over 8 tons and are the largest member of the cactus family in the United States. Their skin is smooth and waxy with stout, 2-inch spines clustered on their ribs. The outer pulp can expand like an accordion when water is absorbed, increasing the diameter of the stem and raising its weight by up to a ton.  <br />
<br />
The Saguaro generally takes 47 to 67 years to attain a height of 6 feet, and can live for 150 – 200 years.  During that lifetime, a single cactus will produce 40 million seeds; however, in its harsh native environment, only one of these seeds will survive to replace the parent plant.  Indeed, young Saguaro’s must start life under a tree or shrub to prevent them from desiccating.  <br />
<br />
On this particular winter evening, the heavy storm clouds parted to the west shortly before sunset.  As the sun dropped below the horizon, it lit the underside of the stormy sky causing it to blaze with color for less than 5 minutes before the spectacle vanished even more quickly than it had appeared.
    _LPA5543-Edit-saguaro-cactus-sunset-...tif
  • A row of Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) stand in silent silhouette as the sun sets in the Arizona desert.  The Saguaro cactus can grow 50-feet-tall, is composed of 85% water, and can weigh over 8 tons.  They are the largest member of the cactus family in the United States. Their skin is smooth and waxy with stout, 2-inch spines clustered on their ribs. The outer pulp can expand like an accordion when water is absorbed, increasing the diameter of the stem and raising its weight by up to a ton.  <br />
<br />
The Saguaro generally takes 47 to 67 years to attain a height of 6 feet, and can live for 150 – 200 years.  During that lifetime, a single cactus will produce 40 million seeds; however, in its harsh native environment, only one of these seeds will survive to replace the parent plant.  Indeed, young Saguaro’s must start life under a tree or shrub to prevent them from desiccating.
    _LPA5558-Edit-saguaro-cactus-sunset-...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 Rusty Tussock Moth or Vapourer (Orgyia antiqua) is native to Europe, but now has a transcontinental distribution.  A striking dimorphism exists between the male and the female moths of this species. The male moth shown here typically has orange to red-brown wings.  Each fore wing has a white comma-shaped (tornal) spot. He has marked plumose (short, bipectinate) antennae and a wingspan between 35 and 38 mm (~1.5 in). The female moth has vestigial wings and is flightless.  Several hundred eggs are laid on the outside of the female's empty cocoon, usually attached to a host plant.  The species overwinters in the egg stage. <br />
<br />
The adult moths do not feed, so only live a short time. In North America, only one generation occurs in a year and fly between May and October.  The males are diurnal, flying during the day, but are occasionally attracted to light.  This individual was photographed during the day in August in Kingfield, Maine.<br />
<br />
The image is a focus stack of 34 exposures.
    _1LA9545-Edit-Edit-Rusty-Tussock-Mot...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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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.
    _LPA7229-mini-cattleya-orchid-bloom-...tif
  • Mini Cattleya orchid grown by the photographer, 9 inches tall, with one flower spike supporting 3 individual blossoms.  <br />
<br />
Cattleya is a genus of 113 species of orchids found from Costa Rica to tropical South America. 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 />
<br />
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.
    _LPA7125-cattleya-orchid-flower-blos...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
  • An Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella) caterpillar searches the bark of a Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) in northern Maine for a suitable location in which to pass the winter.  Found throughout North America except in most northern Canada, they will usually settle under a section of tree bark, a rock, or a log where they produce a natural organic antifreeze that permits then to survive cold temperatures as extreme as -90oF!<br />
<br />
The caterpillars have many names: Wooly Worm, Fuzzy Bear, Hedgehog Caterpillar and Woolly Bear. The timing of their travels and their distinctive banded coloration has led to a robust folklore of their being an established predictor of the severity of the winter to come. <br />
<br />
 In fact, the coloration of the Woolly Bear is a result of its age, species and diet.   A more favorable growing season for the caterpillar results in a narrower red-orange middle band.  As the caterpillars molt, their colors change, acquiring more black and less red.
    _LPA7194-Edit-wooly-worm-caterpillar...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
  • A 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. 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 />
<br />
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.
    _LPA6563-cattleya-orchid-purple-flow...tif
  • The male American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), the largest reptile in North America, attracts a mate by exposing its vulnerable neck and emmitting subaudible vibrations which cause ripples in the water over their back
    _LPA8662-alligator-mating-call-ameri...tif
  • Above the painted desert in Arizona, sheets of heavy rain glow pink at sunset beneath the white clouds of an approaching storm.  The Painted Desert encompasses over 93,500 acres, stretching for over 160 miles, and derives its name for the multitude of colors ranging from lavenders to shades of gray with vibrant reds, oranges and pink.  The area is a long expanse of badland hills and buttes which, although barren and austere, encompass a rainbow of colors due to the colorful sediments of bentonite clay and sandstone. <br />
<br />
The desert is composed of stratified layers of easily erodible siltstone, mudstone, and shale of the Triassic Chinle Formation. These fine-grained rock layers contain abundant iron and manganese compounds which provide the pigments for the various colors of the region.<br />
<br />
The Painted Desert was named by an expedition under Francisco Vázquez de Coronado on his 1540 quest to find the Seven Cities of Cibola, which he located some forty miles east of here. Discovering that the cities were not made of gold, Coronado sent an expedition to find the Colorado River for supplies. The group passed through the colorful landscape and named the area "El Desierto Pintado" - The Painted Desert.
    _LPA0513-Edit-storm-clouds-rain-suns...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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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
  • A House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) forages in a bed of black oil sunflower seed shells.  These finches are 5-6 inches long with a 8-10 inch wingspan and a weight of 0.6-1.0 ounces.  Male coloration varies in intensity with the seasons and is derived from the berries and fruits in the bird's diet. Originally only a resident of Mexico and the southwestern United States, they were introduced to eastern North America in the 1940s. The birds were sold illegally in New York City as "Hollywood Finches".  To avoid prosecution under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, vendors and owners released the birds. House Finches have become naturalized across the Eastern U.S., where now there are an estimated 267 million to 1.7 billion individuals in North America.
    _LPA4586-house-finch-red-bird-sunflo...tif
  • _LPA0097-Edit-boy-jump-teton-river-i...tif
  • A 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. 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 />
<br />
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.
    _LPA6566-cattleya-orchid-purple-flow...tif
  • Mini Cattleya orchid grown by the photographer, 9 inches tall, with one flower spike supporting 3 individual blossoms. <br />
<br />
Cattleya is a genus of 113 species of orchids found from Costa Rica to tropical South America. 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 />
<br />
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.
    _LPA7133-cattleya-orchid-flower-blos...tif
  • Ashlyn (age 11) and Bryce (age 9) recover after a blazing tobaggan run down the snow covered hill on Vose Mountain, Kingfield, Maine
    IMG_0296-toboggan-snow-hill-child-ma...tif
  • A brassia orchid grown and bloomed by the photographer.
    _LPA2407-oncidium-yellow-spider-orch...tif
  • The Rusty Tussock Moth or Vapourer (Orgyia antiqua) is native to Europe, but now has a transcontinental distribution.  A striking dimorphism exists between the male and the female moths of this species. The male moth shown here typically has orange to red-brown wings.  Each fore wing has a white comma-shaped (tornal) spot. He has marked plumose (short, bipectinate) antennae and a wingspan between 35 and 38 mm (~1.5 in). The female moth has vestigial wings and is flightless.  Several hundred eggs are laid on the outside of the female's empty cocoon, usually attached to a host plant.  The species overwinters in the egg stage. <br />
<br />
The adult moths do not feed, so only live a short time. In North America, only one generation occurs in a year and fly between May and October.  The males are diurnal, flying during the day, but are occasionally attracted to light.  This individual was photographed during the day in August in Kingfield, Maine.<br />
<br />
The image is a focus stack of 34 exposures.
    _1LA9545-Edit-Edit-Edit-Rusty-Tussoc...tif
  • The Painted Desert is a spectacular badlands running from near the east end of Grand Canyon National Park southeast into the Petrified Forest National Park. The desert is about 120 miles (190 km) long by about 60 miles (97 km) wide, making it roughly 7,500 square miles (19,425 km2) in area.  The view shown here is from the north portion of The Petrified Forest National Park. The Painted Desert is known for its brilliant and varied colors, including the unusual shades of lavender evident in this photograph.  <br />
<br />
The area resides within a strong rain shadow, giving it a cold desert climate with hot, dry summers and cold, virtually snow-free winters. The annual precipitation is the lowest in northern Arizona and in many places is lower even than Phoenix.<br />
<br />
The desert is composed of stratified layers of easily erodible siltstone, mudstone, and shale of the Triassic Chinle Formation. These fine-grained rock layers contain abundant iron and manganese compounds which provide the pigments for the various colors of the region. The erosion of these layers has resulted in the formation of the characteristic badlands topography of the region. Numerous layers of silicic volcanic ash occur in the Chinle and provide the silica for the petrified logs of the area. An assortment of fossilized prehistoric plants and animals are also found in the region, as well as dinosaur tracks and evidence of early human habitation.<br />
<br />
Desert was named by an expedition under Francisco Vázquez de Coronado on his 1540 quest to find the Seven Cities of Cibola, which he located some forty miles east of The Petrified Forest National Park. Finding that the cities were not made of gold as expected, Coronado sent an expedition to find the Colorado River to resupply his group. Passing through the wonderland of colors, they named the area "El Desierto Pintado", The Painted Desert.
    _LPA0805-Edit-Edit-badlands-painted-...tif
  • An Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella) caterpillar searches the bark of a Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) in northern Maine for a suitable location in which to pass the winter.  Found throughout North America except in most northern Canada, they will usually settle under a section of tree bark, a rock, or a log where they produce a natural organic antifreeze that permits then to survive cold temperatures as extreme as -90oF!<br />
<br />
The caterpillars have many names: Wooly Worm, Fuzzy Bear, Hedgehog Caterpillar and Woolly Bear. The timing of their travels and their distinctive banded coloration has led to a robust folklore of their being an established predictor of the severity of the winter to come. <br />
<br />
 In fact, the coloration of the Woolly Bear is a result of its age, species and diet.   A more favorable growing season for the caterpillar results in a narrower red-orange middle band.  As the caterpillars molt, their colors change, acquiring more black and less red.
    _LPA7170-Edit-wooly-worm-caterpillar...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.
    _LPA1727-orchid-phaleanopsis-flower-...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
  • _LPA0078-Edit-jump-girl-teton-river-...tif
  • The horizon is awash in color for but a few minutes after the sun sets in the Painted Desert, Arizona.  The Painted Desert encompasses over 93,500 acres, stretching for over 160 miles, and derives its name for the multitude of colors ranging from lavenders to shades of gray with vibrant reds, oranges and pink – colors observed here in the evening clouds.  The area is a long expanse of badland hills and buttes which, although barren and austere, encompass a rainbow of colors due to the colorful sediments of bentonite clay and sandstone. <br />
<br />
The desert is composed of stratified layers of easily erodible siltstone, mudstone, and shale of the Triassic Chinle Formation. These fine-grained rock layers contain abundant iron and manganese compounds which provide the pigments for the various colors of the region.<br />
<br />
The Painted Desert was named by an expedition under Francisco Vázquez de Coronado on his 1540 quest to find the Seven Cities of Cibola, which he located some forty miles east of here. Discovering that the cities were not made of gold, Coronado sent an expedition to find the Colorado River for supplies. The group passed through the colorful landscape and named the area "El Desierto Pintado" - The Painted Desert.
    _LPA0527-Edit-desert-sunset-purple-o...tif
  • The Rusty Tussock Moth or Vapourer (Orgyia antiqua) is native to Europe, but now has a transcontinental distribution.  A striking dimorphism exists between the male and the female moths of this species. The male moth shown here typically has orange to red-brown wings.  Each fore wing has a white comma-shaped (tornal) spot. He has marked plumose (short, bipectinate) antennae and a wingspan between 35 and 38 mm (~1.5 in). The female moth has vestigial wings and is flightless.  Several hundred eggs are laid on the outside of the female's empty cocoon, usually attached to a host plant.  The species overwinters in the egg stage. <br />
<br />
The adult moths do not feed, so only live a short time. In North America, only one generation occurs in a year and fly between May and October.  The males are diurnal, flying during the day, but are occasionally attracted to light.  This individual was photographed during the day in August in Kingfield, Maine.<br />
<br />
The image is a focus stack of 34 exposures.
    _1LA9545-Edit-Rusty-Tussock-Moth-Vap...tif
  • _LPA0078-Edit-jump-girl-teton-river-...tif
  • A leafless Foothill Palo Verde tree (Cercidium microphyllum) catches the last light of the day as sunset approaches in Saguaro National Park outside Tucson, Arizona.  The Foothill Palo Verde is one of the most widespread trees of the Sonoran Desert and, although they may live for several hundred years, they are exceedingly slow-growing and typically only reach a height of 10-15 feet (rarely 25-30 feet have been reported). These trees have a very deep root system and are “branch deciduous” with a tendency to have basal branches die-off during periods of severe drought – thus becoming a smaller tree.  This specimen appears dead, having lost its typical small leaves and its green chlorophyll containing bark which can support photosynthesis when the tree has shed its leaves during excessively dry periods.  Despite these adaptations for survival in the adult tree, the seedlings are susceptible to desiccation during the first few months of their lives with only 1.6% of seedlings surviving.<br />
<br />
This image was taken just before sunset in the Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park immediately adjacent to the narrow, paved, one-way Cactus Forest Drive - a portion of which can be seen in the lower right corner of the photograph.  In the foreground are Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia engelmannii).  It had been an unusual cloudy day until just shortly before sunset when the clouds began to dissipate and the sun dropped below the edge of the storm front – bathing the entire landscape in golden light.  The best light lasted literally for less than a minute and I was only able to capture one frame of this scene before the intensity of the spectacle was lost.
    _LPA5536-Edit-tree-palo-verde-saguar...tif
  • A spray of phaleanopsis orchid blossoms grown and bloomed by the photographer surround AJ (age 10) and LB (age 8).<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.
    _LPA4981-orchid-phaleanopsis-kids-fl...tif
  • A House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) perches in front of an azalea that has changed color in the fall.  These finches are 5-6 inches long with a 8-10 inch wingspan and a weight of 0.6-1.0 ounces.  Male coloration varies in intensity with the seasons and is derived from the berries and fruits in the bird's diet. Originally only a resident of Mexico and the southwestern United States, they were introduced to eastern North America in the 1940s. The birds were sold illegally in New York City as "Hollywood Finches".  To avoid prosecution under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, vendors and owners released the birds. House Finches have become naturalized across the Eastern U.S., where now there are an estimated 267 million to 1.7 billion individuals in North America.
    _1LA0704-Edit-bird-house-finch-fall.tif
  • Although not a true spider, Daddy longlegs (order Opiliones) go by many names including harvestman, cellar spiders, granddaddy long-legs, carpenter spider, daddy long-legger, vibrating spider and skull spider.  Daddy longlegs are closely related to scorpions (order Scorpiones) but, because of their appearance, are often mistaken as spiders (order Araneida or Araneae). However, unlike true spiders, in which the body is divided into two distinct segments, daddy longlegs look as though they have only one segment because of a broad fusion that makes the juncture between the two segments almost indiscernible.  They are widely distributed and abundant in both temperate and tropical climates of both hemispheres.<br />
<br />
The body of a daddy longlegs is 0.6 to 23 mm (0.02 to 0.9 inch) long, although the bodies of most species are between 3 and 7 mm (0.12 and 0.28 inch). The legs can exceed 15 cm (5.9 inches) in length.  Many species of daddy longlegs are omnivorous, feeding on small insects, mites, spiders, snails, and vegetable matter.  Daddy longlegs typically have two eyes located on a central knob on the front of the body although certain types lack eyes. Eggs are laid in the soil in autumn and hatch with the warmth of spring. Many species of daddy longlegs live less than one year, although some may survive for several years.<br />
<br />
This individual was photographed on a screen door retroilluminated by the early morning sunlight where over 100 daddy longlegs had congregated to feed on small insects attracted to a nearby light left on overnight.
    _1LA9448-Edit-daddy-longlegs-spider-...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 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 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
  • This Amaryllis was grown by the photographer and was nearly 3 feet tall (>90 cm) with a bloom 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter. The popular houseplant called Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) is a genus of about 90 species and over 600 hybrids.  The genus has been intensely bred and cultivated since the early nineteenth century to produce large colorful showy flowers. The bulbs are generally between 5–12 cm (2"–5") in diameter and produce two to seven evergreen or deciduous leaves that are 30–90 cm (12"–36") long and 2.5–5 cm (1"–2") wide. The leaves develop after flowering.<br />
<br />
The blooms (2-14 flowers) are supported on an erect hollow stem which is generally 20–75 cm (12"–30") tall and 2.5–5 cm (1"–2") in diameter.  Each flower is generally 13–20 cm (5"–8") across.<br />
<br />
Hippeastrum species are concentrated in Eastern Brazil and the central southern Andes of Peru, Bolivia and Argentina, on the eastern slopes.  Some species are found as far north as Mexico and the West Indies.  The genus is thought to have originated in Brazil where at least 34 of the species have been found.  Their habitat is mainly tropical and subtropical.<br />
<br />
Hippeastrum breeding began in 1799 by Arthur Johnson, a watchmaker in Prescot, England.  Johnson shared his work with the Liverpool Botanic Garden which was fortunate, since his greenhouse was destroyed in a fire. His hybrid was being cultivated in the US by the mid-nineteenth century.<br />
<br />
The late 19th and early 20th century saw Amaryllis breeding develop in the United States, particularly in Texas, California, and Florida.  In 1946, two Dutch growers moved to South Africa and began cultivation there. Although most cultivars of Hippeastrum come from the Dutch and South African sources, bulbs are now being developed in the United States, Japan, Israel, India, Brazil and Australia. <br />
<br />
Brazil alone produces 17 million Hippeastrum bulbs annually.<br />
<br />
Hippeastrum has yielded at least 64 isoquinoline alkaloids, which include anti-parasitic and psychop
    _LPA0385 copy.tif
  • Badlands in Petrified Forest National Park.
    _LPA0808-Edit-badlands-painted-deser...tif
  • A lone hiker watches the first touch of sunrise wash a desert sanstone butte near Goblin Valley, Utah.
    P-000167-hoodoo-utah-goblin-sunrise-...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 />
<br />
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
  • 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
  • Blooming beneath the stars, an Indian Blanketflower (Gaillardia pulchella) is bathed by the warm light of a nearby cabin at Kestrel Ranch outside Cody Wyoming.  The blossoms of Indian Blanketflower are up to about 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) across There are 12 species of Blanketflower native to the United States, at least one species of which is found in every state.  Gaillardia pulchella is the most widespread of them all.  <br />
<br />
The Andromeda galaxy is visible as the tilted disk of stars to the upper right of the photograph.  Also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, it is a spiral galaxy approximately 780 kiloparsecs (2.5 million light-years) from Earth. It is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way.   Andromeda is approximately 220,000 light years across, and it is the largest galaxy of the Local Group, which also contains the Milky Way, the Triangulum Galaxy, and other smaller galaxies. Andromeda contains one trillion stars, at least twice the number of stars in the Milky Way.  <br />
<br />
(focus stack of 3 images)
    _LPA9869-Edit-indian-blanketflower-d...tif
  • _LPA0079-Edit-jump-girl-teton-river-...tif
  • A lone hiker watches the first touch of sunrise wash a desert sanstone butte near Goblin Valley, Utah.
    P-000167-hoodoo-utah-goblin-sunrise-...tif
  • A paphiopedilum orchid grown and bloomed by the photographer.
    _LPA4916-orchid-paphiopedilum-flower.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.
    _LPA1711-orchid-phaleanopsis-orange-...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
  • 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
  • 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 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 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
  • A red 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.
    _LPA1772-orchid-phaleanopsis-red-whi...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
  • 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
  • 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 is a dull red-brown shade. The Northern Cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on fruit or insects as shown here (note the wasp in the bird's beak).  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 in the process of eating a wasp as it perches in a Red Maple (Acer rubrum) that is just coming into bloom.
    _LPA5920-cardinal, male-wasp-eating-...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 is a dull red-brown shade. The Northern Cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on fruit or insects as shown here (note the wasp in the bird's beak).  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 in the process of eating a wasp as it perches in a Red Maple (Acer rubrum) that is just coming into bloom.
    _LPA5920-cardinal, male-wasp-eating-...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
  • An Indian Blanketflower (Gaillardia pulchella) blooms amongst sagebrush beneath the Absaroka Mountains at Kestrel Ranch outside Cody Wyoming.<br />
<br />
<br />
The blossoms of Indian Blanketflower are up to about 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) across There are 12 species of Blanketflower native to the United States, at least one species of which is found in every state.  Gaillardia pulchella is the most widespread of them all.
    _LPA9829-Edit-indian-blanketflower-r...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
  • 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.
    _LPA2623-Edit-tufted-titmouse-bird-s...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.
    _LPA2245-Edit-tufted-titmouse-winter...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 planet Jupiter is reflected in the Carrabassett River of northern Maine as it sets along with the Milky Way in late August.  Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in our Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass one-thousandth that of the Sun, but two-and-a-half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined. When viewed from Earth, Jupiter can be bright enough for its reflected light to cast shadows, and it is generally the fourth-brightest natural object in the sky after the Sun, Moon and Venus (although at times Mars can be brighter than Jupiter).  Jupiter has 79 known moons.<br />
<br />
The Milky Way is the second-largest galaxy in our Local Group, with its stellar disk approximately 100,000 light years in diameter and, on average, approximately 1,000 light years thick. The Milky Way is approximately 1.5 trillion times the mass of the Sun. To compare the relative physical scale of the Milky Way, if our Solar System out to Neptune were the size of a US quarter (24.3 mm; 0.955 in), the Milky Way would be approximately the size of the entire contiguous United States.  The Milky Way It is estimated to contain 100–400 billion stars and more than 100 billion planets.<br />
<br />
This is a single image taken while standing in the middle of the Carrabassett River.  The rocks were briefly illuminated with a headlamp during the 20 second exposure.
    _1LA0592-Edit-milky-way-stars-jupite...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
  • The headlamps of four mountaineering groups are seen ascending Mount Bierstadt in the predawn light under a star-filled Colorado sky (3:30am).  Mount Bierstadt at 14,068 feet (4287 m) was first climbed in 1863 and is the 38th tallest peak in Colorado and the 44th tallest in the continental United States.  Groups typically begin their ascent in the early morning so as to complete the 6.9 mile trail and be off the mountain before the danger of afternoon thunderstorms common in this area.
    _1LA9361-predawn-ascent-Mount-Bierst...tif
  • An American mink defiantly protects its recent catch of a meadow vole alongside the marsh at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.<br />
<br />
The American mink (Neovison vison) is native to North America, although its range has spread to many parts of Europe and South America. Since the extinction of the sea mink, the American mink is the only living member of the genus Neovison. The American mink is a carnivore that feeds on rodents, fish, crustaceans, frogs, and birds. It kills vertebrate prey by biting the back of the head or neck as seen in this photograph.  The meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) captured here, is one of the American mink’s primary food sources throughout its range including Canada, Alaska, and the northern United States.<br />
<br />
The American mink has a long body which allows the species to enter the burrows of prey. Its streamlined shape helps it to reduce water resistance when swimming and the thick underfur and oily guard hairs render its coat water-resistant.  In warm water (24 °C or 75 °F), the American mink can swim for three hours without stopping.  However, in cold water it can die within 27 minutes. It generally dives to depths of 12 in (30 cm) for 10 seconds, though depths of 3 m lasting 60 seconds have been recorded. It typically catches fish after five- to 20-second chases.  American mink molt twice a year, in spring and autumn.  The fur does not turn white in winter.<br />
<br />
Males measure 13–18 in (34–45 cm) in body length, while females measure 12–15 in (31–37.5 cm). The tail measures 6–10 inches (15.6–24.7 cm) in males and 6–8 in (14.8–21.5 cm) in females. In winter, males weigh 1–3 lb (500–1,580 g) and females 1–2 lb (400–780 g).  Maximum weight is achieved in autumn.<br />
<br />
The summer fur is generally shorter, sparser and duller than the winter fur.[11] The thick underfur and oily guard hairs render the pelage water-resistant, with the length of the guard hairs being intermediate between those of otters and polecats, thus ind
    _LPA7599-Edit-american-mink-meadow-v...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). The song of the American goldfinch is a series of musical warbles and twitters, often with a long note.  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.tif
  • An American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) remains so motionless among the arrowhead plants (Sagittaria sp.) while hunting in a Florida marsh that a fly has landed and is walking across the Alligator’s nose. The American Alligator is the largest reptile in North America and is endemic to the southeastern United States ranging from Texas to North Carolina.  Adults can be up to 16 feet long (5 m) and can weigh 1,320 pounds (600 kg).  They will prey on anything that comes in or near the water including documented successful attacks on fish, turtles, crabs, birds, muskrats, racoons, dogs, cats, wild boars, bobcats, deer, calves and humans.  They will also eat fruit.  Adult alligators also spend considerable time hunting on land, up to 170 feet (50 m) from water, ambushing terrestrial animals on trail-sides and road shoulders. Such terrestrial hunting generally occurs on warm nights.  The alligator is capable of biting though a turtle's shell or a moderately sized mammal bone.  American alligators have been documented to use lures to hunt birds.  By balancing sticks and branches on their heads, American alligators are able to lure, catch and consume birds looking for suitable nesting material. During the breeding season, alligators bellow to declare territory and locate suitable mates, with males using infrasound to attract females. From 20 – 50 eggs are laid in a nest of vegetation, sticks, leaves, and mud in a sheltered spot in or near the water. Those eggs which are hatched at a temperature of 93 °F (34 °C) or more become males, while those at experiencing temperatures of 86 °F  (30 °C) or lower become female. Young are born with yellow bands around their bodies and are protected by their mother for up to one year.  Young alligators grow 3 - 8 inches (7.6 - 20.3 cm) a year and reach adulthood at 6 ft (1.8 m).
    _LPA6052-Edit-american-alligator-fly...tif
  • This Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcate) is climbing the blooms of a Dendrobium orchid. Primarily nocturnal in habit, it has become expert at camouflage by mimicking the shape and colors of the leaves upon which it feeds.  <br />
<br />
Insects in this family (Tettigoniidae) are commonly called katydids or bush crickets and more than 6,400 species are known. The Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid, is native to the United States and widespread in the eastern and southeastern regions.  Adults are 14 - 75mm (0.55 - 2.95 inches) in length and have excellent eyesight.  <br />
<br />
Katydids have much longer antennae than grasshoppers, averaging 39mm (1.53 inches) and they only produce one generation annually since the eggs require a rest period.  <br />
<br />
The males have sound-producing organs located on the hind angles of their front wings. The males use this sound for courtship, which occurs late in the summer. The sound is produced by rubbing two parts of their bodies together, a process called stridulation. The males call 24-hours a day using 2-3 chirps followed by various periods of silence while waiting for a female to respond.  The insect gets its name from the sound of the male’s call: “Katy-did”. <br />
<br />
The tempo of the calls is governed by ambient temperature.  For American katydids, the number of chirps in 15 seconds plus 37 will be close to the outside temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
    _LPA2473-Edit-katydid-climbing-dendr...tif
  • This Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcate) is perched atop the budding flower stalk of a Dendrobium orchid. Primarily nocturnal in habit, it has become expert at camouflage by mimicking the shape and colors of the leaves upon which it feeds.  Insects in this family (Tettigoniidae) are commonly called katydids or bush crickets and more than 6,400 species are known. The Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid, is native to the United States and widespread in the eastern and southeastern regions.  Adults are 14 - 75mm (0.55 - 2.95 inches) in length and have excellent eyesight.  Katydids have much longer antennae than grasshoppers, averaging 39mm (1.53 inches) and they only produce one generation annually since the eggs require a rest period.  The males have sound-producing organs located on the hind angles of their front wings. The males use this sound for courtship, which occurs late in the summer. The sound is produced by rubbing two parts of their bodies together, a process called stridulation. The males call 24-hours a day using 2-3 chirps followed by various periods of silence while waiting for a female to respond.  The insect gets its name from the sound of the male’s call: “Katy-did”. The tempo of the calls is governed by ambient temperature.  For American katydids, the number of chirps in 15 seconds plus 37 will be close to the outside temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
    _LPA2586-Edit-fork-tailed-katydid-de...tif
  • A male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) stands in a bed of black oil sunflower seed shells as he forages for food.  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 is a dull red-brown shade. 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.
    _LPA4554-cardinal-bird-sunflower-see...tif
  • The Galactic Center of the Milky Way sets over the Carrabassett River of northern Maine in late August.  The Galactic Center is the rotational center of the Milky Way and where it appears brightest. It is 26,490 light years away from Earth in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. The Milky Way is the second-largest galaxy in our Local Group, with its stellar disk approximately 100,000 light years in diameter and, on average, approximately 1,000 light years thick. The Milky Way is approximately 1.5 trillion times the mass of the Sun. To compare the relative physical scale of the Milky Way, if our Solar System out to Neptune were the size of a US quarter (24.3 mm; 0.955 in), the Milky Way would be approximately the size of the entire contiguous United States.  The Milky Way It is estimated to contain 100–400 billion stars and more than 100 billion planets.<br />
<br />
This image is a focus stack of 3 photographs where the foreground was briefly illuminated with a headlamp during each 20 second exposure.
    _1LA0600-Edit.tif
  • The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the second-tallest living bird in the world exceeded only by the ostrich. Emus are endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and is found throughout most of mainland Australia.  <br />
<br />
Emus are soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds with long necks and legs, and can reach up to 1.9 meters (6.2 ft) in height. Emus range in length from 139 to 164 cm (55 to 65 in).  They are the fifth heaviest living bird in the world after the two species of ostrich and two larger species of cassowary.  Adult emus weigh between 18 and 60 kg (40 and 132 lb), with an average of 31.5 and 37 kg (69 and 82 lb) in males and females, respectively.<br />
<br />
Emus can travel great distances, and when necessary they can sprint at 50 km/h (31 mph) due to their highly specialized pelvic limb musculature.  They flap their wings when running, perhaps as a means of stabilizing themselves when moving fast.  When walking, the emu takes strides of about 100 cm (3.3 ft), but at full gallop, a stride can be as long as 275 cm (9 ft). Emus have good eyesight and hearing.<br />
<br />
Emus primarily eat plants and insects but can go for weeks without eating. They drink infrequently but ingest large amounts of water when they do.  Emus breed in May and June.  The male incubates the eggs and hardly eats or drinks during that time, losing a significant amount of weight. The eggs hatch after about eight weeks, and the young are nurtured by their fathers. Emus reach full size after about six months.  The emu plumage varies in color due to environmental factors.  Feathers of emus in more arid areas with red soils have a rufous tint while birds residing in damp conditions are generally darker in hue. The juvenile plumage develops at about three months with the head and neck being especially dark. The adult plumage has developed by about fifteen months.
    _1LA3223-Edit-juvenile-emu-eye.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
  • 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 />
<br />
The song of the American goldfinch is a series of musical warbles and twitters, often with a long note.  <br />
<br />
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
  • Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) stand tall near a hill summit, silhouetted as the sun sets in the Arizona desert.  The Saguaro cactus can grow 50-feet-tall, is composed of 85% water, and can weigh over 8 tons.  They are the largest member of the cactus family in the United States. Their skin is smooth and waxy with stout, 2-inch spines clustered on their ribs. The outer pulp can expand like an accordion when water is absorbed, increasing the diameter of the stem and raising its weight by up to a ton.  <br />
<br />
The Saguaro generally takes 47 to 67 years to attain a height of 6 feet, and can live for 150 – 200 years.  During that lifetime, a single cactus will produce 40 million seeds; however, in its harsh native environment, only one of these seeds will survive to replace the parent plant.  Indeed, young Saguaro’s must start life under a tree or shrub to prevent them from desiccating.
    _LPA5469-Edit-saguaro-cactus-sunset-...tif
  • A fiery Arizona desert sunset blazes behind a group of Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) growing along a mountain ridgeline.  The Saguaro cactus can grow 50-feet-tall, is composed of 85% water, and can weigh over 8 tons.  They are the largest member of the cactus family in the United States. Their skin is smooth and waxy with stout, 2-inch spines clustered on their ribs. The outer pulp can expand like an accordion when water is absorbed, increasing the diameter of the stem and raising its weight by up to a ton.  <br />
<br />
The Saguaro generally takes 47 to 67 years to attain a height of 6 feet, and can live for 150 – 200 years.  During that lifetime, a single cactus will produce 40 million seeds; however, in its harsh native environment, only one of these seeds will survive to replace the parent plant.  Indeed, young Saguaro’s must start life under a tree or shrub to prevent them from desiccating.
    _LPA5465-Edit-saguaro-cactus-sunset-...tif
  • This Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid (Scudderia furcate) is perched atop a Dendrobium orchid flower. Primarily nocturnal in habit, it has become expert at camouflage by mimicking the shape and colors of the leaves upon which it feeds.  <br />
<br />
Insects in this family (Tettigoniidae) are commonly called katydids or bush crickets and more than 6,400 species are known. The Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid, is native to the United States and widespread in the eastern and southeastern regions.  Adults are 14 - 75mm (0.55 - 2.95 inches) in length and have excellent eyesight.  <br />
<br />
Katydids have much longer antennae than grasshoppers, averaging 39mm (1.53 inches) and they only produce one generation annually since the eggs require a rest period.  <br />
<br />
The males have sound-producing organs located on the hind angles of their front wings. The males use this sound for courtship, which occurs late in the summer. The sound is produced by rubbing two parts of their bodies together, a process called stridulation. The males call 24-hours a day using 2-3 chirps followed by various periods of silence while waiting for a female to respond.  The insect gets its name from the sound of the male’s call: “Katy-did”. <br />
<br />
The tempo of the calls is governed by ambient temperature.  For American katydids, the number of chirps in 15 seconds plus 37 will be close to the outside temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
    _LPA2564-Edit-katydid-perched-dendro...tif
  • The last light of an Arizona desert sunset silhouettes the Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) growing along a distant ridge.  The Saguaro cactus can grow 50-feet-tall, is composed of 85% water, and can weigh over 8 tons.  They are the largest member of the cactus family in the United States. Their skin is smooth and waxy with stout, 2-inch spines clustered on their ribs. The outer pulp can expand like an accordion when water is absorbed, increasing the diameter of the stem and raising its weight by up to a ton.  <br />
<br />
The Saguaro generally takes 47 to 67 years to attain a height of 6 feet, and can live for 150 – 200 years.  During that lifetime, a single cactus will produce 40 million seeds; however, in its harsh native environment, only one of these seeds will survive to replace the parent plant.  Indeed, young Saguaro’s must start life under a tree or shrub to prevent them from desiccating.
    _LPA5471-Edit-saguaro-cactus-sunset-...tif
  • The headlamps of four mountaineering groups are seen ascending Mount Bierstadt in the predawn light under a star-filled Colorado sky streaked by the annual Perseid meteor shower.  Mount Bierstadt at 14,068 feet (4287 m) was first climbed in 1863 and is the 38th tallest peak in Colorado and the 44th tallest in the continental United States.  Groups typically begin their ascent in the early morning so as to complete the 6.9 mile trail and be off the mountain before the danger of afternoon thunderstorms common in this area.<br />
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Best observed in the Northern Hemisphere and down to the mid-southern latitudes, the annual Perseid meteor shower occurs each summer when the earth passes through a stream of dust from comet Swift-Tuttle.  Comet Swift-Tuttle is the largest object known to repeatedly pass by earth and has a nucleus 16 miles (26 kilometers) wide. It last passed by earth during its orbit around the sun in 1992 and will next do so in 2126.<br />
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This image is a composite of 10 photographs over a total of 171 seconds between 3:21am and 3:30am which captured a total of 34 meteors.
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  • A young Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) fledgling begs for food at the edge of Halycon Lake in Mount Auburn Cemetery. <br />
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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 />
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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 />
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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 />
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Male red-wing blackbirds grow to 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.
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