View allAll Photos Tagged BiosphereReserve
As the sun begins to set on the West Coast, the last strong rays touch on the inselbergs and taller Joshua trees of the high Mojave Desert in Joshua Tree National Park.
Captured near the parking lot for the Barker Dam Nature Trail, I like the way the light is caught only by the tallest inselberg, the spines of the Joshua Trees, and the few clouds in the sky.
Recognition:
Selected for Display - JUN 2023 San Diego County Fair International Exhibition of Photography (Monochrome Landscape category
Accepted for Display - OCT 2022 Darkroomers Photographic Club, and can be found in the Photographic Arts Building in Balboa Park, San Diego.
It's peak shrouded by heavy rain clouds, Going-to-the-Sun Mountain is still an impressive feature in Glacier National Park.
During my visit here, the park crossing road, which is named for and travels around this mountain, was still closed to vehicular traffic. I had so hoped to see much more of the splendor of the 'Crown of the Continent', but it was not meant to be.
I did stop for a brief hike on the Sun Point Nature Trail on the north bank of Saint Mary Lake. The rain had stopped briefly when I started hiking, but returned about 10 minutes in. That, combined with a ranger stopping by the parking lot to warn me of a grizzly sighting in the area, made me keep my visit on this side of the park short. I hope to return at some point and see more of this amazing place.
In Genesis, it is said that God created the grass, and herbs, and trees on the third day, and on the fourth day He created the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.
Perhaps this is what the fourth day looked like, before there were animals and people and all that we know today.
Select Fine Art prints of this and other images can be purchased at bit.ly/ProPeak
September is the end of Milky Way season in the Northern Hemisphere. Last week, I joined a group of photographers for a quick trip out to the Pumpkin Patch in Anza Borrego State Park to attempt a little astrophotography.
The Pumpkin Patch is made up of spheroid shaped rocks, geologically known as concretions. While not rare, it is not often you find them in large groupings like this. Anza Borrego is hot this time of year, the temperatures were above 100°F at sunset, and only cooled down to the mid-90's, by the time I departed around 2130.
As the group began to pack up and prepare for departure, I captured a last frame that caught the red tail-lights illuminating the more distant "pumpkins" in an almost orange hue, and I thought of Linus with his faithful pal Charlie Brown waiting in the patch for the Great Pumpkin to appear.
On location in Anza Borrego State Park to capture Milky Way images above the formation known as the Pumpkin Patch, the temperature was searing at 98°F around sunset, with very little air movement at ground level.
As I waited for nightfall, the few clouds in the sky put on quite a show with the assistance of the sun in its final throes of the day. To the west, these lower stratus clouds took on a brilliant red hue, contrasting nicely with the pale blue sky and white altostratus at higher elevation.
But, what really worked for me was the appearance of the two closest clouds, which had a somewhat ominous look of Chinese style dragons in flight, the lower one having just pulsed its wings and stretched out for full speed, while the upper rears its head in a beckoning cry.
Recognition:
Accepted for Display - JAN 2023 Darkroomers Photographic Club at the Photographic Arts Building in Balboa Park, San Diego.
On the Cuenca - Molleturo route, the first lagoons to appear are Llaviucu and the Toreadora.
There I enjoyed the moorland and quinoa forests, which form dreamlike landscapes.
Loma de Tres Cruces/The Three Crosses Hill:
It is one of the highest parts of the Park where the watershed is located between those that go to the Amazon and those that move towards the Pacific.
The García Moreno Road crosses there and tradition tells that it owes its name to the many dead people who tried to spend the night on their trip from the coast, but who, due to the intense cold of the night, failed to see the sunrise.
We took an amazing walk in the highlands through the moorland ecosystem of wetlands and lakes to get to the unique forest of polylepis trees. These are the highest growing trees in the world and are native to South America.
Sunlight breaks through the redwood canopy to shed some light on young trees and the forest undergrowth. On a cool December morning, the first day of winter, the rays are seemingly carried by mist, creating an ethereal scene.
This is the Jedediah Smith old-growth grove of Redwood National and State Parks in northern California.
Select Fine Art prints of this and other images can be purchased at bit.ly/ProPeak
Humidity and high altitude with low atmospheric pressure create an ecosystem that accumulates organic material in the soil that is able to retain water. The high grassland ecosystem (páramo) contains plants suitably adapted to it, 19 of them endemic to Cajas.
The dominant plant is straw grass (Calamagrostis intermedia).
This extremely wet and foggy area feeds rivers that flow into Cuenca and is considered a major conservation area for birds, mammals and flora: in fact, this is the most biologically diverse portion of páramo in the entire Andes range.
The park includes approximately 768 lakes in an area of 70,533 acres. It is one of the most important water sources in Cuenca and Ecuador. It has gained international prominence in several categories:
*Wetland of International Importance in 2002 by RAMSAR, *Area of International Importance for the Conservation of Birds by IBA in 2003, and
*Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2013.
We started the tour with a hike through the ecosystem of primary montane forest or cloud forest.
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What is an Andean forest?
At this moment, I am surrounded by an Andean forest, also known as cloud forest due to the high humidity in this place. I could find them along the high Andean mountains. In Cajas Massif, these forests are located between 1,000 and 3,600 meters a.s.l. While I hiked on this trail, I witnessed the importance of caring for this forest.
The highest point is the 4,450 m high Cerro Arquitectos (Architects Hill), and the elevation of roads reaches higher than 4,310 meters (13,550 feet). About 270 lakes and lagoons can be found in the páramo of Cajas. Luspa is the largest of these lake and extends over 78 hectares with a maximum depth of 68 m at a perimeter of 5,161 m. Like the other lakes it is of glacial origin, and glaciation shaped the landscape of Cajas leaving U-shaped valleys and ravines. Cajas provides about 60% of the drinking water for the Cuenca area. Two of the four rivers of Cuenca originate from Cajas, the Tomebamba and Yanuncay rivers which eventually drain into the Amazon river.
On the Cuenca - Molleturo route, the first lagoons to appear are Llaviucu and the Toreadora. There you can enjoy the moorland and quinoa forests, which form dreamlike landscapes.
Standing in the midst of Teddy-bear Chollas staring into the sunrise is an amazing experience. The cold desert is aglow with warm sunlight, and the cacti appear to be aflame.
Fortunately, although this was taken at the same time wildfires ravaged the northern and central California coastlines, there were no actual fires near Joshua Tree NP.
Our hearts and prayers remain with all of our neighbors to the north who have suffered tremendous losses, during these difficult last couple of weeks.
Select Fine Art prints of this and other images can be purchased at bit.ly/ProPeak
We took an amazing walk in the highlands through the moorland ecosystem of wetlands and lakes to get to the unique forest of polylepis trees. These are the highest growing trees in the world and are native to South America.
On my trek to or from the Charles Darwin Research Station, I encountered a vibrant giant dragon. This is the archway entrance to Jardín Cerámica. Stopped in and looked around.
The Ceramic Garden is the fascinating, playful and colorful passion of longtime local artist Cristina Nelson Gallardo. Her fertile imagination and talent amused and delighted me with dazzling mosaic artwork.
The marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), also known as the sea iguana, saltwater iguana, or Galápagos marine iguana, is a species of iguana found only on the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) that has the ability, unique among modern lizards, to forage in the sea, making it a marine reptile.
This iguana feeds almost exclusively on algae, and large males dive to find this food source, while females and smaller males feed during low tide in the intertidal zone.
They mainly live in colonies on rocky shores where they warm after visiting the relatively cold water or intertidal zone, but can also be seen in marshes, mangrove and beaches.
Large males defend territories for a short period, but smaller males have other breeding strategies. After mating, the female digs a nest hole in the soil where she lays her eggs, leaving them to hatch on their own a few months later.
The most abundant marine mammal in the Archipelago, Galapagos sea lions can often be seen sleeping on the beaches or swimming close to shore.
Humidity and high altitude with low atmospheric pressure create an ecosystem that accumulates organic material in the soil that is able to retain water. The high grassland ecosystem (páramo) contains plants suitably adapted to it, 19 of them endemic to Cajas. The dominant plant is straw grass (Calamagrostis intermedia).
The serenity of walking through a dense redwood forest at daybreak is palpable.
The forest is quiet, filled with majestic trees that are hundreds of years old, having survived through every conceivable environmental condition. The air is cool, humid, but crisp, a pleasant balance between fresh and earthy aromas fills the senses.
The light shifts from a blue tinged haze with each brilliant golden beam penetrating the darkened canopy. The stillness remains, but the illumination enlivens the lush green surroundings from their quiet slumber, and the forest awakens to reveal its hidden beauty.
The hike out to Volcán Chico is a hike through time, where the layers of volcanic rock each speak of a different eruption.
Our guide pointed out red rusty colored rock from the eruption of 1979 and a darker, gray black rock from the more recent eruption in 2005 and 2018.
In fact, Volcán Chico and its surrounds are a panorama of earthy tones and the stark contrasts between rusty reds, bright golden yellows, dusty, dull ochre, and blue blacks constantly greet us on the trail.
North Seymour is a small island near Baltra Island in the Galápagos Islands. It was formed by uplift of a submarine lava formation. The whole island is covered with low, bushy vegetation.
The island is named after an English nobleman, Lord Hugh Seymour. North Seymour Island has an area of 1.9 square kilometres (0.73 sq mi) and a maximum altitude of 28 metres (92 ft). This island is home to a large population of blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls. It hosts one of the largest populations of magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) and a slow growing population of the Galápagos land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus).
North Seymour has a visitor trail approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) in length crossing the inland of the island and exploring the rocky coast.
There is no pier.
They look for the best place to disembark and board small boats. The smaller boats take us to the yacht.
We will sail to Mosquera Island between the islands, North Seymour and South Seymour (Baltra Island).
A three color picture.
During a volcanic eruption, lava would flow down the sides of the volcano and along the earth. As it cooled on the surface, hot lava continued to flow like an underground river. This created cavities within the rock and these lava tubes are just waiting to be explored.
This is the third of three lava tunnels that are a part of the Highland tour on Santa Cruz.
This is the most well lit of the three tunnels and the easiest to walk through.
Loma de Tres Cruces: It is one of the highest parts of the Park where the watershed is located between those that go to the Amazon and those that move towards the Pacific. The García Moreno Road crosses there and tradition tells that it owes its name to the many dead people who tried to spend the night on their trip from the coast, but who, due to the intense cold of the night, failed to see the sunrise.
As the park straddles the continental divide, its western drainage, the Balao and Cañar link to the Pacific ocean. The modern road crosses the continental divide at the pass "Tres Cruces" (4,255 m). This section is the most western part of the continental divide of South Americas.
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The area shows evidence of human activities already from the Cañari period. This includes three interregional roads connecting Guapondelig (later Tomebamba, today Cuenca) with the lowlands including Paredones, a control point for the trade between the highlands and the coastal areas. After the Incan invasion Inca roads were constructed, incorporating preexisting roads. Twenty-eight archeological sites have been identified in the park and its vicinity that indicate inhabitation during the pre-Incan and Incan periods. During the Colonial time the vicinity of the area was used for livestock. With the creation of the park the area has become popular for hiking, climbing, camping, fishing, and birdwatching. Control points are located at the road entries to the park. The park has a refuge hut and can be reached from Cuenca and Guayaquil. A road from Chaucha to San Joaquin touches on the southern border of the park providing access.
The tortoises are ectothermic (cold-blooded), so bask for 1–2 hours after dawn to absorb the sun's heat through their dark shells before actively foraging for 8–9 hours a day. They travel mostly in the early morning or late afternoon between resting and grazing areas.
They have been observed to walk at a speed of 0.3 km/h (0.2 mph).
On the larger and more humid islands, the tortoises seasonally migrate between low elevations, which become grassy plains in the wet season, and meadowed areas of higher elevation (up to 2,000 ft (610 m)) in the dry season. The same routes have been used for many generations, creating well-defined paths through the undergrowth known as "tortoise highways". On these wetter islands, the domed tortoises are gregarious and often found in large herds, in contrast to the more solitary and territorial disposition of the saddleback tortoises.
Charles Darwin described the Galapagos land iguana as "ugly animals, of a yellowish orange beneath, and of a brownish-red colour above: from their low facial angle they have a singularly stupid appearance." The Galapagos land iguana grows to a length of 0.9 to 1.5 m (3–5 ft) with a body weight of up to 11 kg (25 lb), depending upon which island they are from. Being cold-blooded, they absorb heat from the sun by basking on volcanic rock, and at night sleep in burrows to conserve their body heat. These iguanas also enjoy a symbiotic relationship with birds; the birds remove parasites and ticks, providing relief to the iguanas and food for the birds.
The most commonly sighted cetacean in Galápagos waters is the bottlenose dolphin, which has a playful and inquisitive nature.
They typically feed cooperatively in pods of 20 to 30 individuals and have a varied diet, diving up to 500 meters offshore.
Where to see: Everywhere.
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They often travel in large pods and can sometimes be spotted playfully riding the bow waves of ships and yachts. The have short beaks and curved dorsal fins, and their backs and sides are dark gray or black, with paler skin underneath.
The southern and eastern side of the volcano is covered with lush tropical forest vegetation and fertile soil at moderate altitudes, the higher reaches are more barren with bushes and grasses of modest height of 2–3 meters.
Galápagos Sea Lion on bench in Puerto Villamil.
The Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) is a species of sea lion that exclusively breeds on the Galápagos Islands and – in smaller numbers – on Isla de la Plata (Ecuador).
Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf.
Their loud bark, playful nature, and graceful agility in water make them the "welcoming party" of the islands.
They are the smallest sea lion species.
Isla Baltra is on the right, on the left is Isla Santa Cruz and in the center is Canal de Itabaca.
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The Itabaca Canal, which is located between Baltra Island and Santa Cruz Island, is used by water taxis to transport tourism between these islands.
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The Itabaca Channel separates the islands of Baltra and Santa Cruz in the Galápagos archipielago in Ecuador. The Itabaca Channel is crossed by water taxis who ferry passengers from Baltra (South Seymour) in the North to Santa Cruz in the South. The channel is around 400 meters its narrowest point.
From Baltra Island to Guayaquil (continental Ecuador).
1,089 km (576 miles) east of the Galápagos Islands.
1h16m flight.
The plant formations that occur in the park are: high montane mist forest, high montane evergreen forest, and herbaceous moor, in which the passage and tourist area is established. In the eastern limit of the park is a sub-Andean rain forest (bp-SA), composed mainly of tree species and shrubs with a great diversity of orchids, ferns and mosses.
Tortoises sometimes rest in mud wallows or rain-formed pools, which may be both a thermoregulatory response during cool nights, and a protection from parasites such as mosquitoes and ticks.
Parasites are countered by taking dust baths in loose soil. Some tortoises have been noted to shelter at night under overhanging rocks. Others have been observed sleeping in a snug depression in the earth or brush called a "pallet". Local tortoises using the same pallet sites, such as on Volcán Alcedo, results in the formation of small, sandy pits.
This is what lured me to Mexico.....the magnificent sight of millions of Monarch butterflies wintering in the Michoacan mountains. The Monarchs travelling from North America start their migration in late September and will stay in one of eight colonies here, two of which are open to the public. (MORE PICS BELOW)
I hope everyone is doing well. I have been happily busy starting a challenging new career. I'm afraid my flickr time will still be limited for quite awhile but I hope to pop by weekly if I can. Have a great Sunday!! :)
On arriving at Baltra, all visitors are transported by bus to one of two docks. The first dock is located in a small bay where the boats cruising the Galápagos await passengers.
The second is a ferry dock, which connects Baltra to the island of Santa Cruz via the Itabaca Channel.
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The Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) is a species of sea lion that exclusively breeds on the Galápagos Islands and – in smaller numbers – on Isla de la Plata (Ecuador). Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. Their loud bark, playful nature, and graceful agility in water make them the "welcoming party" of the islands. They are the smallest sea lion species.
*Sierra Negra Volcano and Chico Volcano:
Main Activities: Hiking/Walking
Intensity: Medium – High
Length of Tour: 5 hours
Daily Departures: 7:30am
The park includes approximately 768 lakes in an area of 70,533 acres. It is one of the most important water sources in Cuenca and Ecuador. It has gained international prominence in several categories:
*Wetland of International Importance in 2002 by RAMSAR, *Area of International Importance for the Conservation of Birds by IBA in 2003, and
*Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2013.
We started the tour with a hike through the ecosystem of primary montane forest or cloud forest.
***
What is an Andean forest?
At this moment, I am surrounded by an Andean forest, also known as cloud forest due to the high humidity in this place. I could find them along the high Andean mountains. In Cajas Massif, these forests are located between 1,000 and 3,600 meters a.s.l. While I hiked on this trail, I witnessed the importance of caring for this forest.
Marine iguanas are endemic to the Galapagos Islands and are the only sea-going lizards in the world!
The marine iguana is the only lizard in the world with the ability to live and forage at sea and is endemic to the Galapagos Archipelago. There are six very similar subspecies, each from different islands, with those from Isabela and Fernandina being the largest. The adults are black for most of the year, however the males change colour during the mating season – with different subspecies adopting different colourations. Near Española and Floreana they are most colourful – turning bright green and red; on Santa Cruz they are red and black; and on Fernandina they become dull green and brick red. The juveniles are generally black, with a lighter dorsal stripe than the adults. During the mating season males fight for dominance over harems of females, which they will fiercely defend from rival males.
Marine iguanas are not a very agile species on land, but they are excellent swimmers – moving easily through the water as they feed on algae. Larger individuals go further out to sea and use their powerful claws to grip on to rocks in strong currents to feed, whilst the smaller ones stay inshore near rock pools, feeding on algae exposed at low tide. Due to the high concentration of salt in their diet, marine iguanas filter their blood at the nose and sneeze out the excess salt, often forming salt crystals on the snout.
Despite not being truly social, iguanas are highly gregarious – especially on cold nights when they tend to group together to conserve heat. In the morning, they bask in the sun, absorbing heat with their black scales until they have enough energy to swim out to sea to forage. Upon entering the water, their heartbeat slows to half its normal pace in order to conserve energy and allow them to feed for as long as possible.
Ferries are common on Puget Sound, and a great means of transportation between the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas and the Seattle Area.
On clear evenings such as this, passengers are treated to some of the most amazing sunsets a person can see, with the blue haze of the Olympic Mountains in the foreground and the brilliant orange skies providing the backdrop.
If you travel to Seattle, take a ferry ride to the western side of Puget Sound, if only to take in a few hours in one of the small towns there, or longer to go visit Olympic National Park. You won't be disappointed!