View allAll Photos Tagged Rough,
The rough-legged hawk is a medium-large bird of prey. They are found in Arctic regions of North America but migrate south for the winter during breeding season.
One of the snakes that I hoped to see the most on my February trip to south Texas was the Rough Green Snake. I have tried to find this species in many eastern states but have only seen them dead on the road. I am pretty sure I saw one in a bush when I was about 11 years old in Ohio but I can't be sure.
These snakes are very difficult to find because they blend in so well to the vegetation they like to live and hunt in. So one way of hunting for them is by shining trees in their habitat at night in hopes of spotting their shiny belly. I have tried this technique many times in many states and failed. On this night in February after hiking about 3 miles in pretty cold conditions I was amazed to light up a beautiful green snake in a barren tree that hadn't yet leafed out. This snake really chose a bad place to sleep and could easily have been picked off by an owl at night. I was sure glad to see it though and finally get some photos of one of these beautiful snakes.
Sometimes the stars and planets align and you encounter a scene where every single element contributes to tell the story. The result in this case was a rather jarring visual projection of gritty bleakness and utter hopelessness. The most compelling photos give you a sense inclusion in the image rather than feeling like a mere bystander.
I don't know how all this stuff got on my bricks!
Image captured for Our Daily Challenge: Rough Texture
These showy yellow flowers were common in the sandy soils of Arches National Park, Utah, in late May. Asteraceae Wyethia scabra is a bit of a botanic oddity in that is the only species in the genus Scabrethia. “Scabra” and “rough” both refer to the texture of the leaves which feel like sandpaper. (Source: Arches National Park website)
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Chicago. 2018
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I found this fella later in the afternoon hanging out. Grabbed a few perch shots and awaited the lift off. The only decent frame out of the series.
The dark belly band identifies this as a juvenile, and the light plumage above tells us it is a light morph.
Not the best shot as I was quite a distance away. I think the image tells the story though.
I observed this one at Alberta Grain Terminal yesterday. The last time we saw one there was in November 2017. That individual stayed at that location until March of 2018 feeding on Pigeons and probably the small mammals such as voles and mice associated with a grain terminal.
I hope this one stays for the winter as well.
Alberta Grain Terminal. Edmonton, Alberta.