White Lined Sphinx Moth at Los Rios Ranch, Oak Glen CA

Backyard deer near Arcata, California on the Northcoast of Humboldt County

American Bitterns aren't that rare. But finding one in a completely open setting is a rarity for me. The Cornell Lab says: " You'll need sharp eyes to catch sight of an American Bittern. This streaky, brown and buff heron can materialize among the reeds, and disappear as quickly, especially when striking a concealment pose with neck stretched and bill pointed skyward. These stealthy carnivores stand motionless amid tall marsh vegetation, or patiently stalk fish, frogs, and insects. They are at their most noticeable in spring, when the marshes resound with their odd booming calls that sounds like the gulps of a thirsty giant."

We found this one at The Nature Conservancy's Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve in Kansas.

Light rain when I spotted the male Summer Tanager flying by.

Part of the Nature Conservancy's property along the Santa Clara River, in Santa Paula, CA.

Crossed paths with a cute Mink while on a hike.

Went home to read up about them and learned about their habits and such. I learned they can be quite ferocious .

Hard to believe when you see how cute they are.

Scopoli's shearwater - Puffin cendré (Calonectris borealis), Birds of Azores Archipelago. 🐋🐬 🐧 🌊 🇵🇹🌏

👉 linktr.ee/vincent_pommeyrol

👉 Getty Images Azores collection www.gettyimages.fr/photos/vincent-pommeyrol-azores?assett...

Saw a frog for the first time this year. Homely yet cute.

Backyard animal near Arcata, California on the Northcoast of Humboldt County

Standing outside in the drizzle paid off today! Male and female Scarlet Tanagers, and got pics of the Summer Tanagers, as well. Will upload my other shots to see if any are flickr worthy - ha!

Came across these neat seed pods off the road .They are from the plant/ flower called "Velvetleaf" . One plant can produce up to 17,000 seeds and those seeds can remain dormant up to 50 years in the soil.

Spent flowers and seed pods look so neat in winter.

These Northern Pintail Ducks seem to be happy at the Emiquon Preserve, Fulton County, Illinois.

William B. Clark Conservation Area, a boardwalk through the cypress swamps of the Wolf River bottoms near Rossville, Tennessee.

Nature Conservancy Prairie Preserve- Osage County, North of Pawhuska Oklahoma

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Mallards with Mom on the South Oxidation Pond at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary on the Northcoast of Humboldt County

On the North Oxidation Pond at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary

One of the many birds in our backyard bird eating our cherries. Near Arcata, California on the Northcoast of Humboldt County.

That time of year again, when migrating shorebirds congregate on the shores of the upper Bay of Fundy. These flocks are primarily composed of semipalmated sandpipers. These photos were taken a couple of summers ago at The Nature Conservancy Canada Interpretive Centre, Johnson's Mills, New Brunswick.

Each summer, up to 80% of the world's population of Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) arrive in the upper Bay of Fundy from their breeding grounds in the Arctic. The extreme tides of the bay expose mudflats which extend for 3 or 4 Km and are the habitat of mud shrimp (Chorophium volutator). These shorebirds feed on mud shrimp at low tide and, in the 10 to 15 days spent here, they double their weight in fat reserves in order to complete a nonstop 72 hour flight to South America. At high tide, they roost at the water's edge. Other shorebird species are also found in these huge flocks.

For a fascinating account of the origin of mud shrimp in the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine, please see the following CBC Radio link:

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/maritime-sea-life-li...

Explored, Thanks!

Part of a steep, rugged ridge that rises from the valley of the North Fork of the Roanoke River, Falls Ridge Preserve boasts a spring-fed travertine waterfall approximately 80 feet in height.

Salem Fault runs through the preserve, dividing it into two different rock types-Precambrian limestone and shale/sandstone. The corresponding difference in soil types generates a diversity of vegetation, particularly wildflowers and smaller flora.

The rocks in the travertine falls watershed grew steadily, as minerals and lime dissolved in the water precipitate upon them. Over thousands of years, the build-up of calcium carbonate steepened the stream's gradient and slowly created both the waterfall and one of the largest-known exposed travertine deposits.

Large sinkholes on part of the land also indicate the existence of underlying caverns which have never been explored. (nature.org)

PLEASE, NO GRAPHICS, BADGES, OR AWARDS IN COMMENTS. They will be deleted.

This is my first violet or violets, I think, or garden pansy. Might be neither, but I have never taken a photo of this lovely type of flower.

Naturally I tried to move in within about 5cm /2 inches with this magic lens on manual focus. Thanks for your continued support!

Day of ornithology around the lake today. Some places were packed with tripods and goggles ;-)

I was passing by with my faithful companion Sam, and found amusing how focused they were about birds on the other side of the canal...

Shot with 6D & 135L @f/2

Striped marlin-Marlin rayé (Kajikia audax) hunting school of fish, Magdalena bay, south pacific, Nature's Paradise, Mexico.🐠🌊 🌏 ✅ www.vincentpommeyrolphotography.com/-/galleries

👉 Video Footage Sardine Run www.vincentpommeyrolphotography.com/-/galleries/videos-ga...

The striped marlin (Kajikia audax) is a species of marlin found in tropical to temperate Indo-Pacific oceans not far from the surface. Epipelagic and oceanic species, usually found above the thermocline, but unlike species it ventures more readily into higher latitudes, tolerating temperate waters. The species is strongly oceanic, rarely entering coastal waters, and is most often seen near islands, seamounts and boundary currents where it feeds and breeds.The striped marlin is a predator that hunts during the day in the top 100 m or so of the water column, often near the surface. One of their chief prey is sardines but also wide variety of fishes like mackerel, crustaceans, and squids.

The Striped Marlin consists of 42-48 rays on its tall first dorsal fin that is almost the same or longer than its body depth while the second dorsal fin is much smaller. They have torpedo-like and compressed bodies. They have around 10-20 clear, visible bluish stripes on the sides of their bodies even after death. Stripes consist of cobalt blue dots or narrow bands. First dorsal fin dark blue, other fins usually brown.The color of their bodies is dark blue or black above and silvery-white on the bottom. Striped Marlin has an average length of 2.9 m and a maximum length of 4.2 m and can weight up to 220 kg

Striped Marlin reached sexual maturity at a age of one or two years or 1.4 m for males and two or three years or 1.8 m for females. They can live up to at least 10 year. About reproduction Eggs is approximately one mm in diameter, but exact size not known. Larvae occur in sub-equatorial waters, in temperatures above 24 degrees.

Mainly targeted via surface longlines in the commercial fishery. The species is also a popular recreational target. Recent stock assessments indicate a declining Pacific stocks, with commercial catch rates falling and the average size of fish captured decreasing. IUCN Red List Status for this fish is Near Threatened (NT).

🇫🇷 Le marlin rayé ( Kajikia audax ) est une espèce de marlin que l'on trouve dans les océans indo-pacifiques tropicaux à tempérés non loin de la surface. Espèce épipélagique et océanique, généralement trouvée au-dessus de la thermocline, mais contrairement aux autres espèces, elle s'aventure plus facilement dans des latitudes plus élevées, tolérant les eaux tempérées.

L'espèce est fortement océanique, pénètre rarement dans les eaux côtières et est le plus souvent observée près des îles, des monts sous-marins et des courants de frontière où elle se nourrit et se reproduit. Le marlin rayé est un prédateur qui chasse le jour dans les 100 premiers mètres environ de la colonne d'eau, souvent près de la surface. L'une de leurs principales proies est la sardine, mais aussi une grande variété de poissons comme le maquereau, les crustacés et les calamars.

Le marlin rayé possède 42 à 48 rayons sur sa grande nageoire dorsale qui est presque égale à la longueur de son corps tandis que la deuxième nageoire dorsale est beaucoup plus petite. Le corps est très fuselés, ressemblant à une torpille. Ils ont environ 10 à 20 bandes bleuâtres claires et visibles sur les côtés de leur corps même après la mort. Les rayures sont constituées de points bleu cobalt ou de bandes étroites. La première nageoire dorsale est bleu foncé, les autres nageoires généralement brunes.La couleur de leur corps est bleu foncé ou noir sur le dessus et blanc argenté sur le dessous. Le marlin rayé a une longueur moyenne de 2,9 m et une longueur maximale de 4,2 m et peut peser de 220 kg à 300 kg. Le marlin rayé a atteint sa maturité sexuelle à l'âge de un ou deux ans ou 1,4 m pour les mâles et de deux ou trois ans ou 1,8 m pour les femelles. Ils peuvent vivre jusqu'à au moins dix ans. À propos de la reproduction les œufs mesurent environ 1 mm de diamètre, mais leur taille exacte n'est pas connue. Les larves évoluent dans les eaux subéquatoriales, à des températures supérieures à 24 degrés.

Principalement ciblé par les palangres de surface pour la pêche commerciale. L'espèce est également une cible populaire pour la pêche sportive. Des évaluations récentes indiquent un déclin des stocks du Pacifique, avec une baisse des taux de capture commerciale et une diminution de la taille moyenne des poissons capturés. Le statut de la liste rouge de l'UICN pour ce poisson est Quasi menacé (NT).