Old Man's Creek working its way through Black Hand sandstone at the Upper Falls. These sediments were deposited in the early Carboniferous Period, about 350 million years ago. Hocking Hills State Park near Logan Ohio, 10 Mar 2018.

Southern live oak (Fagaceae: Quercus virginiana) is a broadleaf evergreen tree native to the Deep South. It's often adorned by Spanish moss (Bromeliaceae: Tillandsia usneoides), which isn't a moss but a flowering epiphyte that grows on tree branches. Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah Georgia, 29 Oct 2018.

White-tailed prairie dogs (Rodentia: Sciuridae: Cynomys leucurus) inhabit parts of Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. Unlike their black-tailed cousins on the Great Plains, these can be found at higher elevations and they eat more broadleaf plants than grasses. Arches National Park, Utah, 15 Apr 2014.

Carolina horsenettle (Solanaceae: Solanum carolinense) is a nightshade, not a nettle. The nettle name may come from the thorns that line the stems. All parts of the plant are toxic including the fruit. For that reason it's also called devil's tomato. Side Cut Metropark near Maumee Ohio, 14 Oct 2012.

Bruce spanworm moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Operophtera bruceata) inhabit deciduous forests across southern Canada and the northern US. Larvae spend the summer fattening up on leaves before pupating. Adults emerge from October to December to mate and lay eggs. Blissfield Michigan, 13 Nov 2025.

Somewhere along the Pacific coast. Redwood National Park, California, 25 Jul 2015. #NationalParks

Eastern wahoo (Celastraceae: Euonymus atropurpureus) is a shrub native to the east-central US. Although also called burning bush, that name is more often applied to the introduced and invasive ornamental Euonymus alatus. Both produce bright red leaves in autumn. Blissfield Michigan, 13 Nov 2025.

Most Ichneumonid wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) are parasitoids that lay their eggs inside other insects. The larvae hatch and slowly eat their hosts alive. Eventually the larvae burst out of their hosts, killing them. Many species are very useful for pest control. Palmyra Michigan, 13 May 2016.

Broadleaf stonecrop (Crassulaceae: Sedum spathulifolium) can be found on the rocky slopes of seaside cliffs and inland mountains from British Columbia through California. The bright yellow flowers and succulent leaves make this an eye-catching perennial. Klamath Mountains, California, 26 Apr 2013.

Columbian black-tailed deer (Artiodactyla: Cervidae: Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) inhabit forest margins along the Pacific coast from British Columbia to southern California. They breed in autumn and give birth to fawns like this one in the spring. Olympic National Park, Washington, 19 Apr 2015.

Saguaros, chollas, prickly pears, and palo verdes against the Santa Catalina Mountains. Saguaro National Park (East), Tucson Arizona, 17 Mar 2024. #NationalParks

Big Marsh at Huron National Forest, Michigan, 10 Oct 2014.

Common sawflies (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) look somewhat like wasps, but can be distinguished in part by their lack of thin waists. Adults visit flowers, but larvae feed on foliage. This particular species (Dolerus nitens) appears earlier in the spring than others. Palmyra Michigan, 31 Mar 2013.

Fairy duster (Fabaceae: Calliandra eriophylla) flowers in late winter in much of the southwest US and northern Mexico. This spreading shrub thrives in deserts and also provides food for a variety of insects as well as deer. Saguaro National Park (East), Tucson Arizona, 16 Feb 2017.

California sea lions (Carnivora: Otariidae: Zalophus californianus) can be found along the Pacific coast from southern Alaska to central Mexico. Many along the US congregate and breed around the Channel Islands in southern California in the summer. Ventura California, 26 Oct 2013.

Mount Rainier is the tallest peak in the Cascade Range and the most glaciated mountain in the contiguous US. This active volcano hosts 26 alpine glaciers that feed six major rivers, providing water for hundreds of square miles. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, 15 Aug 2014. #NationalParks

Aurora borealis right now. Blissfield Michigan, 11 Nov 2025.

Aurora borealis right now. Blissfield Michigan, 11 Nov 2025.

Mill Lake at Waterloo State Recreation Area near Chelsea Michigan, 21 Oct 2012.

American toads (Anura: Bufonidae: Anaxyrus americanus) are native to much of eastern North America. They're often in proximity to shallow water that's required for their aquatic tadpoles. On warm damp nights their high pitched mating calls often fill the air. Palmyra Michigan, 22 May 2020.

Bigleaf maples (Sapindaceae: Acer macrophyllum) can be found within about 200 miles of the Pacific Ocean from British Columbia to California. They're somewhat similar to the sugar maples in the east, but are shorter and have much larger leaves. Columbia River Gorge near Dodson Oregon, 19 Nov 2015.

A swamp milkweed leaf beetle larva (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Labidomera clivicollis) nibbling on a swamp milkweed (Apocynaceae: Asclepias incarnata) on the edge of a floodplain forest. Blissfield Michigan, 10 Jul 2011.

Sunrise along the Knobstone Trail near Leota Indiana, 19 Jan 2013.

The Au Sable River from the Westgate Overlook. Huron National Forest, Michigan, 10 Oct 2014.

Cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) are named for the habit most species have for laying eggs in the nests of other species. Their kleptoparasitic larvae feed on the provisions left for the host insect's young. Clayton Michigan, 25 Sep 2013.

Waterwillow or swamp loosestrife (Lythraceae: Decodon verticillatus) inhabits wetlands throughout eastern North America. The stems of this shrubby perennial reach up to eight feet in length and often arch down to the ground. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana, 11 Aug 2012.

Eastern zebra-tailed lizards (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae: Callisaurus draconoides ventralis) are relatively common in the hot Sonoran Desert. They prey on insects and other small arthropods, as well as smaller lizards. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona, 08 Apr 2018.

November 10 is Edmund Fitzgerald Day, a sort of minor holiday in Michigan.

Appalachian ridge and valley province west of Hancock Maryland, 02 Nov 2010.

Lace bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae) are tiny, delicate insects that feed on plant juices using their piercing-sucking mouthparts. Most feed on trees and shrubs, and in large numbers these pests can easily siphon enough fluid to cause wilting and defoliation. Clayton Michigan, 21 Jun 2013.

The first snowfall of the season at our local Yuletide Festival. Blissfield Michigan, 09 Nov 2025.

North Bubble, South Bubble, and Jordan Pond one autumn. Acadia National Park, Maine, 27 Oct 2015. #NationalParks

Large crane flies (Diptera: Tipulidae) look big and intimidating, but these insects don't bite. Adults of many species feed on flowers, but some don't feed at all. They live just long enough to mate and lay eggs. Adrian Michigan, 17 Aug 2024.

Snowshoe hares (Lagomorpha: Leporidae: Lepus americanus) can be found across most of northern North America. They have a white coat in winter but a brown coat in summer. They eat a variety of plant material, and are preyed upon by a host of predators. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, 17 Jun 2020.

Wild horses grazing on a foggy morning. Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland, 14 May 2014.

Masked bees (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Hylaeus spp.) spend a lot of time collecting pollen for their young, like this one on a sulphur cinquefoil (Rosaceae: Potentilla recta). They lack the transport hairs most bees have and carry it in a secondary "honey stomach." Clayton Michigan, 27 Jun 2014.

Scarites ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Scarites spp.) are found throughout much of the world. Like most ground beetles they are nocturnal and both adults and larvae are predators of other insects. Clayton Michigan, 06 May 2016.

Early morning mist in the Kawuneeche Valley. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, 06 Aug 2013. #NationalParks

Here comes the sun. Blissfield Michigan, 31 Oct 2025.

There goes the sun. Blissfield Michigan, 05 Nov 2025.

Treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae) are often easy to recognize thanks to their large pronota. In this family the upper surface of the first thoracic segment is expanded, covering much of the body. In many species the pronota can take on a variety of ornate shapes. Clayton Michigan, 14 Jul 2010.

With their long legs and humpbacked, wedge-shaped bodies, tumbling flower beetles (Coleoptera: Mordellidae) look somewhat like large fleas. These natural acrobats use their powerful hind legs to escape predators. When threatened they jump and roll to safety. Palmyra Michigan, 03 Jul 2013.

Driftwood, seastacks, and waves along the Pacific coast. Olympic National Park, Washington, 19 Apr 2015. #NationalParks

Harlequin blueflag (Iridaceae: Iris versicolor) is a large showy wildflower native to wetlands in northeastern North America. Although beautiful, the leaves and roots are poisonous. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, 18 Jun 2020.

The common branded skipper (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Hesperia comma) is widespread in Eurasia and has one subspecies in North America. In Europe it's called the silver-spotted skipper, but in North America that name is used for Epargyreus clarus, a different species. Torla Spain, 14 Sep 2015.

Black-tailed jackrabbits (Lagomorpha: Leporidae: Lepus californicus) are common in scrublands in the western US and Mexico. These large hares feed on shrubs, grasses, and other short plants, and are often prey for raptors and large carnivores. Joshua Tree National Park, California, 09 Apr 2018.

A mining bee (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae: Andrena miserabilis) feeding on the pollen of a Virginia spring beauty (Montiaceae: Claytonia virginica). Spring ephemeral wildflowers are an important source of food for a variety of insects that appear early in the year. Blissfield Michigan, 25 Apr 2011.

Texas madrone (Ericaceae: Arbutus xalapensis) is a native tree of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. Their broadleaf evergreen foliage is contrasted by their reddish bark and makes them stand out in the Chihuahuan Desert. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, 12 Feb 2014.

Yuccas (Asparagaceae: Yucca sp.) along the three mile Mastodon Peak loop. Most of the trail is easy to moderate, but reaching the peak involves some rock scrambling. Joshua Tree National Park, California, 09 Apr 2018. #NationalParks #Hiking

House mice (Rodentia: Muridae: Mus musculus) originated in India but spread throughout most of the world on trade routes. They're typically found near human habitations, unless you're like me and have had several cats at a time your entire life. Palmyra Michigan, 16 May 2020.