Found in the sand fairly high up on the beach.
A female Giant Ichneumon wasp (Megarhyssa macrurus) oviposits into the side of a tree.
I was honored to have this observation selected as observation of the day for June 11, 2020, and again as observation of the week (week of June 21, 2020). It is covered in this blog post: A Trip to Texas Provides a Long Sought Photographic Opportunity - Observation of the Week, 6/21/20.
Walking back from the Sousa Marsh overlook, this American Beaver was casually swimming in a pond just off the trail. Cruising away from me, it did an explosive splash with its tail as it disappeared up a narrow slough.
The only other beavers I've ever seen were at after dusk in Montana and they were just a few silhouettes of ears moving low across the water so this was a real treat!
The heated water in the Tampa Electric Company's discharge canal attracts a lot of manatees, and is now a state and federally designated manatee sanctuary.
Found this beautiful and robust "invasive" (remember, they didn't "ask" to be released into the wild in Florida!) juvenile Tegu behind the outdoor ice machine at the Florida City Quality Inn! Also found a young Corn Snake in the shrubbery outside the lobby of this "Herper's Hotel".
Baird's Beaked Whales on a Shearwater Journeys trip. One photo shows the bulbous head with a visible eye. Two photos show the dorsal aspects, and one photo shows the characteristic "low bush" shaped spouts. These rarely seen brownish cetaceans were seen in a pod estimated at 12 individuals.
Found in an underground creek cave/tunnel along the damp wall; see photos for relative scale/size.
PHOTO CREDIT:
Photo 1: Joe Platko https://www.instagram.com/hiimjoe88
Photo 2: JR Sosky https://www.instagram.com/hijrsosky/
Photo 3: JR Sosky/Marianne Nyeggard
MOLA TECTA IN MONTEREY BAY! Photographed by local photographers Joe Platko and JR Sosky, and Identified by Marianne Nyeggard via Michael Howard at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Location is accurate to mountain, obscured for protection.
Ruffled yellow cap, black stipe growing out of a fallen bay laurel
To clarify, the underside of the cap is yellow, the top is brown
Experts - What is going on here? This male American Kestrel sure did seem to have the hots for this female Merlin. He kept trying to get close to her and even brought her a few treats (insects?) from the grass beneath the fence. She accepted the treats but didn't seem thrilled with the attention. However, when he flew off, she followed him...
Lions drinking from this pool of water
Found by Alex R, observed by many
Atrapada en el baño de una finca
This was one of two bats found roosting under the eaves of a building in Death Valley Junction.
The other can be found here:
Confident in mountain lion ID due to pronounced leading toe. Tracks continued for 150+ yards
@abr , @grnleaf While hiking with @flygrl67 along the Cone Peak Trail, we passed through several thick patches of manzanita
and emerging out of these shrubs were scattered bright red growths. I believe these may be a fungal infection like Cowberry Redleaf (Exobasidium vaccinii) but this is only a guess and I haven't found anything especially informative on diseases of manzanitas. Do either of you recognize this? Thank you!
Dark wings, overall body length maybe 3-5 mm? Residential zone in former oak woodland
First adult Ive ever seen. Saw small juvenile a few years back...
My lifer ! It crossed a trail in late afternoon , very warm at the time .
With its golden trevally posse! On El Vencedor Wreck.
This is a first observation of this species for San Benito County, as far as I can tell. Note the chevron shaped nectary, rather than square as in C. venustus. No fruit were available to rule out C. superbus, but soil was clay.
3 terrestrial phase adults walking across the trail, plus one deceased (possible mountain bike strike). Distinguished from other Taricha by bright red ventral coloration. The black band across the cloaca is visible on the dead one.
Lifer! One of 3 or 4 females seen. No males found. Seen with Spencer Riffle and @robberfly.
Didn't stain blue. Growing under Coast Live Oak
Several odd creamy yellow ones growing amidst the usual white ones.