native

Monarchs At A Crossroads In An Era Of Butterfly Decline

By |March 16th, 2025|Categories: Arkansas, Monarch Butterflies, Oklahoma, Orange Sulphur Butterflies, Sebastian County, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The contrasting fates of eastern and western Monarchs underscore that their future is still uncertain. With dedicated efforts, we can help butterfly populations rebound—but time is running out.

Checkered White Butterfly On A Black-eyed Susan In Oklahoma

By |March 4th, 2025|Categories: Black-eyed Susans, Checkered White Butterflies, Oklahoma, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It isn’t really spring yet, but I’ve already seen a bee, flies, moths, and butterflies. They reminded me of this Checkered White butterfly I photographed last year.

Happy Valentine’s Day 2025

By |February 14th, 2025|Categories: Oklahoma, Texas Paintbrush, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Wildflowers fit Valentine’s Day. I’ve never cared much for cut flowers—I prefer seeing them naturally, which in some climates isn’t possible this time of year.

Some Birds of Arkansas & Oklahoma That Love American Mistletoe

By |December 26th, 2024|Categories: American Robins, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Bluebirds, Mourning Doves|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge last week, I photographed more American Mistletoe in a one tree than I had ever seen before. The tree was full of it.

Juda’s Bush In Bloom With Seeds At Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge

By |October 28th, 2024|Categories: Juda’s Bush, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While wandering on foot yesterday at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Steve Creek and I found some blooming Juda’s Bush to focus on and photograph for a bit.

Native Purple Passionflower In Bloom

By |July 26th, 2024|Categories: Oklahoma, Purple Passionflower, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

There are wildflowers blooming now that I haven't seen since I left Florida in 2009. Purple Passionflower is one of those flowers, so I had to take some photos.

Great Blue Heron And Bog Smartweed

By |July 6th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Bog Smartweed, Great Blue Herons, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

After a great session photographing young Barred Owls at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, I also took some photos of a Great Blue Heron in a nearby slough.

Slaty Skimmer Dragonfly Photos

By |July 2nd, 2024|Categories: American Lotus, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Slaty Skimmer Dragonflies|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took photos of Slaty Skimmer dragonflies the other day at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma and wanted to share them with you all.

Blooming American Lotus – Imperfectly Perfect

By |June 29th, 2024|Categories: American Lotus, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Today, I am sharing some of the American Lotus photos I took while visiting Reeve's Slough at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.

Buttonbush Images From Oklahoma

By |June 26th, 2024|Categories: Buttonbush, Johnston County, Oklahoma, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I smiled when I saw blooming Buttonbush at Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge in the early June. I haven't seen Buttonbush blooms since I left Florida in 2009.

Blooming Common Yarrow – What’s In A Name

By |June 6th, 2024|Categories: Common Yarrow, Johnston County, Oklahoma, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I photographed this Common Yarrow in the soft morning light last month at Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge, I found myself thinking about its name.

Oklahoma Move Update – Landing Western Cattle Egret

By |June 5th, 2024|Categories: Birds, Fourpoint Evening Primroses, Marshall County, Western Cattle Egrets, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This landing Cattle Egret is slightly symbolic of my arrival in a new state and seeing the birds and wildlife of Oklahoma right outside my back door every day.

My Mom Would Have Been 92 Today

By |May 17th, 2024|Categories: Eastern Cottonwood, Miscellaneous, Oklahoma, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My mom would have been 92 today. I miss her terribly, but she is with me in so many ways. She was also with me when I went to Tishomingo NWR last Saturday.

Green Antelopehorns In Bloom At Tishomingo NWR

By |May 16th, 2024|Categories: Green Antelopehorns, Oklahoma, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Some of the native wildflowers I photographed yesterday morning at Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge were pretty clumps of blooming Green Antelopehorns.

Box Elder Seeds And Water Birch Leaves

By |November 19th, 2023|Categories: Box Elders, Salt Lake County, Utah, Water Birch|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm sharing two photos this morning: one of Box Elder Maple seeds and another of Water Birch leaves that I took last autumn while on walks close to home.

Black-footed Drone Fly On Rabbitbrush

By |October 7th, 2023|Categories: Black-footed Drone Flies, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While out in the West Desert two days ago, I photographed this adult Black-footed Drone Fly, a member of the hoverfly family, on a rabbitbrush.

Cabbage White Butterfly Photos

By |September 23rd, 2023|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Cabbage White Butterflies, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning, I'm sharing a few photos of male Cabbage White butterflies and Common Sunflowers that I took last Sunday at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Showy Milkweed, Raindrops, And My Mom

By |July 28th, 2023|Categories: Morgan County, Showy Milkweed, Utah, Wasatch Mountains, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday I photographed these Showy Milkweed blooms in a summer rain. I'd gone up into the Wasatch Mountains to seek some solitude even though it was cloudy.

Blooming American Lotus At Sequoyah NWR

By |July 9th, 2023|Categories: American Lotus, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm sharing more American Lotus photos that were taken at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge last month when I visited my friend and photographer, Steve Creek.

American Lotus In Bloom – Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge

By |June 16th, 2023|Categories: American Lotus, Oklahoma, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This morning I am highlighting an American Lotus in bloom that I photographed yesterday in a slough at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.

Purple Loosestrife, Curlycup Gumweed and Chicory

By |June 3rd, 2023|Categories: Chicory, Curlycup Gumweed, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Purple Loosestrife, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I took these photos of Purple Loosestrife, Curlycup Gumweed, and Chicory last year while driving around Farmington Bay WMA in September.

Blooming Prickly Poppies In The West Desert

By |May 26th, 2023|Categories: Flatbud Prickly Poppy, Tooele County, Utah, West Desert, Wildflowers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Prickly Poppies are one of my favorite summer wildflowers. I find these poppies in desert habitats, most often in the foothills of sky island mountain ranges.

Golden Cottonwood Leaf On Fresh Snow

By |November 11th, 2022|Categories: Eastern Cottonwood, Salt Lake County, Trees, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Yesterday morning I had planned on walking along the Jordan River after the sun came up and when I saw that there was fresh snow on the ground I was even more excited.

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