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Better Know A Duck: Northern Pintail
CAN WE REALLY KNOW A DUCK? Ducks are so … out there. Yeah, out on the water, far away from us. But ducks are “out there” in other ways. First, they’re courting now. In the cold. And when they finally breed in spring, well, it’s kinda violent and twisted. And after the female lays eggs, the males blows town. Gone. Deadbeat dad. But you gotta love Northern Pintail.
What’s This? No. 21
My next What’s This? nature challenge was along the Gila River in southwestern New Mexico last week. I won’t reveal whether this is animal, vegetable, mineral or other
Moonset: Day Two
A day after the full moon, here are three more images of the moon setting yesterday morning here beside the Gila River in southwestern New Mexico.
The Full Moonset Through Sycamores
The full moon setting yesterday morning behind cottonwoods and sycamores (still holding their rusty leaves) here along the Gila River in southwestern New Mexico.
A Golden Eagle Giving Me the “Eagle-Eye”
Good thing I’m not a jackrabbit or a gopher. Although they are capable of taking larger prey — including bighorn sheep, coyotes, or Sandhill Cranes — Golden Eagles specialize in small and medium-sized mammals.
Desert Snow
To my winter-deprived friends in the north, many of whom are now suffering rain or freezing rain, come to the desert. I offer you 10 images of birds and trees and farm buildings after a desert snowfall.
What’s This? No. 20
Stop the presses. Grab the kids. Turn off the football game. What’s This? is back. The first person to name the critter wins $5 off any of my outings or lectures.
Start Your Year with a Snowy Owl
Happy New Year. Now go find a Snowy Owl. I’ll guide you there with an interactive map of Snowy Owl sightings since December 1.
Going Wild: Point-and-Shoot Cameras for Wildlife Photography – 2018
Sorry, your iPhone isn’t good enough for wildlife photography. I don’t care what the besotted tech writers at The New York Times say about the cameras on our gadgets. If you want wildlife photos, get a real camera. And if you don’t want to mess with big cameras and serious lenses, I’ll now solve your digital dilemma.
Kiss This: A Higher Calling for Mistletoe
Get yourself under some wild mistletoe this Christmas. Your gift might be a shock-and-awe butterfly called Great Purple Hairstreak. Mistletoe, a plant that grows on trees or shrubs, is a bit of a leech, a hemiparasite, which means mistletoe draws minerals and fluids from its host.
Butterfly Light
On the shortest days of the year, I bring you light – butterfly light. Over the weekend, I encounted 26 butterfly species at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum outside Tucson. The place was heaven. See a gallery and a slide show.
A Triple (Treble) Bird Score
I have seen a Virginia Rail in Virginia, an Arctic Tern in the Arctic, a Mangrove Cuckoo in a mangrove…. You get the idea. But then there’s this woodpecker here in New Mexico — the source of my treble (not trouble).
