Yesterday, Monarch #2 went from chrysalis to butterfly. Two down, three to go. Farewell and good luck to ya.
#monarchbutterflies #monarchmigration #monarchbutterfly #butterflyphotography
Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre)
The Curve-billed Thrasher can navigate, on foot or in flight, through some of the nastiest cactus out there. Likes to nest in Cholla cactus, the cactus I try to stay at least three feet away from.
Four images of a Monarch butterfly emerging from the chrysalis. It`s Feb 10, a little late for being part of the southern migration to Mexico. Is there a small population that over winters in the Tucson area. I made three separate observations of a monarch over a seven week period. I initially thought that I observed three individuals during the southern migration. Now, I think there is a good possibility that I observed the same individual monarch three times. One chrysalis down, four to go.
#monarchmigration #monarchbutterflies #monarchbutterflymigration #butterflyphotograph
Chrysalis #1 of 5. Day 19 (February 9, 2026). Notable wing markings are now visible within the chrysalis, indicating an imminent emergence.
#monarchbutterflies #monarchbutterfly #monarchchrysalis #monarchmigration #monarchmigration2025
I have seen flood debris left high in the canyon trees. This tree, roots securing it to rock, has survived a few floods.
#blackandwhitephotos #canyonphotography #oakcreekcanyon #westforktrail
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona
#birdingarizona #arizonabirds #arizonabirding #acornwoodpecker
A hiker crosses one of about a dozen fords you`ll find during the initial easy three mile into the canyon that holds the West Fork of Oak Creek. Beyond three miles, things change.
#westforktrailsedona #westforktrail #oakcreekcanyon #sedonahiking
Cathedral Rock #2
Sedona, Arizona
#sedonalandscape #arizonalandscape #arizonalandscapes #sedonaredrocks #sedonaredrock #redrockcountry #cathedralrock #airportlooptrail
This 16 second video was created from two images. The time period between capturing the two images is 1 hour and 16 minutes. The images are stacked and aligned (registered), then the top layer`s transparency is slowly increased to reveal the size and shape relationship before and after metamorphosis. Keep in mind: In less than 1 hour and 16 minutes, the caterpillars skin split, shriveled and fell away, revealing the chrysalis. I found what appeard to be the face and legs laying on the ground below the chrysalis.
Image 1 (Time-stamped): The Monarch caterpillar hanging in J-shape from its silk pad.
Image 2 (Time-stamped): The Monarch caterpillar chrysalis
Banded Sand Snake (Sonora cincta)
This is one of the five snake species we have found on our Casas Adobes, Tucson, Arizona property. I found two of them yesterday, hibernating under bricks of a fire pit I was removing. This one is about 7 inches long, consistant with others I have found. They are harmless but will wake you up when you pick up a brick and reveal one.
#bandedsandsnake #arizonasnakes #snakesofarizona #backyardsnake
A Tucson backyard trail camera composite of a bobcat and rabbit. The individual photos were captured three minutes apart.
#trailcam #trailcamera #backyardwildlife #backyardwildlifehabitat #backyardphotography #tucsonwildlife #cameratrap #whyilovewhereilive #whyilovewhereilivetucson
The backlit leaves on this window covering vine create an image similar to stained glass art.
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera." - Dorothea Lange
A gorgeous Broad-billed hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) perches, in strong contrast, against a Palo Blanco (Mariosousa willardiana) tree with its white, peeling bark.
Image captured at @tohonochul, #tucsonarizona.
#broadbilledhummingbird #hummingbirds #birdphotographý #birdphotography🐦 #tucsonbirds #arizonabirds #arizonabirding
#broadbilledhummingbird
A monarch butterfly chrysalis on the third day. It takes approximately 14 days for the butterfly to emerge.
It`s midwinter, January 21. #tucsonarizona. I have questions. Will this butterfly continue migration? To Mexico? To California? Or, will it stay in Arizona at this late stage, then migrate north in the spring?
#monarchbutterflychrysalis #monarchbutterfly #monarchbutterflymigration
