Come to Google Plus (G+) and check my latest work!

Google Plus has become my primary location to share images now. Will I post here again? Maybe but I’m not sure so please bookmark my Google Plus page:

Google Plus: http://plus.google.com/u/0/100490891827279157919/posts

HOWEVER…I don’t share my Conservancy related images on G+ so I have decided to create another blog to feature photos taken during Conservancy related outings. I’ll show images from hikes, events and also the documenting I’ve done of the various surveys I’m involved with. Please bookmark this new blog:

My MSC Blog: http://ezpixels.com/mscblog/

The Elf Owl is the smallest owl in the Sonoran Desert. Notice his broken and magled wing. Sadly, he will never fly again but he has a good home with Liberty Wildlife Rescue. Think about donating to a wildlife rescue in your area. They need help! http://www.libertywildlife.org/
(still busy so Google Plus is an easier option for posting images. CLICK HERE)

The Conservancy’s Field Institute is in full swing again with the ongoing surveys. I’m involved with several of them including Ground Dwelling Insects, Birds and Flora. Most surveys involve quite a bit of hiking to get to the locations designated to survey. Yesterday I went on a long and difficult hike that took us down (and then up!) the most difficult trail in the Preserve “East End”. The goal was to collect specimens of Owls Clover but I also took a little time to photograph the large patches of poppies in the area. I took my trusty Canon compact which served me well! (please also follow me on Google Plus: http://plus.google.com/u/0/100490891827279157919/posts)

Yesterday morning, I hiked around Cone Mountain and Browns Mountain….an 8 mile loop. It was a spectacular day! I’m posting mostly to Google Plus these days so please visit to see more of my images. CLICK HERE to go to my albums and then click “view all of Marianne’s albums”. I plan to get back in the habit of posting here soon. I have lots of MSC field institute images to share.

I went on an amazing 8 mile hike in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve this morning (Sunday) and saw lots of Wildflowers including several fields of Poppies! This collage shows most of what we saw but not all. Unfortunately for the flowers, there doesn’t seem to be any rain in sight so this might be all the wildflowers we get

This photo of an Anna’s Hummingbird building her nest was taken last week at the Hummingbird Aviary at Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. I added a couple of textures.

Two friends and I hiked to a spring high up in the McDowell Mountains this past week and as we approached, we were delighted to observe a hummingbird gathering fluff from cattails for her nest. I instantly raised my camera but in my excitement, forgot to double check the settings. The image was greatly underexposed. I waited for about 30 minutes but she never came back. I almost deleted this image but then remembered that texture blending can do wonders with underexposed images and they did! At least it is good enough for a small print and a wonderful memory

This shot from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is another photo from my archives brought to a new life with textures.

Lesley F, Kellie E. and I hiked up the Tom’s Thumb Trail yesterday and found Poppies!!! We had been noticing hundreds of Poppy and Lupine sprouts on the way up but didn’t notice this open flower and one other until the return trip to the Gateway. Very exciting! Barring a hard frost, this might be a fantastic year for Wildflowers. I’m so excited