Harris Hawks are a treat to see any time but especially when they are hunting.
Tag Archives: desert
fillaree
After Combseed, one of the next wildflowers to start showing up is Fillaree (Erodium cicutarium) and they are now out in full force almost everywhere.
Fillaree
I always carry a Canon 500D Close Up Lens for the times when a lens won’t focus close enough. No reduction in exposure time makes it a better choice for a “hand holder” like me. Extension tubes or teleconverters might get me closer but besides losing an f/stop or two in light, you risk getting dust on the sensor because you have to remove the lens to attach them.
Cropped section of image shot using 500D close-up lens.
Finally, here’s an image showing red Fillaree leaves. Someone had asked me if it was a different plant but the red is a result of stress during very cold weather. Once again, I attached the 500D Close Up Lens to get this close.
(Note: the extreme close-ups were cropped from originals)
patterns in nature
Saguaro pleats/ribs are typically vertical but occasionally we come across some like this.
Contrast and B/W treatment added with Topaz filters.
wildflower sighting in north preserve
The North end of the Preserve is beginning to bloom! We spotted Combseed (Pectocarya penicillata) in the Rock Knob/Marcus Slide area of the Preserve this afternoon. I think of this teeny tiny white flower as the first wildflower of the season. Next to bloom will be Cryptantha and Fiddleneck which are already several inches tall. A freeze is still possible but we’re thinking positively!
Combseed (Pectocarya penicillata) is so tiny (note the decomposed granite), you won’t notice it at first glance.
Combseed flower
beginnings
This is the first time I’ve seen a Saguaro with this many arms in their beginning stage. Pretty cool. Now that I know where it is, I could track its growth but considering the giants in the background are probably 100 plus, I won’t be able to document much growth in my lifetime. Live strong, big guys!
infrared desert
I have been neglecting my infrared camera! Here’s a shot from Pinnacle Peak Park.
LifePixel is the company I used to convert my camera. If you’re thinking about converting an old camera, whether compact or SLR), click here for answers to any question you might have.
blue moon
“Once in a blue moon” is used to describe something that doesn’t happen often. but what exactly is a blue moon? It’s a full moon that occurs in the same month as another.
Although it occurs every two or three years (on average about every 2.7154 years), this is the first time in almost 20 years that we’ve had one on New Year’s Eve.
Want more? Here’s some interesting information about this phenomenon:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/12/091230-blue-moon-new-years-eve.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_moon
backlighting
More shots from Saturday’s hike in the wash behind our neighborhood.
Backlighting creates a beautiful glow around everything.
Invasive Fountain Grass
A knot in tree bark becomes an animal face in Photoshop.
walking the cats
We’ve been seeing Bobcats every day and yesterday saw a female with 2 kittens!
So…I try to walk the cats near the house but they quickly head toward the desert.
After all, there’s nothing to hunt in the driveway 🙂
110 degree daydream
Cooler temperatures and maybe even a little rain coming this weekend so I daydreamed a little 🙂
