Photos / Sounds
What
Sand Rose Anemone (Urticina columbiana)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
This looks like some sort of anemone. It's noodley arms were waving all over the place underwater. Found a few in Monterey Bay while we were filming the kelp.
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Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
Although this is not a plant or an animal, it's still incredibly cool. Technically Giant Kelp is a type of brown algae. We've been filming in kelp forests in Monterey for the past few days. They are beautiful.
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Bat Star (Patiria miniata)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
I only have this ID'd to class but if anyone has a more specific name let me know! I have never seen so many starfish in my life. Today's scuba dive was excellent.
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Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
This guy came swimming right up to us during our dive! It nibbled on Patrick's fins and swam circles around us for ages!
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Furry Hermit Crab (Paguristes ulreyi)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
Not too sure about this ID. Found this pretty little guy at the bottom of Monterey Bay. He was on the move, booking it across the sand.
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California Seahare (Aplysia californica)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
These are all over the place in Monterey. They ooze across the sea floor like giant football sized slugs and climb over the kelp. This was an especially colorful one.
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Narrowleaf Yucca (Yucca angustissima)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
A nice pretty plant in the middle of a pretty barren place.
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Walkingstick Cactus (Cylindropuntia imbricata ssp. spinosior)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
A great looking cacti that I would love to know the ID of. Found in Petrified Forest National Park. Didn't find too many like this guy.
Photos / Sounds
What
Crownleaf Evening Primrose (Oenothera coronopifolia)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
We saw this guy right at the entrance to Petrified Forest National Park. Little did we know these wildflowers were all over the place! Everywhere!
Photos / Sounds
What
Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
Not sure the name of this guy. Kirby snapped this pic. For some reason she can take amazing photos of tiny lizards. Saw him after a day of filming in Petrified Forest National Park. We found a female too (second pic)! The male is much fancier.
Photos / Sounds
What
Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
We camped in Utah for a few nights amongst a group of Quaking Aspen. These are a part of Pando, a clonal group of aspen that some believe to collectively be the largest organism in the world!
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Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
Spanish moss is everywhere in Savannah, Georgia. It's an epiphyte which means it hangs all over plants and basically anything it can, living off of air and water. It makes everything look pretty haunted and creepy!
Photos / Sounds
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Toothy Skinks (Genus Plestiodon)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
While exploring a Spanish moss filled forest in Georgia, we stumbled upon this little guy. A lizard about seven inches long with a red head. He was very friendly, not scurrying away while we filmed. Any ideas what kind of lizard he is?
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Coffee Melampus (Melampus coffea)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
These tiny snails perch on the tips on juveniles mangroves. They hang out in groups! We must have seen a couple hundred of these guys while canoeing the river.
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Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
Swallow Tailed Kite- our new favorite bird. We spotted this bird a few times while in the Everglades. Their name is perfect because they literally use their tail feathers like a kite, swiftly angling it this way and that to direct flight. Amazing to see
Photos / Sounds
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Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
These are tiny baby mangroves! These bean like guys float down the river until they find a nice spot to plant their roots. We spotted these particular ones in Everglades National Park
Photos / Sounds
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Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
Cormorants are some pretty amazing birds. They fly. They hang out in trees. And they swim! For a long time! These birds were flying around us while canoeing the Everglades, then they'd dive into the water and swim for a great distance. They fish by swimming deep under water and scooping up the fish to eat at the surface.
Photos / Sounds
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Mangrove Tree Crab (Aratus pisonii)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
These tiny crabs are everywhere in the Everglades! They especially like crawling in and out of the mangrove tunnels. We aren't sure what kind of crabs these are, all we know is they love the Everglades!
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Birds (Class Aves)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
This massive nest belong to an osprey. This particular nest was perched at the very top of a tree along Turner River in the Everglades. Ospreys can build nests weighing in at over 1000 pounds!
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Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
While canoeing through the Everglades we spotted loads of osprey, some eating fish, others making nests, we must have seen dozens of these beautiful birds.
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American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
This eight footer was about five yards from our campsite! We were on a backcountry canoe trip through the Everglades when we counted over twenty alligators or crocodiles, we aren't really sure.
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What
Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
Mangroves are some pretty wild trees. They are the chief plant of the Everglades. Their stilt like roots protect the plant from rough gulf weather, and they also supply oxygen throughout the plant. Pretty awesome!
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What
Airplants (Genus Tillandsia)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
Epiphytes are seriously the coolest. We stumbled upon these beauties in southern Florida. These tiny plants just hang out on other plants and need virtually nothing to survive!
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Plums, Cherries, and Allies (Genus Prunus)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
We were lucky enough to hit the cherry blossom festival in Washington, D.C. during their peak bloom! The tidal basin was ablaze with pink blossoms.
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Golden Silk Spider (Trichonephila clavipes)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
This giant spider had constructed a massive web across the river we were paddling through. We aren't sure what kind of spider this is, any identification help would be excellent!
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What
White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
This juvenile ibis was on a mission to find food along the banks of Turner River in Everglades National Park. This bird was darting between mangrove stilts while we canoed past.
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Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
We saw this Osprey dining on a fish during our canoe trip in the Everglades. There were loads of them all over the place, calling to one another and snatching fish out of the water.
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Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
Charles and a giant wave of Red Pines in the snow
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Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)Observer
charlieandkirbyDescription
Rugged bark of the Dawn Redwood's base at the Morton Arboretum
