Blue eyes, thick black dorsal stripe on thorax.
Scudderia mexicana, I presume.
I never would have realized this was not a Variable Checkerspot if it hadn't been pointed out to me. Thanks again, Liam!
Seen this tiny guy in our backyard over the weekend. We were sitting outside enjoying the dusk and early evening. Later when I was about to go in for the night I noticed this tiny fly hanging out by the light. It couldn't have been bigger than a half a centimeter, but it remains me of a parasitic wasp, but beyond that I'm not too sure. In the second photo there is a little more perspective to the size of this creature, the clear line on the margin of the photo is the light-bulb that it was perched next to.
Growing at approx. 6200 ft elevation. 6-8 inches tall.
Rattlesnake skin found on chert outcrop near McCann Homestead.
Is the name 'Trifolium Microcephalum correct...?
it was a small white flower with small leaves and a medium length stem.
Western Pond Turtles basking in the middle of Turtle Pond.
Our class found several baby mice under a board by Turtle Pond.
This little one scurried away before we could get a better look at it...
Saw dozens of these guys swimming in Turtle Pond and sending ripples out.
My options are:
Salix gooddingii
Salix laevigata
Salix lasiolepsis
Too dense a vegetation to get closer for a better shot to ID beyond the genus, for me. The must lighter green of the under part of the leaves is intriguing.
Found this little critter while exploring a hidden creek near Altruria Heights.
Guessing it's some sort of damselfly, but will leave the ID-ing up to the experts!
Goats brought in to graze on grasses at work.
Never realized how playful they could be, or just how wide their vocal range is! (I once mistook their cries for a child crying out for help.)
One of them even half-stood up to eat some of the Eucalyptus leaves--wow!
Last time I saw pigeons were back when I lived in a crowded urban city environment--so somehow the sight of these two was both uncommon and exciting!
Saw this little caterpillar moving across the sidewalk towards a hedge of rosemary.
Saw this deer on the trail across from work.
Oddly, it didn't run away from me, but slowly walked across the paved trail and into the grass.
It seemed shaky/unsteady and its lower back was curled over while it walked, as if it was constipated (for lack of better description).
Neck looked odd--bones seemed visible, as though it was either starving or dehydrated.
I was worried that it was sick/abandoned, so I tried to follow it, but the oat grass (curse you invasive annual grasses!) was so tall that I couldn't spot it.
Hope it's okay...
The joys of field work: Our BIO 85.2 class put in 2 grueling hours of setting 80 traps along the border of the woodlands (up on the northern slopes behind Bechtel House.
The next morning, we were rewarded with a single nursing deer mouse out of 80 traps set!
Per Prof. Woodruff, you can tell it was "maniculatus" because of its bicolored tail. Could tell it was nursing due to extended nipples.
By dried creek west of Bechtel house.
Lots of these little guys hopping around the rocky creek bed.
I'm guessing these are Pacific and not Mountain based on the webbing these have (?).
Saw several of these budding grass/flower heads (?) in the grassland off-road, west of Bechtel House.
Green phase of poison oak trailing up the road/creek near Bechtel House...boy was it plentiful!
Saw this fellow slowly gobbling up a little baby rodent, by a dried-up creek a bit west from Bechtel House.
It swam a bit in the water before settling on the rocks and moving the rodent down...
Unfortunately, I can't tell whether it's an aquatic or terrestrial garter snake.