Hey everyone,
Thought it would be good to have a thread for any nature pictures of close up small things you found on your adventures.
Flowers, animals, minerals whatever......if you found it outdoors in nature's tiny world, this is the perfect thread to share it in. Post em' up!
Here is one to start it off that I shot recently.
I know Denise just love's the flowers so the first one is for her. Hibiscuss flower nearly 12" across
Great idea for a photography thread Dan! Thats one big beautiful flower.
Maybe some of the flowers are that big because big things might want to smell them?....hehe
Just a thought.
Talk about a nose tickler if he tried to sniff this one.
Here are a few more flower closeups.
Love the close up pictures.
Here is a Succulent.
Ice crystals
Great fall colors!
Halloween pumpkin or pie?
Super Pics denise.
This was taken in Chomonix France which in the Alps when we were collecting blue berries.
Thanks Alan! Yummmm, out collecting blueberries eh? With all the moisture Colorado has received this year, the berries here havent been as plentyful so I left them for the critters. Thats a beautiful flower! Thanks for sharing the pic with us! I can almost smell the flowers and the blueberries.
Here is one I saw while out exploring. Hard to believe the beaver even tried for this one! Bet his jaw and teeth were tired after that attempt.
Natures chainsaw....
When do you ever really know when enough is enough?
"ssshhhhhhhh, maybe she wont see me hiding behind this bush!"
Mmmmmmm! Steaks!
On legs!
Yum!
Thats the plan for him. Im thinking thats why he was giving me the cute pitty me sad look.
He ain't giving you the pity me look, he's looking at your bowl of Cherio's thinking "MINE!"
Naaa, I ate those before visiting him. I even waited to eat my Jerky till I got back to the truck.
Great color in that last one Jim! Here in Colorado we have wild purple daisies (showy daisies).
Here is a frozen print.....Can you tell what kind of animal this is?
It even left behind a hair.
I'd say mtn. lion
Looks cat to me too.
Looking at it closer.....
Looks like it's on wood covered in frost.
Some of the frost crystals are larger, and that along with the apparent size of the wood grains, the print is small, maybe 3" across?
Well small is right and it is a feline. But mountain lion is too big. Although he is "lion' around in the mountains" alot.
Here is another view of the same print with Denise's finger for size reference.
I was looking back at our spring fling pictures and came across this. They were growing right near where we were all sluicing.
I've been following and enjoying this thread since I've Joined CP.
Thought I would contribute several of my nature close-ups from prospecting and others from my fly fishing adventures. Taken with DSLR and P&S. (lots of Moose up here)
Bullwinkle:
Great pics!! Sure looks better than all this white stuff I'm staring at out the window!!
Spectacular shots Swizz!! Nice ones and thanks for sharing them.
Sounds like alot of folks are having a white Christmas this year Jack, even where there usually isn't any white stuff.
Great photo opportunities comin' up then.
Great photos Swizz!!! You have been holding out on us.
Very cool one of the Moose. Was Bullwinkle drinking in the first picture or eating? One step closer, and Mrs.Bullwinkle looks like she would get you. She has to protect Bullwinkle Jr you know. Its great having photo opportunities like that!
Dont you just love being in Colorado!?
The picture of boulders looks more like 2 hearts to me. Very cool shots, and that kind of Mountain Dew I will take anyday!
Thanks for sharing the pictures Swizz! They are fantastic!!!
Thanks D&D!
Yup, Mr Bullwinkle was taking a sip in that pic. Mrs Bullwinkle was at a safe distance (thank God for zoom) but you can see that her mane is up, meaning that she was well aware of me in that image. It's rare to see young-'uns that small.
You can definately see that she was upset with you, even the baby is looking like uhoh.
Bet it knew mama was about to go irate on you if you moved any closer.
Fantastic pictures Chris!! Keep up the good work, you definately have an eye for photography.
I figures I would add another one that fits the season. Gives you a warm feeling inside doesnt it.
Stay warm everyone!
Love the pics on this thread! I am at work so these are low quality and a smaller sample of my main pics....but unique ones nonetheless of my adventures;
Any guess on what animal this is?
This thing bit my leg....I had to go to a disease specialist once back in the states;
Went swimming in the river then saw this 5 minutes later;
Great pics Hawkewind! Those are Capybaras near the water.....aka "master of the grass". The worlds largest rodent.
I just kind of blazed past the spider pic. I couldnt imagine having that thing on my leg, let alone having it bite me......sheesh!
Spiders are not one of my favorites. Id much rather take a swim in that last picture.
Im always on the look out for that right thing that catches my eye for a good shot.
Here is one I really like. Simple little things in life most overlook everyday.
I love how the shadows play tricks when the sun is going down.
mmmmmmm a mater.
I know..........
Ok, who can guess what this is?
It's a candle.... don't burn your lens!
That's what I was thinkin' too Swizz.
Hmmmmmmmm Couldn't hurt to check them holes in the rocks out and see what's in them.
Nope, Denise didn't burn the lens taking the candle close up either. Her husband was in the background telling her not to burn her hair and or the lens.
I was extra careful not to get my hair or the camera. I would dive in, and quickly take the pic.
I was never over the candle for more than 2 seconds. Then I zoomed into the picture and cropped it out.
Im always pushing the cameras abilities it seems. You never know what Im going to take a picture of. I was even out in a very cold windy snowstorm taking pics, and the camera started to get too cold for working properly. You have to push the limits to get the good pics I think.
Im really LICHEN the nice days lately, and the spring shadows they bring.
Enjoy the pics, and thanks for looking.
What....... No one has seen anything out there?
Its really easy, for example I saw bark.
So maybe this guy isnt the only one just hanging around?
So I found out that it is possible to take a picture, crop it out and tag it without actually looking at it.
Ok, so Im a wus......but this is the biggest one I have ever encountered!
This is when I lived in Hawaii (before digital cameras) Happy 4th
Very cute crab! The second pic looks cool. Almost thought Geode till I saw where it broke off from. Was that pic also taken in Hawaii?
Gads!! I scrolled down while posting to see your pic, and mine popped up and freaked me out!
Wooohoooo! Page 4 and it wont scare me now.
Now if this is a house fly.........Its the king of the castle.
I have never seen a fly this big! It was over an inch long, and had an weight problem.
Looked like a fly mated with a cikada and came up with this...........Any thoughts?
Great time of year to be exploring to see what life has to offer......... but dont get caught up in lifes little webs.
Web?
That looks more like my fish net!
Great shots.
It did look like a fish net, I agree. Thanks Chris, it was definately a great sight. Could you see the wet spider still in the web in the last pic? It sure looked cold sitting there! Temp was at 48 degrees and very foggy after a very rainy night.
Yeah, I saw him in the upper left... he needs a tiny blanket.
It was definately deserving of a blanket thats for sure. Talk about dedication, that little one sure has it. Its a cat spider. They get pretty big, but that one was tiny.
Can anyone tell me what kind of snake this is. It was almost 2 1/2 - 3' long with NO RATTLER......
These birds have been at the ranch for about the last week or so. They have a strong interest in pecking at the wood stairs. Not sure what they are but they look cool and are really friendly.
Yep Swizz that is a Bullsnake. Good eye.
Nice shots with the birds too, they look like red crossbill finches to me, probably several juveniles in the midst of gaining their adult colors and it looks like mom's in the background (light green). Maybe she's teaching the brewd about some small insects found in the old logs?
Cool pics, I bet they are fun to watch when lunch time rolls around.
Here's a close up pic of one of those cat spiders Denise loves so much. I'm sure I'll be hearing about this post later, she just luuuuvvvves spiders.
This "little guy" would easily cover a half dollar coin, looks like it's pretty healthy too.
Excelent bird pictures Chris!!! Those are adorable finches, and what beautiful colors! Good eye seeing mama in the back of the one pic Dan. I think thats exactly whats going on, the mom teaching the younger ones.
Sheesh Dan! Thats not only a spider, but the one I kindly had you remove for me. Gads, I asked you to remove it, not make it an internet star. ....Good close up pic BTW Dan...
Here is a little different kind of encounter. This little guy usually only comes out at night, but I found one hidding just after sunrise. Gads! The thing has toes....hehe
A "what" cricket? Nah, looks to me like a tater bug. Watch out though, their bites can be nasty. Not poisonous, but they have mighty strong jaws so they can eat all them taters.
The fun part is watching the tater bugs get into fights. They throw taters at each other.
(or so my granddaddy said)
Same bug different user name though. They are also called Red skull bugs, earth babies, etc.. It is also a myth that they eat taters, but they do have a painful bite.
Sounds like grandaddy was having fun with you.
Very cool looking mine shaft. Sad to say since taking this picture, someone distroyed the entrance.
Guess some people dont appreciate beauty like I do.
Facinating history and stories have unfolded inside this mine shaft.
GB brought his pet bird (some kind of Parrot) over the other night and had it perched in front of my Geological map... which I thought would make an interesting background. I normally don't like to shoot with a 'busy' background but I couldn't resist with the rich colors.
The bird's name is Tuco and has quite the personality. Very cool bird... spends a lot of time on GB's shoulder.
Jeez.... get a room
Great pics Swizz, and Tuco is a very beautiful bird! Love his colors!!
Here is one taken early morning right before the sun came up. Fresh layer of snow on the ground as the fog socked us in.
Love how the lack of light in the pic gives an almost icy blue feel of winter.
LOL makes me shiver just looking at them.
If that makes you cold....Just think how this poor cactus feels.
It was able to avoid the snow but not Jack frost.
Great picture of hoar frost Denise! There is usually a short period of time during sunrise when it's possible to catch it backlit with sun for super-natural effects.... before it has a chance to melt. I try but don't always catch it right or end up over-exposing the shot. I've always found that type of frost interesting. I startled a sleeping Deer along the Colorado early one morning (near sunrise) and the poor thing was covered in it. Made for good camo since it was winter but... brrrr.
I was going through some of my fish pics this morning since my taxidermy class was canceled and thought I'd share this image as it's one of my favorites. It's not so much the Salmon, but the content 'flow' of this image that makes it work for me. I built the pictured rod with a custom hand-fitted cork handle. Coincidentally, the shape of the handle is really similar to the fish's shape. I didn't notice until days later viewing onscreen but it creates a nice composition along with the softly curved fly line. Sometimes ya just get lucky.. I may have to print this one up. Cheers!
Man that's a beauty...fish ain't bad either.
Thanks Swizz! I let the dog out when I went to take the pictures, and about a half an hour later when I went to go back inside, the dog was laying there with it all over her as well. I laughed and was about to get a pic of her, but she jumped up and shook it off before I could. I was amazed at how quick it formed on her!
You did a great job on the rod. Looks like it works well to! Sweet Salmon pic for sure! Ive never seen a salmon like that while out fishing. Thanks for sharing it with us.
BTW......Sweet avatar pic! Warms me just looking at it.
Here's a quick pic from ice fishing yesterday....
my little girl got a little frosty
Shes sooo sweet! Fantastic picture of her Swizz!!
At least she was willing to get her pic taken like that....hehe......Great partner to have out with you. Just need a snow sled for her to pull around instead of you. Thanks for sharing that pic with us, it definately brought a smile to my face!
I am always amazed at the cool stuff I see and find every time I view a new thread and this one was no exception. I did not know that these little buggers built a circle around their entrance. Hummmmm..... It’s got to be for keeping something out. I wonder what?
Sorry, this feller was a little camera shy. It will be hard for you to guess what it is if you are not familiar with them. I will give you a hint, "They are very problematic in the south".
That would be a mole cricket, scientific name Orthoptera Gryllotalpidae. They could be a problem in ones garden.
Looks like they have little toes also.
Really, it was that easy for you hu? I thought it would tax your thinking cap at least a little. OK, I'm working on a new pic as we speak. I just got to get the camera just right..... BRB
At first glance this appears to be some sort of Alien Miniature Unicorn Skull. But of course not. I will give you only one hint and it is in the form of a riddle. ” In its more recognizable form it might be said that it possesses scales, but don't think of fish”. Hope these pics are not too large. Have fun guessing, Woody.
Timmy had a guess that it was a horse shoe crab, but I dont think thats it. Interesting, but I think I need another hint.
BTW.........OUCH! Look at that thumb!
No Ma'am, not a crab.
In fact they are quite common right here in landlocked Colorado and I am most certain that you have seen these before. My first clue was a hard one, so I will explain it. When I said,” In its more recognizable form it might be said that it possesses scales, but don't think of fish”. I was referring to a part of its name. Dragons might be said to possess scales, right? "OK I admit it was a reach but hey, you got that last one lickety-split. I mean come on! Who in Colorado knows what a Mole Cricket is? lol". So there is your second clue. Part of its name is a Dragon.
"wispering" he said Mole Cricket..... he hee. Woody
Seems Im better at guessing when they're alive.
Well, it really doesn't look much like a lawyer....(they have scales, too, right?)
Would you believe .....
These neat little creations are actually seed pods from the common Snap Dragon. They look so much like a tiny skull it's amazing. Different varrities have different looking pods but they all look simular to a head of some sort. Take care, Woody
Very cool Woody! When we were trying to figure it out, that was one of our biggest problems was not knowing what it was from. Bones, seed pods etc.
Nature sure is an amazing thing!
One never knows what they will find out there enjoying nature.
Here is, what apperas to be is a Jerusalem cricket's burrow bottom that Timmy found in the hole he was digging Fulgurite from.
I guess its better than him bringing home the bugs and snakes.
I'm with Timmy.
I want to find out what's at the bottom of something like that. Here is a pic of a nasty little critter. This one was only about 4 inches in size, "Barely Legal"
i have way too many of these type of pics.
the macro feature on my camera is too much fun.
Fantastic pictures golden journey! That one shot looks really cool from under the flower, good job.
Here is one of a wildflower leaf that's the size of my pinky nail. I didnt use a tripod, but I probably should have so the picture would have turned out better. I'll have to try this one again so I can get a shot that you can see the reflection in the dew drips, and better detail of the furry leaf.
Thanks for the info Coalbunny,
I certainly never knew of their scientific name but am well acquainted with them as Camel Spiders or Wind Scorpions. We even have a similar species here in Colorado just referred to as Wind Scorpion. There is much, "untruths", surrounding these critters but I can personally account for their voracious apatite. In Iraq G.I.s would put them in jars and feed them everything they could find. It is amazing how much they can eat. But I do believe they will kill themselves if over feed. By over feeding them I mean, someone would through a Scorpion in the jar and it would eat it, no sooner then it finished that someone would through in another full sized Camel Spider and the looser of that fight would get eaten, on and on until it dies and then they get another.
The one in the 1st pic was last year in Southern Iraq. This new pic is a few years ago in Northern Iraq. Down South there is only the one type, up North there seems to be a variety. Have a good one, Woody.
Gads Woody! The spider pictures make my skin crawl!!
Since you posted that pic and mentioned Colorado has some (wind scorpions), I have been seeing them all over the place. One even came after me while I was working in the garden. Why so agressive, what did I ever do?
I also had this big feller smack me right in the forehead, but I can't seem to be able to identify what it is.
It looks like some kind of Cicada, but Im not sure.
Any ideas from any of you bug fans? Its a little larger than a quarter.
Close up picture of its face....Almost looks like an evil old lady with glasses.
This looks like the result of a bad joke;
A Shis-tzu, a Hores fly, and a Locus walk into a bar............
Clams on a half-wing......
This is your brain on drugs, any questions??
Looking at that first pic again I think it has finally happened, "when Pigs Fly".
Seriously, I think someone took this sucker apart and lost a few pieces when they put him back together again. Not a clue.
About them Wind Scorpions, We found one last week. We were sitting out front and one just crawled up the wall right by my Stepson's face.
Have a good one, woody.
Too funny Woody, but you do make a good point.
Strange watching it "clean its face" ! Amazing how big its head was, and how far it could twist it around while cleaning.
It was fascinating, I would really love to know what it was.
I stumbled upon this while on a fishing adventure in Southern Colorado.
This is only a portion of the complete jawbone (showing 1/2 of the lower still attached to 1/4 of the upper jaw) and is roughly 9" long.
The longer teeth shown are 1/2" in length and about 1/8" diameter.
If living... my hand and wrist could probably fit in it's mouth and difficult to remove (ouch if that ever happened ).
Any guesses?
Hint: I did not post this on the Fossil forum. It's an existing toothy predator.
Cool find Chris, but scary! More reasons Carl doesn't dredge.
My guess would be a big tiger muskie. That or a pike, but Im more thinking muskie.
Very cool, and thanks for the heads up! I will make sure I don't dip my toes too long in the shores of Spinney next time i'm there.
I haven't been able to get out as much this year yet, but I sure have been seeing some strange things around our place.
Here is a cool little lizard that surprised me in the garden....Or was it me that surprised it? It looked like a snake, but moved like lightning and had legs. This was the best picture I could get of it hiding. I didn't want to harass it, so I took the picture and left it alone. Poor things was breathing like it had ran a marathon from my scare. I just wish I had gotten a better look at it to see what kind it was.
I have tons of photos I could share, but since flowers seems to be a good theme:
Beautiful Columbine pictures SandAway! Not alot of wildflowers where I am now, so Im always happy to see them in the forum, thanks. Bugs I do get to see, and alot of them!
Ahhh, love is in the air.......... Robber fly style. Beats seeing them eating other bugs right?
CP has been so busy lately that he hasn't had alot of time to post in the forums, but he's still enjoying seeing the little things nature has to offer when he's out working. Cool shot Dan, very pretty moth!!
wow! Both excellent and interesting macro pics.
The Robber Fly pic should be named Creepshow Erotica!
Seriously though, both pics are nearly textbook quality, nice work!
Here is a critter that I found Friday Evening. It was on a Bradley Tank that I took out of the Motorpool to work on. I don’t recall ever seeing one this shade of brown, but it does match the color of the Bradley, Sand Brown. It’s one of the largest I have seen as well. I took it home and let it go in my backyard. I figure it will find more to eat there then in a Motorpool. Woody.
Here is a shot of a moose in the Northern part of the state, near Crystal lakes.
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Here's a pic of flowers in front of a local bank. I've been having a hard time with these shots, and so Ben, a professional phtographer, gave me about 15-20 minutes of lessons. Thanks Ben!
Here is a cool tiny baby lizard (horney toad lizard?) that was only a little over an inch long, tail included. Hard to tell by the photo, but it has a black ant in it's mouth.
Never saw one this small before!!
Very cool toad, I saw the ant when I enlarged it. He looks a little chubby.... my guess is "It looks like momma is feeding him well".
Another great macro Denise. It looks like good mineralization where you took that shot.
Thanks Swizz, it was a very fun picture to take. I took that picture right in our yard, and yes there is some great mineralization here! Dan found another one in the yard and brought it over for me to see. Amazing how tiny these things are, and born with huge appetites. Good thing there are plenty of ants to go around here.
Here is a cool little mushroom that found a really neat spot to grow.
I love enjoying the little things in life..........Like taking time out to smell the wildflowers.
Cool the way it looks like little flowers in the center of the yellow one.
Here is a cool close up of a couple......
Here is a picture of a "gentlemanbug" on an unopened sunflower. It's a bit shy though since everyone keeps calling him a "ladybug".
Chris, thanks. Here are a few more of the sunflowers and the guests hiding on them. So where are those cool nature close ups you have been taking?
You must mean this one Denise.... Got lucky on this late opening sunflower. I just love the golden ratio patterns one can find in everyday life.
This one even caught the color change in the golden ratio arcs.
Thats the picture.......Love it!
Here is one I thought was cool of a knot in a hollowed out log.
Guess it's the time of the year for the more frosty look. Here is a "cool" shot I took the other morning. Today was an even colder morning!
Hoar Frost.... nice!
and judging by the thickness of it - BRRRRRR
Temps in the day have been alot better, but evenings are very cold still! Good open skies for watching the stars though.
Here is a cool one I took outside. What do you see?
I see what appears to be two different trees growing together. Looks like pine on top and I have no clue as to what the other might be. Just a guess.
Close, but no it's not 2 trees growing together. Good guess though.
That picture was a closeup of a piece of cut Pine with really thick bark.
You never know what you may see out there.
HUMMMMM? so thats how the USFS has been watching me!!!
Funny Russ!
Here is a bit of winter beauty... Most people pass right by and don't even notice them.
I had a chance to climb an active volcano when I was in Guatemala a few years back. Here is a lava flow I was able to get within 8 Ft of before my face started melting off. the Stuff flowed slowly like red hot cookie dough..... it was incredible and humbling to see stone being created right before my eyes.
Here is another. Sidenote: about 11 months after this pic was taken the Volcano decided to blow its top and where I was standing is now spread over 100 square miles of the Guatemalan landscape. I guess timing is everything !!
Great pictures DoubleTerm!!
I didn't see a groudhog Thursday, but I did see this in the yard Friday. A good sign to me that spring is on it's way!! Anyone else seeing any signs of spring coming??
here in St.Louis, Missouri the trees are budding,the dafidills are poping up and i saw a Robin yesterday! i better go out and sharpen the lawnmower blade,or check the snow plow??????? i dont know which way to turn!HUMPH! maybe ill have another cup of coffee!
Another close up! It looked really strange to me so I took a picture.
Here is a cool closeup. I really love the color and patterns!!
Who can tell what this is?
It looks like a rough piece of cedar? That would make a great PC wallpaper.
You have a good eye for photography D. That's what I would consider an excellent 'texture' pic. Could be matted and framed... or printed on foam board.
I like it!
Thanks Swizz! That is exactly what it is. I was doing a bit of wood chopping yesterday, so I took some time out for a few pictures.
Funny you said that abot it making a good PC wallpaper.......that is exactly what I did with it after tagging it.
Here is a closeup picture of the bark from the same piece. I love how it looks when it starts to twist and split for a limb. This view is turned to show how it was growing.
Wood.........Love it!!
Another closeup view of the bark but an area with no limbs........Wood is turned sideways again.
Nice!
I love the yellow, blue, and green contrast in the flower pic.
The "Old Man's Beard" moss is a worthy subject too, I have never photographed it but always like the way it looks.
Great shots Arbo!
Great pictures Arbo! I really like the moss one, it is a sweet shot!
Took this closeup shot in the yard today........
Should be pretty easy to tell what it is?!
Rattler!
That is exactly what it was.......a green Mohave!
I took some video of it after it was chopped into 4 pieces with the shovel..... it was still moving around and trying to strike.
A Dragonfly....... Cicadas transforming (nymph to adult) coming next.
Nymph to an adult Cicada. You can hear them here all day now, sounds really cool!
The Cicada hatch progression pics are incredible!
Excellent timing and cool pics. If I'm right... I think they hatch in cycles every few years. Great work!
Thanks Chris, it was very cool to watch. I was going to video it and do a time lapse, but it started to happen when we had several kids in the yard visiting Timmy so I just mostly let them enjoy watching it.... ...and enjoyed they did!! There was another adult male on one of our posts making the really cool sound, so I was able to show them what it was going to look like when it was all done.
Right Chris! The Grand Wester Cicada (this one) runs in a 3 year cycle. Some other Cicadas have a 16 year cycle... Wow!
Then the cycle starts all over again.....
I was out in Gunnison County this weekend rockhounding. A Wren flew out of a Sagebrush that was right next to me. Because the bird let me get so close before it flew I knew exactly what I would find. I leaned over and took this picture.
Great picture Woody!! Looks like 3 little beautiful blue eggs.
Here is another baby bunny picture. I think it's starting to get use to me.
That baby bunny almost has the Groucho look with the dark eyebrow.
Here is a closeup of a cactus flower with a bee in it. I went out to look at the flower again this morning, but it seem that a bunny has eaten all the petals off. Glad I took the shot when I did.
Here is a pic from unknown Cacti. I think I have seen this out in California before but can’t be sure. It resembles coral, a rose, or even intestines. The Barrel Cactus growing on the left side is not a part of this main plant.
Anybody got a clue? Woody.
I don't know, but it sure is cool! I would love to know what kind of cactus it is though Woody.
Taking a sip...
Excelent shot with great detail Chris!! Fantastic colors!
I have been researching cactus online but still can't seem to find out what kind it is Woody. I see dried up ones like that here but have never seen any still growing like that one is.
This guy is not as beautiful as the butterfly Chris put up but beauty is in the eyes of the beholder right?
It sure is a big grasshopper! Had to chase it out of the garden.
Here is another sweet little one from kit batch #2. This little sweetie let me get about 12 inches away from it for this picture. It's ears are only about 1 1/2 inches long.
I even snuck in a wee fuzz feel. Love it!!
Nice!
when I enlarge the hopper, the spot markings are very cool... they look airbrushed!
... and the bunny shot is really good, that one must like you! I think I can see your reflection in it's eye. Jeans and light blue top?
excellent close-up shots!!
Thanks, the hopper definately has some cool patterns! Yep, that's my reflection in it's eye .....but I was wearing a green shirt, close though.
Timmy is jealous that I got to touch one, but they don't call me the bunny lady for nothing.
Here is a really cool Cerisy's Sphinx moth! If it feels threatened, it opens it wings up more exposing large colorful spots (fake eyes). Pink, light blue and yellow. I didn't want to be a moth harasser though to get pics of those colors.
One doesn't think of beautiful when talking about a milk weed........but check this out!
Ok....I will.
Here is a close up of a pile of wildflower seeds. I love the colors and patterns!
I love horses, sweet! Look at all the beautiful horses with the stormy mountains in the background I was thinking.
Nothing......Must be more common than I thought.
Ok, something a bit smaller.....a wasp closeup. This one had a silvery body with red legs and abdomen.
I love those close up nature pictures!!
Here are a couple pictures I took in the garden.
Everything seems to enjoy a good garden......
If you click the larger image, you will notice how he is communicating with her by touching her antena with his leg and his antena.
Timmy has a sweet little spot where he is digging and finding Fulgurites, Jasper and Agates. The next day when he went back to dig he came running back saying there was something in his hole that had made another hole in it.
I went to investigate and found this little guy who obviously fell in and couldn't get back out. It dug a hole so it could get out of the sun to stay cool. We removed it from the hole so it could find a better place to be.
Keep your eyes open when digging, you never know what you may find.
WOW!!! It looks like a mini dino. Very cool indeed.
Haha, it sure does Jim thanks! Here is another small Colorado dino.
This one was taken with my old Canon camera.
Here is anothere mini dino I took a picture of. This one is really cool with it's electric blue tail. He was in the garden near the 55 gallon blue tub we hold the garden water in. Think he was trying to blend?
You guys have some impressive reptiles down there!
I tried to research the first of the three that you posted last week and it's not a common one for Colorado... it may be an escapee from NM. I haven't been able to identify it yet but it is definitely a very cool and unusual little beast. The other two look more common to Colorado (possibly skinks). I'll try to ID those.
Great shots!
Thanks Chris! That first one was the coolest of all of them so far. It was so mellow that Dan was even able to hold it. It seemed pretty happy in his hand but we placed it in a cooler moister place for it to be. I think it was pretty dehydrated for not being able to get out of the dig hole. It was pretty happy to be in the new location though. The last one is a skink, in fact a blue tailed skink. I was able to use the continuous picture setting on the camera since it was wanting to take off. Works great!!
First one is a Salamander. Very lethargic creatures and quite harmless. Good that you put him in a cooler area, they don't tolerate the heat well at all. Often you can find them shriveled-up like an old shoe along the trail somewhere. Seasonal drought conditions extract a heavy toll on these guys.
Love the beauty of nature!! ................yes, even the green legged spiders.
really, really GOOD!
Found this guy on my storm door when I was leaving the house, by far one of the coolest moths I have ever seen.
Nice shot! That is a Cerisy's Sphinx moth, very cool looking.
Here is a picture od a moth I saw on our screen window. This one was the size of a fifty cent piece.
A picture of the Showy Daisies in the summer.....
Sunflower seed head. And a nice one at that!
Watch it CaveMan,
Oh I agree it is a Sunflower head, but it might be 14 inches accrossed or just an inch. She is a tricky one and uses the powers of mag-nif-a-ma-gishin real well. lol
This is the smallest butterfly I have ever seen. They always come in when I am working with water, thirsty little guys. It is only the size of a quarter.
Here is a close up of a very unusual guest for this time of year. This year has been crazy warm for winter so far and here is some more proof. I was doing yard work around the house and came a crossed this. I can never remember seeing a Black Widow in December before. This guy was the biggest I have ever seen. No doubt she has had a longer growing season this year.
I guess this must be the exact opposite of a "white Christmas" lol, Woody.
... just got caught up on this thread
Beautiful hoar frost pics Denise! You have to be a morning person to get those.
Spiders freak me out though, especially the Black Widows. Had them when I lived in Boulder and Eldorado Springs, some very large too. Yours is larger than average but not huge judging from some that I've encountered in Eldo. All I can say is... glad I live up here now - not in their climate zone anymore.
When I was working at the ranch on one of the old cabins this fall I got bit on the side of the neck by a large spider and was not able to identify it... maybe an orb spider. I think it got stuck in my collar and panicked then bit me. Got me good and that damn bite itched and festered for the next two weeks! Had to keep putting Neosporin on it to keep from getting infected.
100% healed now but my spidey sense is strangely acute.
Too funny Chris! Even though your spidey sense is strangely acute, I wouldn't try to scale any walls.
You are right, I am a early morning person....who is up almost all hours of the night trying to keep the fire going to stay warm. It is -8 right now but 66 inside.
Gads!! It dipped as low as -19 before the sun peaked out.
Winter starts tomorrow.......
-26
beat ya!
That's one I hope you beat me at everytime Chris. - 26........ That's some pretty cold temps!!!
I think it's all the same after -10... just bites yer skin.
LOL It's terribly cold here in Ms this morning. It's 34 degrees. Well for here thats cold....
A closeup picture I took when we were out cutting wood last week.
I was looking around in my front flower/rock garden today and was surprised to see there was already a plant that had flowered. This was very unexpected as nothing else has even began to show any signs of Spring. Obviously it is a Spring Ephemeral but hey, I'll take it. Bring on the Spring.
There's a good word for the day, "Spring Ephemeral"! Have a good one, Woody.
Great shot Woody!! Beautiful flower! Spring is definately upon us and I'm ready! Cool fossil and antlers in the garden. Did you find that fossil in Colorado?
Yes, I found that Ammonite section near Trinidad, been a few years. The antlers came from a skull I found when I was out prospecting up around timberline. That reddish/brown rock on the left is a 10 pound chunk of Mahogany Obsidian. Great for making arrow heads.
That reddish/brown rock on the left is a 10 pound chunk of Mahogany Obsidian. Great for making arrow heads.
[/quote]
ive knapped some of this before into a point. yep it comes out very nice!
Here's a cool mushroom that is growing on the northern side of a huge dead standing tree.
Some pretty flowers with a beautiful butterfly! Strange white cotton ballish looking thing under the butterly though. I didn't notice it when I was taking the picture. Is that part of the flower or some kind of cacoon thing?
Wow, Denise those macro shots turned out excellent! When I fully enlarge them they are crispy. Good eye!
I think you're right Caveman.........eewwww, and after the butterfly flew away I stuck my nose on the flowers for a big sniff.
Thanks Chris, macro shots are my favorite! I love being out enjoying the land and getting pics while I'm out there.
Don't worry, Mrs CP - the spiders only want bugs - not noses! Still, just think about what the spider saw.....
Guess you're right Caveman. All I smelled was a butterfly fart anyway.
Very!!
Here is a picture of a Bull snake that tried to sneak into our shower tent today. Bill Engvall was right when he said...."those things just don't fly right!" Dan was trying to fling it away from the tent but it insisted on coming back. Second pic is of it hissing it at him louder than the cat. Was even trying to look like a rattler by shaking it's tail, flattening it's head and puffing out it's body.
You guys need a snake stick - and old, long fireplace poker works very well for that - available at most flea markets.... the rustier, the cheaper! Or just bend a piece of rebar.... drill out a large stick and epoxy into place for the handle, and it works very well too! Plus, it's heavy enough to kill a rattler. Old putters work too, but they are usually much too short for dealing with the poisonous ones. Reach-n-grabs are the best tool, though. you can grab the snake, keep it well away from you, and deposit it out of harms way. Me, I'd rather move the snake (yes, even rattlers) to where I won't have to deal with it again - a washout about a quarter mile from the cabin.
Great ideas Caveman! We usually just grab what ever is handy when we are out working. Those things move fast and we don't want to loose track of where they go. I would be moving them away a bit further as they can travel further than that.
Bunnies are a bit big for them, but they love the kangaroo rats!
Not sure what it is, but this little flower sure has thorns!! Just another thing for the snakes to avoid.
Ran into this guy when we were out cutting firewood. Not sure what it is but it also has wings.
Almost looks like a long porcupine quill in it's behind.
Any ideas what this thing is?
What!...... No one even has a guess as to what that quill looking thing is for?..... Not even the bug man (Swizz).
Stinger?
Snorkel?
Larva injector?
If that's what I think it is.... I believe the quill is an ovipositor.
From there the story gets too creepy.
Ewwww! That's what I was afraid you would say..... Dan looked it up and thinks it may be a "Crown of Thorns Wasp". Horror movie bug, my favorite!! Yesterday I saw some really aggressive ones but they had red wings and a shorter and thicker ovipositor. As soon as I started to take a picture of one, it would start to come after me..... ....So no picture of those. I wonder if it was the sound the camera was making that was making it mad.
hungery critter isnt it!
Great pics Burrell! Just missing the last picture of the large lump in it when it was finished.
Hey Mrs. CP,
I took this picture at the end of July at my brothers house over on the Western Slope. I had never seen a wasp with a tail this long. It kept trying to insert the tip of the tail into each and every square of the screen door, as if it were laying eggs or something. Interesting!
That's a strange looking bug Woody! Almost looks like some sore of Crane Fly. I didn't see any eggs in the sreen by it, but it could have reached in and put them on the door.
Here is a picture of a recent washout. To give you an idea of how much was washed out........just look for the hovering T posts that were recently put in. Nature sure has a way of saying "look at me!".
Those wasps that were pictured belong to the family Ichneumonoidea (My uncle is an entomologist, and I picked up a lot of arcane trivia about insects from him over the years). Very cool parasitic insects - they help us out by parasitizing the larvae of various pest insects, such as borers, flies, etc. You want to see these guys around. Did a google image search too:
http://www.google.com/search?q=ichneumon+wasp&rlz=1T4GGNI_enUS530US530&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=zaAsUr9Op-7JAdz8gZgI&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=572
Crane flies (aka mosquito hawks) look more like giant mosquitos. If you have grass, you have their larvae in your lawn.
That's one heck of a washout there, Mrs CP!
It sure was Caveman but nothing compared to what some in Colorado have been dealing with.
It's been raining here for days and it looks like lots of Colorado is getting hit hard still. Floods and mudslides have been horrible!! Hope everyone is staying safe.
Here is a cool looking purple mushroom? It was growing on a dead standing Aspen in a spot that received very little sunlight. They paled out within a few hours after falling the tree and bringing it out into the sun.
Hoar frost was really thick on the fence this morning at -7. Brrrrrr!!!!!
Nice shot of the frost! I got out in the back yard 2 days ago and got some shots of it.
These are mini-roses, shot with my 100mm macro lens
The weather vane
The dinner bell
The name of these escapes me, but they are a really cool BLUE when they are growing
Another little flowerbed plant shot in macro (yes, I need to have my sensor cleaned... this shot REALLY shots the dust on it! lol)
Great pictures Crusty!! I like the mini roses so much that I set it as my desktop background.
I need one of those dinner bells for the bunnies.
Awesome pics you guys!
Yer killin me.... I destroyed my DSLR a while back and haven't replaced it yet. Actually broke it when I was doing Opal pics.
This may be the longest period of my adult life that I've been without an SLR or DSLR, sucky because photography has always been a big part of my funtime.
That may change if I find a good online deal during "cyber Monday". I worked really hard this summer and didn't get myself any fun toys so I might be able to justify it this year.
Jeepy could use a new set of boots, but hell I can get another winter out of these tires, right? First things first, tires are over $1K and I still have 1/4" - 1/2" tread on the mudders. Camera will cost half as much and last a lot longer... that's my current justification.
I need to get back in the game!
My smartphone camera just doesn't make me happy.
Here is a bunny close up taken yesterday! Awww soooo cute!! Seems they are even starting to pose for me.
It's time you started giving these bunnies the spa treatment: http://msnvideo.msn.com/?channelindex=3&from=en-us_msnhp#/video/07f3a4e2-f9a3-43b7-b746-b370f1bacfe4
Too funny Chris!! That is an image that will stick in my brain forever....and always make me smile just thinking about it.
I'm not thinking that is something that I will be able to get the bunnies to do though...hehe...They would rip the stuffing out of me if I tried.
Bunny bath!!
Looks like the Shrike bird is back feeding........or maybe it forgot about this baby mouse and left it for this beetle.
Nasty how it spears it's grey on something sharp like these tomato cages not set up yet!!!
Ok, is it gross that I made Kabobs for dinner last night after posting that pic.......... Sounded good!
UH-OH! Watch out Dan, she just might have a little shrike in her blood.....
Denise, any relation to Vlad?
One just never knows! I just wanted chicken chunks on a stick, so Dan fired up the grill. Was yummy to! The mouse is still "there". Should check to see if the strange bug if still wandering around on it? Has me wondering if it was eating it or going to lay eggs in it?
A little of both - carrion beetles are like that.
I did some fishing today and didn't have any luck but made friends with this little bird (for about 45 minutes!) until an Osprey flew overhead and freaked him out. I only have a 55mm lens so he let me get pretty close. It's a Green-tailed Towhee according to my Audubon Guide. Described as "shy" but I was able to talk to this one for a long time whilst he was munching and get down low in front of it with the camera. Good thing too cuz the fishing wasn't doing it for me today.
https://flic.kr/p/niTRv8https://flic.kr/p/niTRv8 by https://www.flickr.com/people/121086004@N07/, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/nA9Do1https://flic.kr/p/nA9Do1 by https://www.flickr.com/people/121086004@N07/, on Flickr
Very cool pics!
Something about today, though - I got touching close to all kinds of birds today. Even had one just calmly walk out of the path of my left front tire while I was going to the store. It was really weird. And spooky.
hmmmm, earthquake?
Nah, I think we both might have a little Dr Doolittle in us.
Here's an oddball icicle pic from the same lake yesterday. Waves were forming icicles on the shore twigs all around the lake and looked kinda cool.
https://flic.kr/p/nyL2bqhttps://flic.kr/p/nyL2bq by https://www.flickr.com/people/121086004@N07/, on Flickr
Very "cool", indeed!
He's beautiful, great picture Chris! I love how you can see the detail of his feathers in the enlarged picture. Sound like the weather is a lot better where you guys are. Was a total white out here yesterday blowing in sideways right at our door. Snowing here today again. Funny though, bunnies disappear but the birds come out thick here in the worst weather. Last minute freak out before the ground covers over?
I love when the icicles do that at the waters edge.
Been really cloudy and windy here lately so I have been taking some cloud formation pics. Here is one that really caught my eye.
I like!
Thanks Chris, was cool how they rowed out so low right above me. Here is a couple shot I took yesterday while we were out cutting dead trees.
First shot is Showy Daisies with a very tiny bee.
Here are a couple more I took while out cutting firewood....
Dew was thick on the flora when we first arrived. No clouds but was raining hard under the trees.
Cool pictures, the one of the flower pod almost looked like a spider standing there!
I'm thinking the one your asking about is a mushroom?
That's a nice set of pics! I like the vivid colors.... and I like the crab looking thingy, funny.
I'm guessing that last one is a chunk of tree fungus?
I would agree with swizzle stick on the fungii. The crab looking thing looks like a blown out ans dead dandy lion seed pod?
I'm gunna wait on telling you(s) what it is... see if more people have a guess. The spider looking thing is actually a dried up mushroom... still in ground, but I noticed it along with the popcorn shroom. They were growing close to each other in the middle of a pathway I have in my backyard garden.
Summer is definitely over :(
Sprinkler water froze this morning.
Crap!
Time to blow out the lines! Ugh.
Here is a before and after the cold pics of this very thorny pink bush.
I'm ready for spring.
Wha! That's not what a plow wow man would say....... ....You should be chanting...let it snow...let it snow...let it snow. Count that as your free plowing tip.
I do understand the wanting spring feeling already though.......this is the only green we see now other than the stray pieces of Epidote on the ground.
Wild Raspberry
Fantastic pictures Mike! You definitely have a good eye for photography.
Here is a picture of the first Lilac flower from our property. It has fully bloomed now and smells great!!
Here's my favorite surprise visitor to our front yard
https://flic.kr/p/sPtjuShttps://flic.kr/p/sPtjuS by https://www.flickr.com/photos/caramews/, on Flickr
She's popped up every spring for the past 3 or 4 years. We have no idea how her bulb got in our yard but I'm glad to see her again :)
That weed next to it likes to turn up monthly, too.
Aw man, I was hoping nobody would notice that!
It's a beautiful Tulip and a great little surprise! If it helps any Cara, it looks like a very happy and healthy weed though.
Thanks for sharing the picture!
The weeds on this property are very healthy!
Some of the actual flowers are too ;)
Are we also allowed to post critter close ups on this thread too? I have a couple neato paw and nose close-ups.
Too funny Cara!
Definitely add your close up pictures. As you can see by page one of this thread, I'm fond of the paws and animal close up nose shots.
Really good one of Terra in the CP mascots thread. Here is Terra's new obsession when outside playing. The http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinacate_beetle! These things are cool in the fact that when threatened, they do a head stand similar to the spotted skunk and spray a chemical out their abdomens as far as 10"-20". Stuff wont wash off and makes the dog smell soooo bad! She will even have a brown slick down the center of her tongue.
Good thing our dogs are so dang cute because with as filthy as they love to get, if they weren't cute they'd all be free roaming and begging from every random person they saw!
Here's one of Baby's feathers. She's our Umbrella Cockatoo
https://flic.kr/p/9uJG29https://flic.kr/p/9uJG29 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/caramews/, on Flickr
Here's her feet
https://flic.kr/p/9uJFpjhttps://flic.kr/p/9uJFpj by https://www.flickr.com/photos/caramews/, on Flickr
Tai-Grr and Aurora being cozy
https://flic.kr/p/9GsMmJhttps://flic.kr/p/9GsMmJ by https://www.flickr.com/photos/caramews/, on Flickr
Aurora's sweet widdle face
https://flic.kr/p/9GsMh1https://flic.kr/p/9GsMh1 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/caramews/, on Flickr
And here's a sleepy Tai-Grr
https://flic.kr/p/7RTJqShttps://flic.kr/p/7RTJqS by https://www.flickr.com/photos/caramews/, on Flickr
Ok I'll stop now! But be forewarned, there's more where these came from!
Fantastic animals with great names Cara! I bet Terra could even say Aurora's name. Animal feet are one of my favorites, love the shots!! Would love to see Baby's face as well. Especially when she wants to flaunt those head feathers!
Aww lovies!!!
these lil buggers have been taking refuge from the rain on my porch this week.
Denise,
Ask and ye shall receive!
https://flic.kr/p/9uFFuRhttps://flic.kr/p/9uFFuR by https://www.flickr.com/photos/caramews/, on Flickr
The crest isn't fully displayed, but it's up pretty good.
She's beautiful!!
Love your critters Cara! You really are a zookeeper... I think you almost have the whole food chain cohabiting in your house. Awesome!!
Here is a pic of a cool Dragonfly that was hanging out on one of our yard ornaments.
Mrs. CP's is better, but I noticed this dead dragonfly on my deck while having a smoke, hello photo opp.
Love the pics Colin! Wild turkeys are definitely hard to get pics of since they try to stay hidden well.
Don't you just love going "outside where the woohoo-bars are!"?
Fantastic photos! I've always enjoyed seeing these closeups as my cameras don't get near that quality. Have you ever watched any of these? THEY ARE HILARIOUS! (if you don't mind a little of bad but funny language)
https://youtu.be/40dQDtv9QAY
Ever wonder how big the talons of a Golden Eagle are? They are very large!
This is an image that my taxidermist friend sent to me. He's skinning it today and it is to be mounted for the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
https://flic.kr/p/LZ4YLQhttps://flic.kr/p/LZ4YLQ by https://www.flickr.com/photos/121086004@N07/, on Flickr
Wow....much bigger than I thought, unless your buddy has one of those "Deadpool" hands. Very cool!
Wow Chris! A lot larger than I imagined!! Very cool project he has at hand, I hope it goes well!
Here is a cool stick bug that Tim found outside! Very cool bug to have around!
Very cool indeed! Nature's camo at it's best, that's why we barely ever see those. In the U.P. we referred to them a "Walking Sticks" but I only recall seeing a couple in my entire life. Good find!
Here's a creeper I encountered this morning on a rural ranch house where I've been working on the front range. This might be the largest spider I've ever seen, I believe it's a Huntsman but haven't compared images yet. We had Huntsman Spiders in the U.P. but they were always slimmer than this fatty. Must be eating well whatever it is.
https://flic.kr/p/XE5Wvnhttps://flic.kr/p/XE5Wvn by https://www.flickr.com/photos/121086004@N07/, on Flickr
You're killing me here Chris!
This Moose has been bullying Timber and me for the last several days at my work project. It's at a remote log home and I'm the only person there. He's been showing up at the place every morning and has two girlfriends. He herds us into the Jeep and we have to wait it out every time... there's no scaring them off at this time of year and he's fairly good sized.
https://flic.kr/p/YGn1RFhttps://flic.kr/p/YGn1RF by https://www.flickr.com/photos/121086004@N07/, on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/YV1bUehttps://flic.kr/p/YV1bUe by https://www.flickr.com/photos/121086004@N07/, on Flickr
"Get in the Jeep you two!"
https://flic.kr/p/YCbePLhttps://flic.kr/p/YCbePL by https://www.flickr.com/photos/121086004@N07/, on Flickr
Haha! He looks like he means business. Moose are no joke this time of year.
That spider is gnarly and I wonder if they have any cats missing!
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