biohexx1's Favorites

Saw this buck making his way up a canyon... it is very hot and dry again this year... and you can see by looking at him that at 12:01 PM on July 8, 2021 conditions were a challenge. Been in this area for the better part of 35 years... this is the first year I've seen bears and mule deer and other wildlife, all in great numbers, struggling to deal with the heat (several bouts of days in the 100's) and severely dry conditions...

So gonna catch up on some recent observations, maybe a theme here... especially in light of the fact that this area burned 8 to 10 days later as part of the larger expanding fire... from a few miles away, saw an increase in fire activity on July 16, 2021 at 3:00 PM of a fire that started on July 4th from a lightning strike... strong winds and very dry conditions caused the Tamarack Fire to explode, devastating this area, it's wildlife (large and small), plants, and people and communities like Markleeville, CA. People tragically lost their homes... the same happened to the wildlife of the area. It is obvious that things are heating up and drying out more than in the past... an increase in firefighting resources across the board are needed. Yes, I understand the ecological effects of fire... there is something else at play here and elsewhere... it's Global. i barely got out of this area before fire blocked the road... it was a close call.

Will be sharing observations of bears and other wildlife, and plants seen here recently and in the past... Wonder how the wildlife survived this rapidly moving fire?... small animals can only go so far, so fast, and all animals are already challenged by the excessive heat.

First photo out of sequence, rest in sequence as this guy passed right by me.

Incredible variety of frog and snake life in this canyon. This search was briefly alluded to in my article on endangered frogs in the SoCal mountains: https://bangkokherps.wordpress.com/2018/10/23/california-waters-frogs-of-the-socal-mountains/

As I was taking a picture of this female Common Merganser (Gänsesäger) in the channel at the entry of Nymphenburg Palace, she suddenly raced away with her bill and eyes under water. I first thought she was chasing Black-headed Gulls, but she surfaced with a Chub that was so large and heavy that she lost her grip on it. She must have stunned the fish, because she pulled it out again after searching for it under water. This time, she didn’t only struggle with the weight of the fish, she was also surrounded by excited Gulls who wanted to get a bite. The Merganser tried in vein to get airborne with the heavy load, and eventually had to drop her prey… She seemed pumped up and excited after this catch and shook her feathers and flapped her wings for a bit. And then she continued her search.
For the Chub: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/34861851

Trying to ID the dragonfly, not the Monarch. The monarch is in a separate post. Can anyone explain this behavior? After approaching and staying near these insects for awhile, they flew off and seemed completely fine. I’m not sure if I witnessed mating or what...