Atlas Moth

Next up as I continue (alphabetically) my "5" rated photos is also from the Tucson Botanical Garden's Butterfly Exhibit. The Atlas Moth comes from Southeast Asia and is one of the largest moths in the world with a ten inch wingspan. (Females are larger and heavier than males). The "5" rating in this case has more to do to the rarity and size of the moth than the actual photo itself.

Atlas Moth

Asian Swallowtail

The Tucson Botanical Garden has a wonderful live Butterfly Exhibit which runs October through April  each year. For the photographer it is heaven. Wonderfully colorful butterflies on dark green plants or colorful flowers. It's a great opportunity for "5" rated photos. Today, the Asian Swallowtail:

Asian Swallowtail

Arizona Woodpecker

What else can I say, the Arizona Woodpecker is a cute little woodpecker. Its northernmost range is Southeastern Arizona, the extreme Southwestern part of New Mexico, and the northern high mountain Sonoran Desert of Mexico.  It had been listed as Strickland's Woodpecker, but has been reclassified and renamed to differentiate it from a similar Central Mexico species. So, if you want to see this little guy you'll need to visit Southern Arizona. 

Arizona Woodpecker, Male

Arcas Cattleheart

Continuing with my "5" rated photos (in alphabetical order) we come to a pair of Arcas Cattlehearts doing what mother nature intending them to do to preserve the species. As I mentioned yesterday, butterflies offer a potential for a beautiful photo because of their color and/or because they usually feed on very colorful plants and flowers. But sometimes they won't sit still or even land in order to get that photo. Sometimes they pose and you get a good photo. AND, once in a while you find them mating and you get a great photo. Such is the case today:

Arcas Cattleheart

Apricot Sulphur

Butterflies offer the potential for a "5" rated photo. It can be challenging because a butterfly may never land and so you wait patiently for landing and it never happens. Often the colorful patterns are on the dorsal  (uppe-rside) and when it does land it almost immediately closes it's wings. It mostly depends on the species. Some will land and open and close their wings quickly several times and then close them the rest of the time they are feeding. You might take 7 or 8 photos quickly and find that none of them were at the split second when the wings were wide open. A very fast focusing camera with quick bursts is helpful in those cases. As you will see in later posts, some butterflies land with open wings as if saying, "please, take my picture." In today's photo, this Apricot Sulphur like most sulphurs, keep their wings closed while feeding. But in this case, it still offers a wonderful color contrast with the bright red flower on which it is feeding:

Apricot Sulphur: Tucson Botanical Garden

Antelope Jackrabbit

Unlike the Desert Cottontail which is most often seen here at The Azure Gate and elsewhere in the Sonoran Desert, the Antelope and Blacktail Jackrabbits are less often seen. Saguaro National Park is the most reliable place, but only early morning or just before dusk. Sometimes they will run once they see you, but other times they will either continue eating (grasses or mesquite pods), or pose for a photo. This Antelope Jackrabbit decided to pose. I found him while hiking in the Galiuro Mountains, which is the next mountain range east of the Rincon Mountains (where Saguaro National Park is). 

Antelope Jackrabbit: Galiuro Mountains, Arizona

Anna's Hummingbird - II

Today, another Anna's Hummingbird gets a "5" rating.:

Anna's Hummingbird: photo taken here at The Azure Gate B&B