Ivyleaf Morningglory

Continuing with my alphabetical listing of "5" Star Photos we come to a very simple wildflower. What I love about this trumpet-shaped flower is that it is often by itself. Unlike Mexican Poppies, for example, there aren't fields of them with hundreds of flowers. The Ivyleaf Morningglory is a hairy vine typically found in dark wooded areas which give it wonderful contrasting color. There is so much you can do in terms of angles, lighting, composition etc. Here is one of my favorites:

Ivyleaf Morningglory

Indonesian Batwing

From a Hummingbird Moth in our backyard to an Indonesian Batwing 12,000 miles away. This butterfly has a bright red body and jet black wings with red splashes. Gorgeous. And, as with many butterflies can make for some wonderful photos. This photo was not taken 12,000 miles away in it's normal habitat, but at the Tucson Botanical Gardens "Butterfly Magic" exhibit which runs from October through March here in Tucson.

Indonesian Batwing

Not a Grey Wolf from Yellowstone, But a Hummingbird Moth from The Azure Gate

Well ............ the Photo Trip to Yellowstone got cancelled. A huge crack in the sewer line beneath our kitchen was the culprit. 

Here is what was/is involved: remove kitchen cabinets, remove 16 square feet of tile, drill into concrete in three different places, dig down and remove two feet of dirt, tunnel between the digs, remove the old pipe, put in a new pipe, then fill the dirt back in, pour new concrete, buy and install new tiles, reinstall kitchen cabinets, cleaning the entire house from all the dirt and dust flying around (meaning dusting/washing  absolutely everything). Pouring the new concrete will happen today (hopefully) tomorrow and Thursday installing and sealing the tiles and reinstalling the kitchen cabinets. Friday and Saturday the washing and cleaning. There goes the Photo Trip.

So, no new Grey Wolf photos from Yellowstone, sorry. Instead, back to the "5" Star Photos and ......... seems anti-climatic .......... a Hummingbird Moth photo taken in our back yard. 

Oh well,

Hummingbird Moth

P.S. Christine says look on the bright side, because I was going to be away we had not scheduled any guests this week. So, no guest was inconvenienced by what happened. It's true. It could have been worse.

Hooded Skunk: A Favorite

Nest we come to one of my favorites, the Hooded Skunk. Tell me this isn't a beautiful animal. They are very businesslike, constantly looking for food: insects as well as vegetation. Their range is mostly Mexico, but also Southern Arizona in the US. This photo was taken in the Galiuro Mountains.

Hooded Skunk

NOTE: This will be the last post for about a week or so. I am off to Yellowstone National Park. Hopefully I'll have some nice photos to show when I get back. 

Hooded Oriole

Next up on my alphabetical listing of "5" Star Photos is the Hooded Oriole. Such a beautiful bird its hard not for it to be "5" Stars provided you get close.  The Hooded Oriole doesn't have the range of the Bullocks (West) or the Baltimore and Orchard (East) so it is less often seen. It is found only in the Southwest, primarily Southwestern Arizona. And a real treat when you do.

Hooded Oriole

Hoary Marmot

Sometimes a "5" Star Photo can be a simply thing. You just get very nice detail, very nice coloration, nice composition -- oh, and its an animal not frequently seen. The Hoary Marmot is just the case. It lives near the treeline (10,000 feet or more) in the Rockies and Cascades of the US. It's a fun little animal, just like our ground squirrels here in Arizona. Curious little fellows.

Hoary Marmot

The Hepatic Tanager

Continuing with my "5" Star Photos we come to the Hepatic Tanager. All the Tanagers are beautiful. Even more so because they aren't abundant. When you find one you can't help but be excited. Of the four Tanager species in the US, the Hepatic Tanager has the smallest range essentially just Arizona and New Mexico. The Hepatic is similar to the Summer Tanager but has grey auriculars and flanks as in this photo.

Hepatic Tanager