Dogofthedesert

@dogofthedesert

Retired archaeologist and museum curator who loves the planet he lives on, and worries about what is happening to it.

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Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 19d

Jacob's ladder (Polemonium foliosissimum), looking a bit ethereal. Photo taken in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico on July 20, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers

A cluster of three open flowers, with buds behind them. Each open flower has five rounded petals. Each petal is pale blue, with dark blue streaks. The pistils and anthers are white. The buds are darker blue than the open flowers. The low contrast in this image makes it more ethereal than many photos I post.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 20d

Mountain death camas (Anticlea elegans) blooming in the Sandia Mountains, on July 15, 2026. As the name indicates, another one you shouldn't put in your mouth. #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers

A spray of mostly white flowers, tilted so that the green main stem rises from lower left to upper right. The open flowers have six white petals with green patches. The central part of the flower includes fused stamens with yellow anthers. The tip of the flower closer is bent over, with multiple flowers yet to open. The background for the image is blurred-out patches of green and brown.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 20d

A Weidemeyer’s admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii) in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico, on July 15, 2026. In this case, supposedly, "admiral" is a corruption of "admirable." #nature #naturephotography #butterfly

A butterfly resting with its wings open, revealing the bold black and white markings on its upperwings. The dominant color is black, with a broad white band spanning each pair of wings, and with white spots concentrated at the wingtips and trailing edges. Near the trailing edges are a few reddish-brown spots which aren't that apparent. The body is all black, except for the eyes, which are reddish-brown with dark spots. The background for the image is out-of-focus blades of green and brown grass.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 20d

Ripe baneberries (Actaea rubra) in the Sandias on July 15, 2026. As the name indicates, something you don't want to put in your mouth. #nature #naturephotography

A stalk rises from the bottom of the picture and ends in a cluster of small, red, shiny berries. Each baneberry is round and on a stem, looking somewhat like unplucked cherries -- only these berries are poisonous. The immediate background for the berry cluster is a somewhat out of focus spray of toothed leaves. The far background is more green, from other vegetation. What I like about this image is the bold, sharp composition provided by the bright red berries, versus the vague, low-contrast green background.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 20d

A male Cassin's finch (Haemorhous cassinii) at Capulin Spring in the Sandia Mountains, on July 17, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #birds

The head and body of a finch, with the head to the left and the body extending off the image to the right. The bird is perched (and hunched over) a rough gray twig. The most striking part of this male bird's plumage is its bright red crest, which is slightly raised (as it often is). As one moves down the face to the chin and breast, and towards the back, the red is less bright and mixes in with plainer plumage -- brown on the back, streaked gray on the undersides. The beak is cone-shaped and comes to a sharp point. The eye is dark. The background to the image is an out-of-focus mix of light gray streaks (branches) and green (leaves).

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 21d

Tiny insect on the underside of a twig? No problem for a mountain chickadee (Poecile gambeli). Photo taken in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico, on July 21, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A chickadee hangs upside-down from a bare twig, as it pries loose a bit of something from the underside of the twig. The image includes the front half of the bird, with the head to the right and the tail off-camera to the left. In this light the chickadee looks mostly light gray, but with a prominent black cap and black eye stripe. The beak comes to a sharp point. The eye is black. The image is somewhat spoiled by out-of focus twigs in the foreground, and by the distant background being bright while the bird, which was in the shade, is darker than the background. But I like the image anyway.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 21d

Another black bear (Ursus americanus) encounter today. There was some vegetation in the way but I opted against following the bear until I got a better photo. Image taken at the Capulin snowplay area in the Sandia Mountains, on July 21, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #bear

The face of a bear that's staring at me through a light screen of vegetation. Like many black bears out west, it's actually brown. It looks very fuzzy! The mouth is slightly open. The snout is gray-brown. To me, the eyes looks surprisingly like human eyes -- brown irises surrounded by whites.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 22d

A pinesap (Hypopitys monotropa) flower shoot, recently emerged from the ground. Photo taken along the Double Eagle Trail in the Sandia Mountains, on July 20, 2026.

Against the mostly browns of the forest floor, a thick, bright red shoot emerges. It's bent over to the right but will straighten out as it continues to grow. The shoot bears short, translucent red leaves that look like scales sticking out, and ends in a cluster of flowers that again look like scales, at least from this angle. This plant mostly lives a parasitic life undergrown but needs to poke up flower shoots, like a submarine poking up its periscope, to reproduce.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 24d

A male MacGillivray's Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei) at the Capulin Spring canoa, in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico, on July 17, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A bird perched with its head to the right and tail to the left, turned slightly toward the camera. The head, neck, and upper breast sport a gray hood. The dark eye has a partial eyering, with white above and below. The beak is narrow and sharp. The lower breast and belly are bright yellow. From this angle the wings, back, and tail aren't clearly seen -- besides, that end of the bird extends beyond my telephoto lens' narrow field of focus. However, those parts of the bird are a mix of gray, yellow-green, and yellow. The background is blurry mix of twigs and leaves.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 25d

On an immature male crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), the transition from juvenile to adult plumage can look a bit messy. Photo taken at Capulin Spring in the Sandia Mountains, on July 17, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A close-up of the head and shoulders of a bird. The head is turned and facing to the right of the image, clearly revealing the way the upper and lower bills overlap rather than meet. Not unlike the claws in a staple remover. The plumage is a motley mix of yellow, brown, and some red. The eye is small and dark. Behind the bird is a blurry mix of light and dark green, from vegetation.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 25d

White checkermallow (Sidalcea candida) blooming at Capulin Spring in the Sandia Mountains, on July 17, 2026. If it reminds you of hibiscus, that's not surprising. They're both in the mallow family. #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers

A cluster of white flowers, most of which are still emerging from their green calyces. Only one flower is both completely open and more or less facing the camera. If you're familiar with hibiscus flowers, these are smaller (perhapd 1 1/2 inches across) and all white. On the most visible flower, the five petals look translucent, with multiple slight ridges that may or may not be veins. The central part sticks out, just like on a hibiscus, and ends in a cluster of tiny dark anthers. The background for the flowers is a blurred-out dull green.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 28d

An orange mountain dandelion (Agoseris aurantiaca), one of the tiny gems to be found in the Sandia Mountains. Photo taken on July 14, 2026, as a cloud passed over. Clouds are good. Rain clouds are even better... #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers

A burst of orange and yellow-orange against a blurred-out gray background. I count 16 long, narrow petals with rounded tips, varying from dark to light orange. The petals are slightly curled, revealing the edges of yellow undersides. The flower has about as many orange stamens as petals; there's no obvious anther on each stamen, but each is coated with orange pollen grains. The center of the flower is less obvious but clearly consists of multiple parts. The green stem and calyx are not in focus, but the stem can be seen curling upward from the bottom left of the image, ending in the wider calyx.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· 28d

Northern house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) weigh less than half an ounce, but can hold their own when there are good nesting holes to be won. Photo taken in the Sandias on July 14, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #birds

Perched on (and partly hidden by) a gnarly branch, a bird peers out at the camera. It's a plain-looking bird, mostly; the crown, back of the neck, and back are pain brown while the cheek, throat, and breast are subtly mottled brown and gray. The beak looks gray-brown. The eye is dark. The top of the narrow tail, which is partly cocked up, is more difficult to make out but includes fine brown and black bars. Behind the bird is another branch and out-of-focus aspen leaves.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 12

The New Mexico whiptail (Aspidoscelis neomexicana), the state's official reptile, is an all-female species that reproduces by parthenogenesis. Photo taken at the Gutierrez Hubbell House museum and open space, Albuquerque, on July 10, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #reptiles

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 11

A juvenile black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) blending in with the reeds at the end of a nature pond. Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque in Albuquerque, on July 11, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #birds

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 10

A common raven (Corvus corax) in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico, on July 6, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #birds

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 9

Light, grass stalk, and dragonfly. Not done on purpose, but my favorite photo of the morning. Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque, Albuquerque, on July 9, 2026.

I shot this photo into the sun, with unintended consequences. The left half of the image is dominated by by more or less circular white artifacts caused by sunlight bouncing around inside the lens. The right half of the image is dominated by vertical green streaks, due to out-of-focus reeds. A grass stalk rises from the bottom center of the image and ends in a seedhead. A dragonfly is perched on top of the grass stalk, facing the sun, its wings clear, its tail pointed to a spot above the camera.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 8

Pallid thistles (Cirsium parryi) aren't colorful, so easy to overlook, but worth keeping an eye out for. Of course, a bumblebee (Bombus sp.) has no problem finding them. Photo taken in the Sandia Mountains on July 8, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers

A thistle flower extends from lower right to upper left. The "flower" part (florets) is straw-colored, so doesn't stand out. The "basket" part of the flower (phyllaries) is pale green and looks as if it was woven together with fine white silk thread. The flower is surrounded by several spiky-looking leaves. A bumblebee with yellow, orange, and black stripes has buried its head among the florets. The background for the image is the blurred-out green of vegetation.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 8

Is there a purple more purple than this? The sample of dusky penstemon (Penstemon whippleanus) used to define the species was collected from the Sandia Mountains in 1853. Photo taken in those mountains just under 173 years later, on July 8, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers

A cluster of three flowers -- two open, one yet to open -- nodding (handing down) from the end of a green stem. The flowers emerge from the fuzzy green calyces as narrow purple and white tubes, but then expand abruptly into hairy, intensely purple larger tubes. At the ends of the two open flowers, the lower lips divide into three and sport multiple disorganized-looking white hairs. The upper lips divide into two inconspicuous parts. The visible parts of the insides of the tubes have white streaks, and inconspicuous white pistils have flopped into view. The blurred-out background ranges from gray to dull green.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 8

A female queen (Danaus gilippus) nectaring on horsetail milkweed (Asclepias subverticillata). Photo taken in my favorite empty lot in Albuquerque, on July 7, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #butterfly

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 7

A female American kestrel (Falco sparverius) checking me out from the safety of a treetop. Photo taken in the Rio Grande Bosque, Albuquerque, on July 7, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #birds

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 7

Giant lousewort (Pedicularis procera) always looks a bit alien to me. Photo taken in the Sandia Mountains on July 6, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers

An odd-looking flower shoot that would take a botanist to describe accurately. There are many pointy green bracts (I think) with purple central streaks, and at the top of the shoot there are only these bracts. Below the top are multiple pale flowers streaked and crisscrossed with red-purple veins. The flowers look hooded. A close look shows that both bracts and flowers are finely hairy. The background is completely blurred out, grading from brown to gray to green.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 4

A red columbine along the 10K Trail on June 30, 2026. The Sandia Mountains are home to two species of red columbine, Aquilegia desertorum and A. elegantula, and I can't tell them apart. #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers

A nodding (downward-facing) flower blazes in a spot of sunlight, against a shady and blurry background. The "petals" are a mix of yellow actual petals and red-orange sepals (the latter are green at their tips). A cluster of yellow stamens tipped with yellow anthers hangs down from the middle of the flower. The flower includes five upward-pointing spurs, which are more orange toward their bases (where they grade into the yellow "petal" parts of the petals) and red-orange toward their tips. During a hike, each of these flowers is a bright splash of color against the greens and browns of the forest floor.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 4

In honor of America's 250th birthday, a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) I saw at Isleta Lakes, N.M. on December 18, 2024.

A bald eagle fills the frame as it flies from left to right. Its head and spread tail are white, while its other plumage is dark brown. It has the serious look bald eagles always have. The legs are hanging down, revealing dark brown "bloomers," white the wings are lifted into a V. The left wing extends off the image at the top. The sky behind is a uniform pale blue.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 4

As I watched, this Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni) patiently endured bombing runs by a Brewer's blackbird and then by a Western kingbird, before finally flying off. Photo taken just south of Moriarity, New Mexico on July 3, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #birds

A hawk perched on the horizontal part of an aluminum light pole. The hawk is mostly turned away from the camera, but has turned its head over its right shoulder to peer down at me. From this angle the obvious characteristics are the hawks fairly uniform dark brown upperparts, ending in wingtips as far back as the end of the tail, the lightly striped belly feathers, and the white undertail coverts. The legs are yellow. The back claws are visible and are long, dark, and sharp. The background is a uniform blue sky.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 2

A male Western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) with an insect in its beak. This was a food offering for a nearby female, as part of their courtship ritual. Photo taken along the 10K North Trail in the Sandia Mountains, on June 30, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #birds

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 2

Yesterday's flower, a Gunnison's mariposa lily, was large and sublime. Today I'll turn to the small and slightly weird. Sidebells (Orthilia secunda) growing along the 10K North Trail in the Sandia Mountains, on June 30, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers

A green flower stalk, bent over at the top like a sheperd's crook, supports a half-dozen tiny hanging flowers The petals are pale green and barely open, creating a tight cuplike shape. The pistils are darker green and extend conspicuously beyond the ends of the petals. White anthers are barely visible, mostly between the tips of the petals. The background is a blurry mix of green (from leaves) and black (from shadows).

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 2

A Gunnison's mariposa lily (Calochortus gunnisonii) along the 10K North Trail, in the Sandia Mountains, on June 30, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #flowers #wildflowers

A flower shaped much like the bowl of a teacup, the shape being provided by three large petals with rounded ends.The base of the bowl is green, the upper part white, with many tiny, dark purple spots at the transition between those two colors. The white parts of the petals are smooth, white the green parts sport many fine yellow hairs that end in tiny knobs. The central part of the flower looks more like an abstract sculpture than a standard flower center. The stamens are light tan and streaked, look rather fleshy, and come to points. The pistil is green with purple spots and comes to a point topped with a light green thing that's like... well, like a fat asterisk with only three points. The overall effect is of a large, delicate, deeply cupped but open flower.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jul 2

Who knew that wasps come in red? Maybe you did... I saw this wasp high in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico, and think it's a member of the genus Spilichneumon. Photo taken on June 19, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #insects

A wasp walks along the center of a finely divided leaf. The wasp is orange-red, with darker eyes and transparent but darker wings. The antennae start out orange-red but the outer halves are dark. The leaflets are quite hairy. The background for the image is blurred-out green vegetation. The presence of only two colors, which contrast strongly -- orange-red for the wasp and green for the rest of the image -- makes the image pop, at least for me.

Dogofthedesert@dogofthedesert· Jun 30

A female red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) at a water-filled pothole in the 10K parking lot. She uses that odd-looking bill to pry open young conifer cones, thus getting early access to the seeds within. Photo taken in the Sandia Mountains on June 30, 2026. #nature #naturephotography #birds