30 August 2019

Planetary Scientist's Spaceship


Ceres - yes, you know it! It's the largest object betwen Mars & Jupiter. The bright spots on this dwarf planet (some still refer to it as an asteroid) have sparked a lot of excitement and speculation about the origins - salt? sodium caronate? ammonia-rich clay? 

24 August 2019

You lookin' at ME?


BEAUTIFUL BIRD! Please look closely in the top photo and you will see his TAIL FEATHERS. YES, the owl has turned its head almost 180 degrees. To find out more about how owls can do this, LiveScience can tell you here. What an impressive creature!
Photos courtesy of George Goldman. 

23 August 2019

Art Deco Bug ~

I found this beautiful critter on my front patio. What beautiful and distinctive coloring! Although I did an image search I couldn't find a match. Anyone know what kind of insect I have photographed here?
UPDATE! A Tucson entomologist has made her verdict: Giant Mesquite Bug!
https://www.whatsthatbug.com/2008/01/28/giant-mesquite-bug-adult-and-nymphs-and-its-edible/

16 August 2019

Fantastic Undercover Surveillance!

Not quite as covert as in days gone by.....    :)   Here we have full disclosure I guess!   :)

09 August 2019

3rd Time a Charm??

Today I removed this toad for the THIRD TIME from my front patio! He likes to sit near the air conditioning drip. If he wasn't POISONOUS I really wouldn't care but either one of my 2 dogs could lunge to investigate him and suffer from his nasty toxic secretions. Bleh! Here's more about him:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River_toad   He is also as piable as a blob of jelly. When I come to scoop him into a pitcher he flattens himself like a pancake. 

02 August 2019

Fluffy no more! Fierce!


Scroll back to see these fierce hawks as little white feather balls.... the weeks have passed and they are now fully equipped to fend for themselves. Check out those beaks! Those claws! Magnificent birds.
Photos courtesy of George Goldman.