Two Common Green Darner dragonflies (Anax junius) mating in a heart-shaped “wheel position” on a reed stem, their reflections mirrored in the still water below, at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, Texas.

Lucky Shots: Caught in the Act

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Lens-Artists Challenge #393: Lucky Shot Patience is unlikely to be what one relies on for lucky shots. Rather, you need to be in the right place at the right time. All the shots here were unexpected captures. I’ll tell you … Read More

Close-up of a White Winecup (Callirhoe involucrata var. lineariloba) flower bud tightly wrapped in bright green sepals, with soft pink and white petals just beginning to emerge, photographed at ground level at Berry Springs Park & Preserve, Texas.

A Cup of Morning

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On a recent morning walk through Berry Springs Park & Preserve, I kept stopping in my tracks. Scattered across several open areas of the park, clusters of White Winecup (Callirhoe involucrata var. lineariloba) were putting on a quiet, understated show … Read More

Panoramic view along FM 170 in Big Bend Ranch State Park showing a vehicle on the road in the middle ground, colorful mineral-rich mountain faces displaying yellows, greens, and rust-orange tones, the dramatic Flatiron peaks rising in the background, and sparse Chihuahuan Desert scrub in the foreground beneath a bright blue sky with wispy high-altitude clouds.

Nature’s Own Wall: The Case Against a Border Barrier in Big Bend

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The plans for a border wall across Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park continue to face strong opposition in Texas. The project has encountered significant resistance from residents, landowners, and both Democratic and Republican officials in … Read More

Sunlit woodland trail at Copperfield Nature Trail in Austin Texas framed by large tree trunks in the foreground, winding dirt path and footbridge in the middle ground, and bright open forest clearing in the background.

Foreground to Horizon: Layered Nature Photography

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Lens-Artists Challenge #392: Framing Your Shots: Exploring the Foreground, Middle Ground, and Background When Patti set the theme for this week’s Lens-Artists Challenge, I wanted to capture new photos that put her excellent guidance to the test. She wrote, “This … Read More

A Yellow-Crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) stands alert in shallow marsh water surrounded by aquatic vegetation, its gray plumage and distinctive yellow-and-black crown visible as it slowly advances toward better fishing ground.

Stalk, Strike, Swallow — Twenty Minutes with a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron

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A few days ago, I headed out to Berry Springs Park & Preserve with a couple of friends to photograph birds and wildflowers. The wildflower blooms were a little sparse this trip, but the birds more than made up for … Read More

Honey bee in flight approaching a Texas Bluebonnet flower, Central Texas wildflower macro photography

Corbiculae and Cobalt

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“The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.”Henry David Thoreau Spring seems to be in full force in Austin, Texas. Not only are the city and surrounding areas getting covered with wildflowers, but pollinators have also started to … Read More

Paved hiking and biking trail through winter Texas Hill Country landscape with limestone rock outcrop, bare trees, and long shadows, Brushy Creek Regional Trail, Round Rock, Texas.

From Saddle to Shutter: A Winter Ride Through Brushy Creek on the S23

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Lens-Artists Challenge #391: Phone Photography So, this week, Tina leads the Lens-Artist challenge with a theme that should be lots of fun for everyone. As Tina says in her post, “phone photography … has come such a long way these … Read More

A wide panoramic view of the Machu Picchu citadel bathed in warm sunlight, with terraced stone ruins in the foreground, the iconic Huayna Picchu peak rising sharply on the right, and the Andes mountains receding into a blue sky with wispy clouds.

Huayna Picchu: Standing on the Edge of the World

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You’ve seen that photo before — the one of Machu Picchu with a dramatic mountain looming in the background. That mountain is Huayna Picchu, and the sweeping view below? That was taken from its summit, where I stood, slightly breathless, … Read More

Silhouette of a great blue heron standing in shallow water against a shimmering golden surface, photographed from a distance at golden hour.

Standing in Gold: A Great Blue Heron Moment Worth Stopping For

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There are wildlife encounters that stop you in your tracks — and then there are the ones that make you forget to breathe. These two frames of a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) wading through golden, sunlit shallows are exactly … Read More

Juniper Hairstreak butterfly on Redbud tree

Chasing the First Pollinators of Spring in Central Texas

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As winter loosens its grip and the first trees break into bloom, one of nature’s quietest spectacles begins — the return of the pollinators. This featured image was captured at Balcones District Park in Austin, TX, where an Eastern Redbud … Read More

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