Great Spangled Fritillary
This Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) was a tricky butterfly, staying hidden from my lens in some very harsh bright sunshine and dark shadows, making its individual features all the more bold. That glaring light did hide some of the bright orange shades, and maybe that is part of how it keeps itself safe. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreCotton Candy Sky
I think this should be called a cotton candy sky, gorgeous and delicious for eyes. It is the setting sun to the west lighting up clouds of distant showers and thunderstorms. If we are going to have hot and sticky weather we might as well get some precipitation benefit from it to keep our lands lush, green and full of life. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreEuchlaena muzaria
This is Euchlaena muzaria, the Muzaria Euchlaena moth, a relatively large and active species – at least in my limited experience! This was the best photo I could get of the jumpy individual as it continually kept flying off the building and away from the lights and towards me. It literally hit me several times in the continual cycle of land, approach, possibly take one photo, and fly (into me). Going off of the photo alone it would seem to be shy but…not so much! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreBristly Cutworm (Lacinipolia renigera)
The Bristly Cutworm (Lacinipolia renigera) moth is apparently also called the Kidney-spotted Minor. I suppose I can understand that. In this case it was called to the sheet by an ultraviolet light, allowing me to photograph it before disappearing the next time I checked on the moth activity. Every time we try any nocturnal surveying we end up with different results with the thousands of often little-known species we call moths. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreGnarly Sunset
I went outside to try to photograph some mammatus clouds a few days ago, with the evening sky revealing those dense pockets of descending cool air after a volatile day after severe thunderstorms and heavy rain showers. It did not go very well! The mammatus clouds to my east were a bit too spread out in distribution and too diffuse, not catching the light correctly for some reason. However, the light was funky to say the very least, with everything on the ground having these odd tones as the sun went below the horizon. This soon lit the cloudy skies to the west with fiery, gnarly tones which...
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