kennalan's Favourites

Lake margin. Not a waif. This exotic fern has taken over the entire shallows. It floats in the water and is out of the water in mucky soil. Brasenia schreberi, a native, borders this species on the outer edge in the water. The site has been documented by others before me. I had to see it for myself.

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. October 27, 2022. Photographed during the Sunset Boat Tour out of Okefenokee Adventures.

• Location: Suwanee Canal N30.73727° W82.17450°
• Sunny, with high near 83.
• Sunrise 7:41 AM; Sunset 6:45 PM
• Daylight Hours: 11 hours, 4 minutes (-1m 43s)
• Moon 6.8% Waxing Crescent

See and learn more about the great Okefenokee Swamp at www.okefenokee.photography

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. October 27, 2022. Paddling from the Canal Run shelter back to Stephen C Foster.

• Billy's Lake N30.83455° W82.35265°
• Sunny, with high near 83.
• Sunrise 7:41 AM; Sunset 6:45 PM
• Daylight Hours: 11 hours, 4 minutes (-1m 43s)
• Moon 6.8% Waxing Crescent

See and learn more about the great Okefenokee Swamp at www.okefenokee.photography

Notice the height of these Okefenokee Hooded Pitcher Plants compared to the alligator. Definitely giants!

©williamwisephoto.com October 28, 2022. Paddling from Suwannee Canal Recreation area, south down the pink canoe trail through Chesser Prairie and Grand Prairie to Monkey Lake and Buzzards Roost Lake.

• Location: pink canoe trail, mile 0-1, N30.72925° W82.17816°
• Partly sunny with a high near 80.
• Sunrise 7:41 AM; Sunset 6:44 PM
• Daylight hours: 11 hours, 2 minutes (-1m 42s)

See and learn more about the incredible Okefenokee at www.okefenokee.photography

Same location we used to find them as kids. Adult male that had no reaction under UV light. Not sure if it’s a seasonal thing or what, but interesting. I have ordered a stronger 365 nm and will try again. I took this one into the bathroom at work and noticed it was only lighting-up stains on light surfaces, so maybe that is part of the issue and the dark surfaces are absorbing much of the light. I have a lot of questions about this phenomenon that I want to experiment with in local herp species. The lack of reaction is in stark contrast to this individual here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/98561708

Update: Luckily my cousin hadn’t released this specimen due to the cold snap, so I got one more chance at the UV with the 365 nm. Results were much better, though not as blue as I see in other specimens. My experiment a bit more, but at least we have some results! New photos have replaced the old UV shots.

Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. October 28, 2022.

• Location: Pink canoe trail to Monkey Lake, between Tater Rake Run and mile marker 3; N30.72297° W82.18325°
• Mostly sunny with high near 83.
• Sunrise 7:39 AM; Sunset 6:46 PM
• Daylight hours: 11 hours 7 minutes (-1m 44s)

See and learn more about the incredible Okefenokee at www.okefenokee.photography

©williamwisephoto.com Park City mountain trails, Utah. July 28, 2022.

• Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
• Sunrise 6:19 am; Sunset 8:45 pm
• Daylight Hours: 14 hours, 26 minutes (-1m 53s)
• Moon: 0.2% Waxing Crescent

The Osprey dove and caught a fish. Almost immediately the Bald Eagle materialized and pursued the Osprey (Osprey Observation here). I didn't see the outcome because almost simultaneously, a Least Bittern flushed near my feet. The bittern was a lifer so I had to get it! This was all within a few minutes of leaving my car, so I knew it would be a good day!

October Big Day birding at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, Richmond County, Georgia. October 8, 2022.

• Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
• Sunrise 7:27 am; Sunset 7:03 pm
• Daylight Hours: 11 hours, 36 minutes (-2m 1s)
• Moon: 98.1% Waxing Gibbous
• Fifty-two bird species in one location! https://ebird.org/checklist/S120404524

Caterpillars in several instars were found on Zizia aurea, Golden Alexander. Early instars are the bird poop mimics typical of many swallowtail species. Later instars have a black background color but these individuals can cause a color change to even more obvious warning coloration by showing the white or yellow bands hidden in the folds of their body segments. One photo shows a caterpillar with its osmeteria deployed.

©williamwisephoto.com Morning walk on Park City Mountain trails; Park City, Utah. July 26, 2022.

• Partly sunny, with a high near 79.
• Sunrise 6:17 am; Sunset 8:47 pm
• Daylight Hours: 14 hours, 30 minutes (-1m 49s)
• Moon: 4.2% Waning Crescent

Me: I really wanna get out and go herping… Eh… I’ll take a 15 minute break and walk to the garden… [opens door] It’s a beautiful day out. Maybe I can find a Racer stretched out on the side walk. [walks around building and sees Rough Greensnake stretched out on sidewalk] Ok… That will do… I feel better now…

She was a big girl too. I had no way to measure her but I would say she was over 30 inches but not quite a whole 3 feet. I had caught one a few years back that was 34” and she was close to it, but maybe just shy. Fantastic specimen as well.

A sunrise drive along Catcus Forest Loop; Saguaro National Park East (Rincon Mountain), Pima County, Arizona.

• Sunny with a high of 100; low 76.
• Sunrise 5:17 AM; Sunset 7:33 PM
• Day length: 14 hours, 15 minutes (+10s)

Blog: http://williamwisephoto.com/photographyblog/saguaro-national-park-arizona-birding-photography

Burrowed in the sand on the edge of the Gulf. Taylor Spaulding and I were catching them and putting them in his bucket. We later released them. Photos by Melanie Spaulding. Sister Kaitlyn was with us. When I lived in Tallahassee, I knew it as the mole crab.