2nd-5th pics are comparisons of key ID features of common dandelion on the left and red-seeded dandelion on the right. Note the red seed bases, red on the stems and sepal tips, and even triangular leaves that look like a cartoon Christmas tree.

Hmmmm, maybe if I turn my head to the left I can figure out who this fella in the 4-runner is. Nope...so I'll turn my head to the right. No luck. Maybe if I shut my eyes? Nope...he is still there. Maybe if I look away....nope, no good. He is still there! Make him go awaaaay!
juvenile Burrowing Owl in Midland, Texas on a gray and dark early morning, August 11, 2018.

hunting from nearby tree, about 10:30am, looking intently down at snow, then landed and mantled for a couple of minutes, burying its head into the snow several times before flying off in the opposite direction

This brilliant colour is caused by IIV-31 (Isopod Iridescent Virus). I've been checking hundreds of pill bugs over several years for this unusual phenomenon and my persistence finally paid off!
Sadly, this total colour change is usually the later stage of the virus; once a pill bug is this bright it generally doesn't have much longer to live.

A green chiton attached to a half crab. We observed this alien looking commensal beast while undertaking an intertidal survey on the reefs off Hawera. It made us jump when we first turned over the rock.

Cattle Egret
with Barn Swallow it has caught
Dry Tortugas, Florida
1 May 1988

Cattle Egrets are a species known to wander. They made it to the U.S. on their own in the early 1950s and are now a common species all over the Americas. I once found a dead Cattle Egret on a rocky beach in Antarctica. There are no insects on Antarctica, so that particular Cattle Egret just wandered too far. Such might be said for Florida's Dry Tortugas. They are called "dry" for good reason. There is no fresh water. Birds that end up there and are too tired to move on, simply die. It is a daily task of employees at Fort Jefferson to walk around and pick up and discard the Cattle Egret carcasses before they open the fort to the birdwatchers each spring day. On this day my group watched a starving Cattle Egret (there are few large insects for the egrets to feed on) grab a Barn Swallow. It certainly made for a strange scene!

Fortunate to tag along with folks who work to keep Tahoe Bears safe.

With the exception of the first photo, the photos are in sequence. We were called to look for mom and her youngsters, and I located Mom on the beach side of the home, after noticing her tracks leading into the lake and back out. I then followed the beach access trail to the back yard to see if the family would make their way there... And they did!

Great observation and encounter!... with the cubs playing and their Mom watching over them. Mom also got a good scratch going on a large and very old Jeffrey Pine Tree. Then the beautiful family made their way through the neighborhood, disappearing on their way to a preserved greenway.

Thankfully, there are many bear friendly and Bear Smart people up at the lake. And I'm fortunate to continue to help out with good friends who work hard to keep bears safe and people educated about bears... including the harm their attractants end up doing to bears. Attractants should never be used to get photos or videos of bears or any wildlife... spent part of my career putting an end to wildlife paying the ultimate price after becoming habituated to human attractants: human food, unsecured trash, bird feeders, pet food, smelly items in garages and vehicles, fruit trees, and poorly maintained campsites with exposed food and trash... All this and more leads to the death of bears, including families of bears.

Provided a general location of South Lake Tahoe.

I have a 100 gallon tub of water near my house so wildlife can drink. Just as it was getting dark a short while ago something caught my eye and this small White-tailed buck came to drink. Somehow this fella got a plastic jug caught up in his velvet antlers...I hope he can get it off. I had to chuckle at this sight, however, something I had certainly never seen before. Anyway, he drank some water then trotted away. Hope he will be OK!

One of the photo opportunities we were most interested in at this location was the vulture photo blind which had been constructed nearby. King Vultures are regularly seen here ad we hoped for the chance to get some shots. I have seen King Vultures on numerous trips to southern Mexico and Central and South America dating back to the late 70s, but most of my views were of birds soaring very high in the sky. The species is known to be shy of people and can difficult to get close to.

Our guide obtains pig heads from a slaughterhouse in the region when he has clients such as Dave and me who are interested. These heads are put out in the early morning and hopefully by 9 AM or so the Black Vultures will find them which may attract one or more Kings.

The hide or blind is constructed into the ground so that the photos are taken at more or less ground level. You are shooting through optical quality glass in windows in order to lessen the disturbance to the birds and from the bird side of the glass only a dull reflection is seen. It is an incredible piece of construction and was designed very well.

To make a long story short, during our morning in this blind we had hundreds of Black Vultures and 6 Kings! Three adults and other younger birds of various ages. I have over 400 nice images, just a few which are here. It was quite an experience to see this magnificent bird up close and personal. At one point an adult King Vulture was within 5 feet of us....I took some cell phone shots!

Pink/purple guts when gravid, size and locality are distinctive of A. labiata. A. aurita is in the North Sea, and A. sp1 is found in harbors. A. labiata is the most common moon jelly on open coast California.

Found in a swarm of brown sea nettles Chrysaora fuscescens at the Monterey breakwater.