Side blotched lizard, along the trail on Santa Cruz Island

We were hiking from the Scorpion Canyon campground to Cavern Point and saw several of the side blotched lizards along the trail. This one was surprisingly cooperative. It allowed me to crouch down for a better look without running away. Males of the side blotched lizards can have orange, yellow, or blue throats, while the females can have orange or yellow. The orange-throated males are very territorial while the blue-throated ones don't maintain a territory and will sneak into the territories of others.

The image was taken with ISO 100, 1/180 sec, f13, and 105 mm focal length with  a Canon 70D.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Island fox on Santa Cruz Island, in the campground, Channel Islands National Park

In the Channel Islands National Park, Santa Cruz Island has the resident island fox that was endangered. We camped in Scorpion Canyon at the eastern end of the island. Since they're protected, they have no fear of people. In fact, the rangers warn you when you get there that the foxes will steal your food if you're not careful. We arrived at campsite #1 on Scorpion Canyon and had a fox practically greeting us before we set our packs down at the table. Right after we turned our backs to look for a level place to put the tent, it leaped up onto the table and started sniffing our packs. Funny that we were hoping to see an island fox during this trip and they came to us. Over the course of the one-day visit, we saw three at one time working as a team.

The island fox in this picture was in a clear space under some bushes and must've felt pretty comfortable. I was standing on the trail taking pictures and recording video and it barely paid any attention to me. It was biting at its fur and scratching itself. The ranger told us that the total number on all the Channel Islands is now around 1600, up from about 60, and that this represents what is believed to be the historic numbers.

The image was taken at ISO 1600, f5.6, 105mm focal length, 1/80 sec. using a Canon 70D.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Half Dome and full moon at sunset, Yosemite National Park, California

A couple of photos of the nearly full moon rising above Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.  These shots are from the Ahwahnee Meadow and were taken in March 2010 with snow still covering the higher elevations.  The setting sun cast a bit of an alpenglow on the face of Half Dome in the second photo.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.