Reader Damon Williford from Texas sent a bunch of diverse photos. His notes and IDs are indented.
Attached are photos of various wildlife species that I took during my last three trips out to West Texas. The first five are from what was my first trip out to Big Bend National Park during June of last year:
Aphonopelma tarantula:
Anthophora bee:
Plateau Spotted Whiptail (Aspidoscelis gularis septemvittata):
Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi):
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus):
The BugGuide website helped me identify the genus of the tarantula and the bee but couldn’t get any farther than that.The next four photos were taken on my second Big Bend trip that occurred during April of this year:Desert Millipede (Orthoporus ornatus):
A pair of mating Painted Bugs (Bagrada hilaris):
Greater Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus):
Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus):
The next to last photo is of a Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya). I took this at Monohans Sandhills State Park on my trek from Big Bend to Forth Worth.
The final photo is of a Mexican Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys mexicanus) took in August at the Fort Lancaster Historic Site:
I would say you are capturing the best parts of west Texas. Very nice photos.
Marvelous creatures. Especially the Mexican ground squirrel. Almost weasel-like when it stands. At times I become envious of the colors of animals the further south they are found. Thank you for these.
Very good! A diverse array of wildlife. Big Bend is one on my list of places I would like to visit.
Meep meep.
Great photos! Hope to go birding in Texas next year. Such diversity of wildlife there.
The bee’s eye has some shapes that might be reflections. I enjoy the diversity of these pics. Thanks for submitting them.
These were terrific, thanks! I love the expression on the Mexican Jay- “Hey, what you lookin’ at?”
Nice excursion to West Texas, nice photos thanks.
Wow. Great pictures all. Love the tarantula, millipede, and the lizards the best.
Strange the spider didn’t scare me as they normally do .Did you go past a place called Passing wind ?
There is a statue of liberty and a U boat on the side of the road .
I found a Millipede under a bush ,might send the photo in to the Doc .
Brilliant photos. Thank you.