Category: photography

Readers’ wildlife photos

February 2, 2026 • 8:15 am

Well, this is the last batch of submitted photos, but I hope for me. Don’t dash my hope!

Today we have a lovely text-and-photo post by Athayde Tonhasca Júnior, featuring a bizarre and mimetic beetle. Athayde’s captions are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them.

Fabulous pretenders

Termites, cockroaches’ sophisticated cousins (Order Blattodea), live in intricate, organized societies with division of labour and a caste system. The mound-building species are also skilled engineers, constructing temperature-controlled, ventilated nests that protect their inhabitants from the harsh conditions of the outside world.  Colonies may comprise millions of individuals, including eggs, larvae and workers. Just like other social insects, termites have to be on guard against many an envious enemy: their cosy nests are tempting to would-be squatters, with the even more tempting bonus of being packed with energy-rich morsels.

Termite workers and soldiers ready to defend a damaged sector of their nest © U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wikimedia Commons:

Damage to a nest of Formosan subterranean termites brings hoards of workers and soldiers with dark, oval shaped heads scrambling to repair the hole. Termites shown about 4 times actual size. USDA photo by Scott Bauer.

Termites are mostly successful in keeping invaders at bay, but a sizable group of outsiders has evolved skills that allow them to breach those defences. These are the termitophiles: macro-organisms that live in association with termite colonies. Termitophiles, ranging from harmless inquilines to predators and parasites, rely on chemical mimicry and numerous morphological and behavioural adaptations to avoid detection and mingle with their hosts.

Among the many impostors, rove beetles from the subfamily Aleocharinae are particularly noteworthy. This is a huge group (~16,000 species) within the humongous Staphylinidae family, which comprises some 66,000 species, one of the largest families of organisms. Many aleocharines are myrmecophilous (associated with ants); some 670 species are termitophilous.

The termitophilous rove beetle Corotoca phylo © Zilberman et al., 2019:

Aleocharines have reached extraordinary levels of deception, but two termitophilous species of the genus Austrospirachtha from northern Australia – the only known species so far –  take their art to a new level. On first seeing their images, one may think they are AI-generated. Or pranks devised by putting together bits of different insects, entomological versions of the Piltdown Man hoax.

A. carrijoi, lateral and dorsal views. Its recent discovery caused a sensation © Pires Silva, 2024:

The first described species, the less publicised A. mimetes. Lateral view, setae omitted (1) and abdomen viewed from above (2) © Watson, 1973:

The termite puppets on their backs, complete with dangling pseudo-appendages that resemble antennae and legs, fool their hosts into accepting them as nestmates. You may see these beetles as rough simulacrums of the real thing, but in the pitch-dark confines of a termite nest, mimicry is based on palpation rather than vision (Watson, 1973).  The mouthparts of A. carrijoi are very small, which suggest it dupes termite workers to feed it, a process known as trophallaxis (Zilberman & Pires Silva, 2023). Presumably, the same happens with A. mimetes.

We know very little about these beetles or any other symbiotic aleocharines. But the rare insights into their outlandish appearances are glimpses of the marvellous workings of natural selection.

References

Pires Silva, C.M. 2024. Cladistic analysis, taxonomic revision & biological notes of the termitophilous genus Xenogaster Wasmann, 1891 (Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae, Corotocini). Master’s Dissertation, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.

Watson, J.A.L. 1973. Austrospirachtha mimetes, a new termitophilous corotocine from Northern Australia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 12: 307-310.

Zilberman, B. et al. 2019. Viviparity in Staphylinidae and reproductive behavior of Corotoca Schiødte, 1853. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 59: e20195919.

Zilberman, B. & Pires Silva, C.M. 2023. A new species and morphological notes on the remarkable termitophilous genus Austrospirachtha Watson from Australia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae). Zootaxa. 5336: 424-432.

Readers’ wildlife photos

February 1, 2026 • 8:15 am

Today we have part 2 of Paul Handford’s hummingbird photos (part 1 is here).  Paul’s captions are indented, and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them.

The Rufous hummer, Selasphorus rufus, was a common frequenter of our yard, boldly visiting the feeders.  It has the distinction of being the northernmost breeding species of any member of the family (61°N, in southern Alaska).  Given that they winter on the Gulf Coast and the southern Pacific slopes of Mexico, this means that, in terms of body-length, at least some Rufous hummers make the longest of all avian migrations!

The females closely resemble those of the congeneric Calliope hummer, differing in having longer tails and rufous, rather than buff flanks:

The males are mainly strongly rufous, and with a brilliant ‘metallic’ scarlet throat.  Again, this is a colour produced by interference produced by the structural characteristics of the feathers rather than by pigment.  As such, the brilliance shows when it is viewed directly;  from the side, it appears dark, even black:

Readers’ wildlife photos

January 30, 2026 • 8:45 am

Today I’ve borrowed another batch of bird photos (with permission) from Aussie biologist Scott Ritchie, a great photographer whose Facebook page is here. Scott’s captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them. Scott hails from Cairns.

I got up at six, heard light rain, made a coffee and checked the radar. There was quite a massive rain shower headed towards Cairns from the north. Anyway, I decided to take my time and just see how it panned out. There was a break after the big initial rain band, with rain ending around 8 to 830. My plan was to go to Redden Island and just concentrate on shorebirds because it was sort of dark outside. And I was trying out my 200 to 800 lens with the 1.4X teleconverter (max mag at 1120!). When I left, I saw that there was a new band of rain forming to our north. Bummer! I probably had about an hour hour and a half tops to get my birds.

And I did have fun with a couple of Pied Oystercatchers showing how they got their name. The little Red-capped Plover and the Greater Sand-Plover also put on a pretty good show. And I got a couple of terns in flight. It was fun to run into the gang just before the next rain band hit. Cheers and I hope you enjoy them.

Pied Oystercatcher [Haematopus longirostris] finds a succulent clam:

But it’s hard work getting it free from the shell:

He keeps trying while his mate keeps a hopeful eye.:

At last it’s coming free:

He washes the sand off the meat:

And down the hatch:

That was yummy!:

A Greater Sand-Plover [Anarhynchus leschenaultii] loosens up:

Shakes it loose:

And goes for a run on the beach!:

Caspian Tern [Hydroprogne caspia]:

Hovers looking for fish:

Red-capped plover [Anarhynchus ruficapillus]:

Doing his yoga stretches:

Crested Terns [Thalasseus bergii], Black-naped Terns (small ones; Sterna sumatrana). Please confirm the IDs!:

Readers’ wildlife photos

January 28, 2026 • 8:15 am

We have one submission, today from Paul Handford, and I’ll show part 1 of his hummingbird photos. Paul’s captions are indented, and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them.

While living in south-central British Columbia, I was so fortunate as to have had close encounters with North America’s smallest breeding bird, the Calliope hummingbird, which weighs just short of 3 grams— about 0.1 oz— and is just over 3 inches long.  Its scientific name, Selasphorus calliope, is well merited:  the generic name derives from ‘selas‘ = Gk. ‘a bright flame’ plus ‘phoros‘ = ‘bearing’, ‘carrying’, while the specific epithet references Kalliope, chief of the muses, and goddess of poetry.

First, the female.  Here are four views of her;  in two you can see that the wing-tips reach beyond the short tail;  in others you see the buffy flanks and faintly-spotted throat (the closely similar female Rufous hummer has a tail that extends beyond the wing-tips, and is strongly rufous on flanks and tail).

Then, males.  The brilliant magenta feathers of the male’s gorget are very obvious when the bird faces you.  These feathers can be erected so as to form a ‘sunburst’ ruff, which males will do when engaged in disputes, and in courtship displays (see below):

The magenta of the throat feathers is produced by the phenomenon of interference rather than by pigment and, as mentioned above, this optical effect is striking when directed at the viewer.  But when seen from the side, these feathers lose their brilliance, often not appearing to be coloured at all:

Many hummingbirds are pretty pugnacious, and often engage in quite spectacular combat.  In these next pics, two males try to impress one another, and the ‘sunburst’ erect ruff is visible:

Readers’ wildlife photos

January 27, 2026 • 8:15 am

This is the last batch I have, so please send in your good wildlife photos. I know some of you out there are hoarding them. Don’t make me beg!

Fortunately, UC Davis math professor Abby Thompson has sent some photos of life in tide pools. Abby’s captions are indented, and you can enlarge her photos by clicking on them.

The weather over New Year’s was stormy; most of these pictures were taken when the rain let up for a few hours.   There are generally fewer creatures visible at this time of year in any case-—the big surge in intertidal species happens in the spring in Northern California.   An exception was one particular species of nudibranch,  Phidiana hiltoni, of which there were dozens for some reason.

Genus Heptacarpus (some kind of shrimp). Not a great photo, but the color is true, and if you look closely you can see she’s carrying eggs:

Superfamily Mytiloidea (some kind of mussel). Tidepools make you very aware of how much we don’t know.  This mussel species moved into my local pools in 2022, and this ID is still the best I have for it:

Pisaster ochraceus (Ochre star) Admiring his reflection:

Pollicipes polymerus (Gooseneck barnacle). The red “lips” on this cluster (common this time of year) I’ve read variously are because of the shade they’re in, the cool weather, high hemoglobin levels, or all of the above:

A baby gooseneck barnacle:

Velutina velutina (velvet shell snail):

Family Ampithoidae (some kind of amphipod). Again not a great photo but the spectacular color is true. The next photo shows the whole animal:

Family Ampithoiuidae:

Phidiana hiltoni (nudibranch) This was the species there were dozens of, with very few other species putting in an appearance:

It cleared up just at sunset one day, for this nice view over Bodega Head:

Readers’ wildlife photos

January 26, 2026 • 8:15 am

We’re almost out of photos again: one more batch to go. If you have any good wildlife photos, please send them in. Thanks!

Today we have some birds from British Columbia from reader Paul Handford, including DUCKS.  Paul’s captions are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them.

Here’s a few more species of non-passerine birds from south-central British Columbia, all within a few miles of where we lived from 2011-2021 in Barnhartvale, Kamloops, before retiring to Ireland.

First, a few waterfowl from the South Thompson River, upstream from Kamloops, in the vicinity of Campbell Creek.  It’s a great place for viewing a diversity of ducks, geese, and swans, especially in winter and spring:

Barrow’s goldeneye [Bucephala islandica]:

Common mergansers [Mergus merganser]

Male:

Female:

Ring-necked duck [Aythya collaris]:

More waterfowl, this time from a small lake in Barnes Lake natural area.

Redhead [Aythya americana], dabbling:

Close-up, redhead:

American wigeon [Mareca americana]:

Now a couple of land birds, regular visitors in our back yard.

Mourning doves [Zenaida macroura]:

Dusky grouse [Dendragapus obscurus], male:

Dusky grouse, female:

Readers’ wildlife photos

January 25, 2026 • 9:00 am

Fortunately, some kind readers have come through with a few batches of photos. But the tank is still low.

Today’s photos of birds (and one flower) come from Pratyaydipta Rudra, a statistics professor at Oklahoma State University. Pratyay’s captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them. Pratyay and his wife Sreemala have a big bird-and-butterfly website called Wingmates.

It’s bitter cold outside as the winter storm is here in Oklahoma. So, I decided to share some more photos from the warmer days – A series of backyard bird images from the fall. While we mostly have native plants on our property, most of the images here involve some non-natives that we already had around our property when we moved in. But they do show some nice colors in the fall. We have a raised deck in the backyard which results in some nice eye-level views of the birds.

Female Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) and fall foliage.=:

Male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis):

Female Northern Cardinal working on some berries:

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) in light drizzle. It always makes me smile when these little guys show up every fall:

Another Yellow-rumped Warbler from the same day:

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) on our pecan tree with some seed that it grabbed from the bird feeder. Titmice and Chickadees don’t spend too much time on the feeder. They like to grab a seed and take it to a nice perch on a tree where they can break it and enjoy it at its own pace:

Our yard has some larger birds too! This Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) has been a regular visitor for a while, and by now we kind of know some of its unique personalities:

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). At this time of the year, these woodpeckers are usually busy hiding seeds with the goal of storing them for the winter. I don’t know how many they actually find again:

This is not a bird image, but it has a connection with birds. These low maintenance native Maximilian Sunflowers (Helianthus maximiliani) put on an amazing show every fall, albeit for a short duration. However, during this time, they attract a huge number of pollinators including all kinds of butterflies, moths, and bees. We keep the dried plants after they are done blooming since the seed-loving birds have a feast on them:

House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) are one of them. Here is a male and a female House Finch on the dry sunflowers:

American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis) also enjoy the seeds. They are usually much duller by this time compared to their bright breeding plumage:

Couple of goldfinches from the same scene – a wider view:

One more goldfinch from a warm day:

A male Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) on the sunflower stalks: