Jeff Wiles

/\/\/\ Rustic Autumn Riverscape \/\/\/ Autumn foliage hues amid rocky formations along the scenic Mississippi River course thru St. Paul, Minnesota. {No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face. ~ John Donne, Elegy IX.}

<> Green Basilisk Lizard <> Imaged at Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica. The green basilisk lizard.. also called a plumed or double-crested basilisk; but its amazing ability to run on water gives this species its most recognizable moniker: the Jesus Christ lizard. Abundant in the tropical rain forests of Central America, from southern Mexico to Panama, green basilisks spend much of their time in the trees and are never far from a body of water. When threatened, they can drop from a tree into the water and sprint, about 5 feet per second across the surface. ~ National Geographic

/\/\/\ Osprey Woodland Study /\/\/\ Spring observation of an engaging northern osprey in central Minnesota. This bird banded on lower left leg. Basic Bio: Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them. Ospreys are common sights soaring over shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads glistening. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons.

||[ Family Bonding Time ]|| Amur tiger mom & cubs enjoying some quality time together @ The Minnesota Zoo. The Amur tiger (formerly known as the Siberian tiger) is found in the wild only in the mountain forests of eastern Russia, with a small population ranging across the border into China. This tiger subspecies is adapted to the region's high latitude, harsh climate, and long winters. Amur tiger conservation: About 400 Amur tigers are left in the wild, and they are listed as endangered. Most of the 150 Amur tigers in North American AZA facilities are part of conservation breeding programs, including the Species Survival Plan in the United States.

*** Wintertime Wildlife Gathering *** Whitetail deer does and wild turkeys bunched up @ the Sax-Zim Bog nature preserve in northern Minnesota. Imaged on 28 Feb. 2023. Local folks were putting out hay for wildlife due to a large snow depth this winter inhibiting grazing on flora beneath the snow.

*** Lake Superior ~ South Shore *** For lakescape vistas the Michigan Upper Peninsula is hard to beat. This idyllic perspective was captured on a picture perfect July afternoon.

{Blackwater Falls State Park ~ West Virginia} One of several picturesque waterfalls located in the "Mountain State". So called because it's the only state completely within the Appalachian Mountain Region, and it's average elevation is higher than any other state east of the Mississippi River!

{} Spearfish Canyon Promontory {} This very place.. is notable for being a shooting location for the film "Dances With Wolves". One of many richly scenic landscapes in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Richardson Grove State Park ~ California. "The Grove" began in 1922 with 120 acres and has since grown to approximately 2,000 acres with support from the Save the Redwoods League. Historic gateway to the north coast redwoods, these ancient giants have inspired people for centuries.

~~~ Orca Family Activity ~~~ Orca (Orcinus orca) parents and calf swimming together out in Monterey Bay, California. Imaged in Oct. of 2022. Marine biologists have been conducting research on the Orca pods in Monterey Bay for over 30 years.