Rainbow Grasshopper

This stunner was the very first painted grasshopper I’ve seen and he/she was riding atop the back of a large gopher snake! Chiricahua Mountains, AZ.

Ram on the Run

This young ram chases a ewe that he took an interest in. After a time, he gave up and made a pass at another sheep. Yellowstone Nat Park, WY.

Rat Snake Perspective

A black rat snake in her natural environment. Due to their body structures and means of movement, snakes are often frustrating photo subjects, making it hard to pass on the more “photogenic” individuals. Photo taken near Danville, PA, USA.

Red Barrel

Presenting one of my favorite succulent flower displays, the barrel cactus comes in yellow, orange, and red. Photographed near Picture Rocks, AZ.

Red Fox

My absolute favorite picture from the entire Grand Teton / Yellowstone trip!  This red fox was a truly perfect photo subject, both for it’s charm, the setting, and perfect filtered light! Grand Teton NP, WY.

Red Salamander

This eastern red salamander was all-smiles about having his/her picture taken. Photo taken in Winfield, PA, USA.

Red-Backed Jumper

Meet one of the most stunning jumping spiders within the US, and definitely the most brilliant I’ve met! Chiricahua Mountains, AZ.

Red-Naped Sapsucker

Pausing between beakfuls of pyracantha berries, this sapsucker assesses his surroundings.

Red-Spotted Toad

Eye-level perspective of a red-spotted toad. Despite their name, the red spots are often not so conspicuous! Chiricahua Nat Monument, AZ.

Regal Stag

Nearing the end of a 5-mile hike, this beautiful stag leapt onto the trail, dead ahead. Exchange, PA.

Ring of Flowers

The tiny pincushion cactus isn’t so easily overlooked when showing off a full bouquet of flowers! Saguaro National Park West, AZ.

Ringneck Trio

As the lingering light begins to disappear, three ringnecked ducks float by. Phoenix, AZ.

Rivendell

Hiking deep into a popular rock-climbing area is the mystical land known as Rivendell. Ironically, there is often little water, but a very wet monsoon has changed the game! Tucson, AZ.

Ruffed Grouse

A ruffed grouse takes a break drumming on his log. During courtship, in early spring, male ruffed grouse will choose a log often next to a forest clearing. They will repeatedly drum on the log with their powerful feet. This process goes on for hours, days, sometimes weeks until a mate is attracted. Bald Eagle State Forest, PA.

Running Fox

This extremely silver-colored “red” trotting straight toward the camera. Grand Tetons, WY

Saguaro Flowers

Springtime in the desert is a stunning scene! As temperatures soar into the 90’s, the poppies and lupine of early spring are quickly replaced by flowering cacti. Among these cacti are the massive saguaros, the icon of our beautiful Sonoran Desert. Their thick bodies offer refuge to a number of birds, following the oh-so-common excavations of gila woodpeckers. The flowers offer nectar and pollen to untold numbers of birds and insects. The fruit feeds many more creatures, especially after falling to the ground where it’s within reach of javelina, coyotes, and rodents. Even in death, the mighty saguaro holds moisture which contains entire ecosystems, while reptiles hide underneath to escape the intense daytime heat. Saguaro Nat Park, AZ.

Salty Stallions

If you’ve never before seen horses fight, it is a vicious ordeal. They bite, kick, and chase each-other, becoming completely oblivious to many of their surroundings. Spectators must be extremely careful around them when this is transpiring as it’s quite easy to get trampled. These two stallions are engaged in a savage dispute.

Sapsucker Profile

This red-naped sapsucker was a very gracious photo subject. He/she hopped around for quite some time. It began by plucking berries off a pyracantha bush, eventually migrating to a sycamore tree right next to me which it spent some time closely inspecting.

Scaled Quail

Can you venture a guess at why it’s called a scaled quail? This beautiful fellow and his mate walked right by my camping site, presenting this excellent photo op! Photographed at Rockhound State Park, NM, USA.

Scaly Contrast

Behold the scale patterns of the most beautiful gopher I’ve met. Willcox, AZ.

Scaly Pholiota

Like any self-respecting hiker, I despise the swarms of mosquitoes that emerge during really wet summers, but as a nature lover, find myself in awe at the vast array of fungi that also appear. This Scaly Pholiata cluster was encountered deep in Bald Eagle State Forest, PA, USA.

Screaming Swallow

These common, yet beautiful birds are the bane of many a barn or shed owner, owing to their unusual habit gluing mud nests to the sides of support beams. Photo taken at John Heinz National Widlife Refuge, PA, USA.

Sea Otter

While watching a group of sea otters just offshore, an elderly woman informed me it was the best show this location had seen in years! What a wonderful experience! Morro Bay, CA.