blazczak's photostream

Happy Groundhog Day! This is not a Groundhog, but a Columbian Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus columbianus); a species of ground squirrel inhabiting a relatively small range in the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada. It can be easily distinguished from other ground squirrels by its larger size and distinct coloration: reddish-brown on the nose, forelegs, and hindquarters.

Lydgate State Park, Kaua'i, Hawai'i. A man-made boulder enclosed pool keeps the strong ocean waves (left) out, at the same time allowing fresh salt water and fish to enter the pools.

Carunculated Caracara (Phalcoboenus carunculatus) is a bird of prey found in the Andes mountain range of Ecuador and Colombia. It is often seen walking on the ground while searching for food: it will either scavenge on carrion (a carcass of a dead animal) or will attempt at catching small live animals. A group of these walkers can be seen traversing the field at one time, making for a peculiar sight.

Mono Lake is a large saline lake in Mono Country, California, which made headlines in 2010 when the discovery in the lake of extremophilic bacteria capable or synthesizing the poisonous element arsenic was published by NASA. Because the lake lacks an outlet, the runoff containing salts from the surrounding basin accumulates here and contributes to the lake's salinity: depending on the water level, the salinity here can reach nearly 100g/l, more than three times the value of the world's oceans.

The geologic features that now rise above the surface of Mono Lake are called tufa columns, made of limestone formed by carbonate deposits and are common in saline lakes. Tufas form underwater; the fact that they protrude above the surface of Mono Lake is a direct result of human activity; after the Owens River which once supplied this area was diverted for human consumption in 1913, the water level in the lake dropped dramatically, exposing the now famous limestone features.

Pyramid Lake near Reno, Nevada; the characteristic rock formation (Pyramid Rock) from which the lake gets its English name can be seen on the left. The eastern shore of the lake, including the area around the Pyramid Rock, has been recently closed to public by the Paiute Indian tribe who own and revere this land after an unknown graffiti pseudo-artist tagged the rocks bearing ancient Native American pictographs. Join me in condemning this senseless act that impacts the rest of the community, including photographers.