Recently in Serendipity Saturday Category

Thor's Hammer & The Pope In Reflected Morning Light
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One of the magical things about Bryce Canyon is the way the morning sun will reflect off of the plateau's edge and light up the rock formations from behind. This image features the hoodoo's Thor's Hammer and The Pope taken from the upper portion of the Navajo Loop Trail about 30 minutes after sunrise.

Turkey Vulture at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (FL)
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Black Vulture at Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge (FL)
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California Condor along the Big Sur Coast (CA)
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In celebration of International Vulture Awareness Day, we have a very special Serendipity Saturday with three images of these misunderstood and (often maligned) birds. Around the world many populations of vultures are under pressure and in danger of extinction, including of course, the California Condor. These birds, by eating the remains of dead animals, fill a very important ecological niche, and the loss of even one species would be tragic.

Enjoy the photos and hug a vulture today! 

One of many cascades that can be found along Paradise River as it snakes its way from the summit of Mount Rainier. The river's primary source is from Paradise Glacier on the southwest flank of this massive dormant volcano in Washington's Mount Rainier National Park.

To capture the soft look of flowing water requires a slow exposure. In this image I used a 1/4 second exposure, my 17-40mm Canon lens set at an aperture of f/22, and, because of the  bright skies, used an ISO setting of 50 in order to obtain the desired "look."

Western Pygmy-Blue, Arizona (click image to view larger)

Photographed at Agua Fria National Monument, north of Phoenix, AZ, the Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exile) is found throughout much of the lower portion of western North America (in the far west they can also be found as far north as eastern Oregon). This species preferred habitat is in alkaline areas such as deserts and, along the coast, salt marshes. With an average wingspan of just 1/2"/1.3 cm, it is one of the world's smallest butterflies and is generally considered to be the smallest butterfly in North America (very close in size to its cousin, the Eastern Pygmy-Blue). At that size, not only are they tricky to photograph, they're actually kind of hard to even find!

First Light: Mount Edith Cavell

For this first edition of Serendipity Saturday I've chosen one my all time favorite scenic photos. Mount Edith Cavell is in Canada's Jasper National Park and is named for a British nurse executed by the Germans in World War I. I finally made this image on the fourth attempt, rising early each time only to be thwarted by clouds and rain. On this morning it all came together with the Sun's rays shining on the top of this 11,033 ft/3,363 meter peak in the Canadian Rockies at sunrise, the entire scene reflected in the still waters of Cavell Lake.

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