I don’t know what it is lately, but ever since I got my new camera, it seems that all of the desert critters are coming by to say hello and get their photo taken!
Birds, bees and snakes have all stopped by to be immortalized in their own personal photo-shoot. Well now we have our newest addition to the mix, a Gila Monster!
So there I was today, outside spraying a fresh coat of paint onto the patio furniture, when out of the bushes comes a cute little Gila monster to say hello.
He is still fairly young and from head to tail he is about a foot and a half in length, making him quite a bit larger than the geckos that normally have the run of the place, but all things considered, I still think he’s pretty cute. He came through the hedges that surround the yard and he had himself a quick look around.
I can only assume he felt a bit exposed in the openness of the yard, so he made his way back into the safety of the wild brush alongside the hill on which we live.
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Though I liked this Gila Monster, they are really not something you would want to handle or interact with too intimately. They have sharp teeth and locking jaws like a pit bull, and once they lock onto something, they usually don’t come off again! They are also extremely poisonous, and their venom is something akin to that of a rattle snake in toxicity, so keeping a safe distance is very important. The good news is that they are not very aggressive, and for the most part, they are usually slow lumbering creatures. So with my camera in hand I ventured just close enough to get some video and stills of him before he sauntered his merry way back into the wild… Happy trails little fella’
Stay tuned, big things are coming! AND if you liked this spread the Word!
Amazing photos! The bees were terrific. Be careful of the Gila Monster. Loaded with bacteria.
Posted by The-Womanly-Arts | May 28, 2012, 9:43 amGreat photos! The details are amazing. Thanks for following my blog, you’ve let me see your work!
Posted by doodlinggal | May 28, 2012, 9:31 amLove the photos. That gecko is brilliant.
Posted by bgillen | May 28, 2012, 6:45 amOk
Daniel…..did you use a zoom, a telephoto lens or were you really that close?
How can people not believe there is a God?…..Just notice the patterns of nature: the Gila’s texture, patterns, colors, shape of body…..and flowers too…the little veins in the petals always amaze Me……Thanks for your curious eyes….M.
Posted by Marty Hermes | May 28, 2012, 5:58 amReally great picture of the bees! The critters that you get in your area of the country are so very different from the critters I get in my area of the country (although some are just as deadly – we have copperheads & water moccassins rather than rattle snakes & gila monsters). Very cool to see!
Posted by akateacher | May 28, 2012, 5:08 amFabulous photography! The shot of the bees is just incredible. And I like the Gila Monster…as long as it isn’t in my back yard!
Debra
Posted by Three Well Beings | May 27, 2012, 8:53 pmThe white-winged dove is gorgeous. The blue around the eyes comes out so well in the photo. Well done!
Posted by tnealtarver | May 27, 2012, 7:28 pmNice critters…would have loved to have fed that Gila Monster and make him a repeat customer!
Posted by Southern Sea Muse | May 27, 2012, 6:41 pmGreat pictures! Especially like the bee flying to the flower. My dad would love that one because he is a beekeeper.
Posted by Scott Johnson | May 27, 2012, 12:26 pmWow! Beautiful! I wouldn’t want to run into one though =^.^=
Posted by Texas, a cat in New York | May 27, 2012, 6:29 amThere was a time when I was afraid of them, but I think the Lord has made some real changes in my life and my fears are not the way they once were. It’s like a complete transformation of who I am inside has changed how I feel about everything. I am more balanced and centered and I think that shows in how I react to the interesting things that come into my life now… like these critters. It’s more a kind of God’s wonders and less a source of panick and fear. And to be honest, I kind of love it!
Posted by soulblindministry | May 27, 2012, 10:30 amAwesome pictures, especially the bees flying in formation.
Well done! God shows His face in nature – an essential part of your ministry.
Posted by Deacon Paul O. Iacono | May 27, 2012, 5:46 amActually, it is only one bee, not multiple, but thank you for liking the picture. It would really be something to see bees fly in a formation like that! Never the less, God’s wonders are seen in everything.
Posted by soulblindministry | May 27, 2012, 10:32 amI figured it was multiple exposures but the picture’s so clean that it does look like a formation of bees.
Posted by tnealtarver | May 27, 2012, 7:26 pmInteresting to see the Gila monster! That first pic of it is great, and the bee picture is awesome!
Posted by dayuntoday | May 27, 2012, 5:36 amI didn’t have much time with it. He kind of just came in to look around and just turned and left. But I am glad it came out as good as it did. It looks really good in a larger format. You can see all the details in his face and I love how his skin looks beaded.
Posted by soulblindministry | May 27, 2012, 10:34 amYes, I especially liked the skin texture–made me want to touch him, so it’s probably good I wasn’t there…
Posted by dayuntoday | May 27, 2012, 5:32 pmI can never see enough wildlife pics on the blogs I read – the one of the bees is stunning!
I’m a total reptile lover though, and adore your Gila Monster. I wish we had more than the occasional brown lizard (and they’re very uncommon), Adder and Grass Snake here in England!
Posted by Missus Tribble | May 27, 2012, 1:44 amWould you really rather have more wild and interesting things in your yard? Or live somewhere safe and predictable and go see the interesting things in a zoo?
Posted by soulblindministry | May 27, 2012, 10:36 amHa, you have a point actually! I’m used to the fact that most animals are harmless if you leave them alone, and forget that some really are dangerous no matter what!
Posted by Missus Tribble | May 28, 2012, 12:37 amLove the pic of the bees! That is a great shot. The critters are just coming by to say, Hi. Post more when you get them!
Posted by Kathryn McDowell Pless | May 26, 2012, 9:11 pmThank you, I will!
Posted by soulblindministry | May 26, 2012, 10:55 pmReblogged this on THE WAY I AM:.
Posted by REBECCA DAWN | May 26, 2012, 8:51 pmI think your backyard visitors are a little more interesting than mine. Nice pictures.
Posted by KKHPhotos.com | May 26, 2012, 8:34 pmHopefully I can get the deer and javelina as well! They don’t come by too often and usually at night, but you never know, right?
We also get road runners, cardinals, hawks, vultures, cotton tail rabbits, squirrels and much more!
Posted by soulblindministry | May 26, 2012, 10:53 pmawesome! I mostly have birds, toads, cotton tails, jack rabbits, and small lizards. My hubby has seen a pheasant walking through and I see deer tracks but haven’t seen the deer who leaves them yet. I’m sure he’s coming into town to visit the grain bins!
Posted by KKHPhotos.com | May 27, 2012, 8:38 amSmart deer!
Posted by soulblindministry | May 27, 2012, 10:25 amI especially like the pic of the bees! Very cool!
Posted by Angel Peterson | May 26, 2012, 8:08 pmThank you, The pictures look so much better in their full size, but I still think they look pretty good.
Posted by soulblindministry | May 26, 2012, 10:48 pmI have to admit I would not like to live in the desert. I don’t like snakes, big bugs, etc. I do like a lot of other animals though
Posted by Ann Marquette | May 26, 2012, 7:34 pmIt’s not so bad really! This is my first Gila Monster and that snake was my second big snake I have ever seen!
Posted by soulblindministry | May 26, 2012, 7:38 pmWell you are braver than I am
I remember as a child when me and my parents, and a cousin my age were on vacation in upper Michigan at one of the lakes. We were in the water catching minows in a net to use for bigger fish bait. Suddenly there was a HUGE snake going through the water and Dad said it was a water moccasin, to stand still and it would just go away, which it did. But got I did not like being so close!
Posted by Ann Marquette | May 26, 2012, 7:51 pm