#photosbyjerirae

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

#Aspens “It’s hard to decide what is most memorable about aspen: the vibrant yellow in the fall, the tall, tube-like clusters of white stands or the sound of the “quaking” leaves. Regardless of what comes to mind when you think of aspens, they hold the title of the most widespread tree in North America. From the Midwest, across Canada, north into Alaska and across the West through to Arizona and New Mexico, quaking aspens dot the edge of conifer forests in clusters or “clones.” One aspen tree is actually only a small part of a larger organism. A stand or group of aspen trees is considered a singular organism with the main life force underground in the extensive root system. Before a single aspen trunk appears above the surface, the root system may lie dormant for many years until the conditions are just right, including sufficient sunlight. In a single stand, each tree is a genetic replicate of the other, hence the name a “clone” of aspens used to describe a stand… …The oldest known aspen clone has lived more than 80,000 years on Utah’s Fishlake National Forest. Not only is the clone the oldest living organism, weighing in at an estimated 6,600 tons, it is also the heaviest. Even if the trees of a stand are wiped out, it is very difficult to permanently extinguish an aspen’s root system due to the rapid rate in which it reproduces. Among swaths of dark green conifers, the deciduous aspen stands thrive in a variety of environments. Aspens quickly colonize recently burned or bare areas to establish a stand of young trees given the proper conditions. They prefer moist soil but can survive near springs in desert conditions. Of the many variables for a healthy clone of aspens, the one that cannot waver is the need for abundant sunshine. Aspens grow all the time—even in winter. Beneath the thin, white outer bark layer is a thin green photosynthetic layer that allows the tree to create sugars and grow when other deciduous trees would otherwise be dormant. During hard winters, the green, sugary layer provides necessary nutrients for deer and elk.” - Hannah Featherman, National Forest Foundation. All #PhotosByJeriRae in the #SantaFeNationalForest. (at Santa Fe National Forest) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cmpgv98Pn5Q/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Pinyon Jay - A Colorful Bird of The American West. I took these pictures at my former home in rural New Mexico in the Northern Pecos River Valley, known to locals as El Valle. Pinyon jays prefer pinyon-juniper woodlands and ponderosa pine forests. Pinyon jays interact in a mutual relationship with the pinyon. Pinyon trees provide pinyon jays with food, nesting and roosting sites, and breeding stimuli. In turn Pinyon jays influence seed dispersal, establishment, and genetic structure of pinyon populations. ********************************** #Birds #birdsofinstagram #AmericanWest #Ornithology #PecosRiver #PecosRiverValley #ElValle #NorthCentralNewMexico #NewMexico #BirdsOfAmericanWest #PinyonJay #Pinyons #PinyonPine #PinyonTree #LandOfEnchantment #PersonalPhoto #PhotosByMe #PhotosByJeriRae https://www.instagram.com/p/CEJO2YelwFf/?igshid=1e8tdvohedjw

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Scenes From My Walk - Scenes along the way home down Rufina Street. These were the great views - other views… not so much. #ScenesFromMyWalk #ViewsFromRufinsStreet #SangreDeCristoMountains@#SantaFeBaldy #SantaFeMountains #AutumnColors #ChicomaMountain #PhotosByJeriRae (at Santa Fe, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjy_NJGN40q/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Scenes From My Walk - The El Camino Real Interpretive Trail and the Santa Fe River (runs dry here for most of the year). #ScenesFromMyWalk #ElCaminoRealIntrrpretiveTrail #AguaFriaTrail #AguaFriaPath #AguaFriaHistory #PhotosByJeriRae (at Agua Fria, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjtv3yhrI-O/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Scenes From My Walk - Trailside Views From The El Camino Real Hiking Trail. These views include the Santa Fe River, a gnarled old dead tree, and the trail sign. #ScenesFromMyWalk #ElCaminoRealHikingTrail #SantaFeRiverTrail #SantaFeRiver #GnarledTree #TrailsideViews #PhotosByJeriRae (at Santa Fe, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjno3NOuAcR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Scenes From My Walk - An Explosion Of Yellow. The transformation of these open spaces in Santa Fe and Agua Fria from the somewhat stark beauty of high desert scrubland to a sea of golden yellow thanks to the monsoon enabled, major bloom of Golden Crownbeard/Cowpen Daisy (Verbesina encelioides) is breathtaking. Evidently the plant responds to “disturbances on suitable sites and retards the development of other local species. Research has identified an allelopathic effect on radishes which may explain its ability to dominate other species in some locations.” - Wikipedia I was curious about this so looked up allelopathic and this is what I found: “Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon by which an organism produces one or more biochemicals that influence the germination, growth, survival, and reproduction of other organisms. These biochemicals are known as allelochemicals and can have beneficial (positive allelopathy) or detrimental (negative allelopathy) effects on the target organisms and the community. Allelopathy is often used narrowly to describe chemically-mediated competition between plants, however, it is sometimes defined more broadly as chemically-mediated competition between any type of organisms.” -Wikipedia If I am understanding this correctly this may explain why this plant can seem to totally dominate other species in areas where it is experiencing significant growth. I have noticed at least 2 species of plants that have found a way to coexist; Scarlet Globemallow and the often reviled, (with very good reason) puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris) that produces those awful burs commonly called ”goat-heads” that are a bane to those walking in bear feet, bicyclists and those soles of shoes of walkers like me. End of mini botany lecture 🧑🏼‍🏫 #ScenesFromMyWalk #GoldenCrownbeard #CowpenDaisy #VerbesinaEncelioides #Botany #BotanyPhotography #Allelopathy #BloomOfGoldenCrownbeard #YellowFlowers #SeaOfYellowFlowers #Naturalist #PhotosByJeriRae (at Santa Fe, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/ChsxRt8r-bQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Celebrating Agua Fria, New Mexico. Collage 5 of 5 Many, perhaps most, of my photos are taken while standing in Agra Fria a historical village adjacent to Santa Fe. I have compiled some photos taken in this village into 5 Collages. Enjoy! #AguaFriaVillage #VillageOfAguaFria #AguaFriaNewMexico #SantaFeCounty #AguaFriaNewMexico #HumansAndNature #WildBirds #Wildlife #WildFlowers #WildPlants #Birds #Birding #BirdingPhotography #NaturePhotography #PhotosByJeriRae #Naturalist (at Agua Fria, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcPlYbPuZmv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Celebrating Agua Fria, New Mexico. Collage 4 of 5 Many, perhaps most, of my photos are taken while standing in Agra Fria a historical village adjacent to Santa Fe. I have compiled some photos taken in this village into 5 Collages. Enjoy! #AguaFriaVillage #VillageOfAguaFria #AguaFriaNewMexico #SantaFeCounty #AguaFriaNewMexico #HumansAndNature #WildBirds #Wildlife #WildFlowers #WildPlants #Birds #Birding #BirdingPhotography #NaturePhotography #PhotosByJeriRae #Naturalist (at Agua Fria, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcPlTlBuG1J/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Celebrating Agua Fria, New Mexico. Collage 3 of 5 Many, perhaps most, of my photos are taken while standing in Agra Fria a historical village adjacent to Santa Fe. I have compiled some photos taken in this village into 5 Collages. Enjoy! #AguaFriaVillage #VillageOfAguaFria #AguaFriaNewMexico #SantaFeCounty #AguaFriaNewMexico #HumansAndNature #WildBirds #Wildlife #WildFlowers #WildPlants #Birds #Birding #BirdingPhotography #NaturePhotography #PhotosByJeriRae #Naturalist (at Agua Fria, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcPlN73OGvW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Celebrating Agua Fria, New Mexico. Collage 2 of 5 Many, perhaps most, of my photos are taken while standing in Agra Fria a historical village adjacent to Santa Fe. I have compiled some photos taken in this village into 5 Collages. Enjoy! #AguaFriaVillage #VillageOfAguaFria #AguaFriaNewMexico #SantaFeCounty #AguaFriaNewMexico #HumansAndNature #WildBirds #Wildlife #WildFlowers #WildPlants #Birds #Birding #BirdingPhotography #NaturePhotography #PhotosByJeriRae #Naturalist (at Agua Fria, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcPlIaOuCEI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Celebrating Agua Fria, New Mexico. Collage 1 of 5 Many, perhaps most, of my photos are taken while standing in Agra Fria a historical village adjacent to Santa Fe. I have compiled some photos taken in this village into 5 Collages. Enjoy! #AguaFriaVillage #VillageOfAguaFria #AguaFriaNewMexico #SantaFeCounty #AguaFriaNewMexico #HumansAndNature #WildBirds #Wildlife #WildFlowers #WildPlants #Birds #Birding #BirdingPhotography #NaturePhotography #PhotosByJeriRae #Naturalist (at Agua Fria, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcPlES3OGZc/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

A Crow In A Tree Posing For Me - Part 3 The 3 noisy crows landed in this tree ahead of me. I have several good photos but wanted to post this one of the three of them. #Crow #Crows #Corvids #CrowsOfInstagram #Birds #Bird #BirdPhotography #Birding #BirdingPhotography #PhotosByJeriRae #Naturalist (at Santa Fe, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbgzW7Hg__P/?utm_medium=tumblr

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

A Crow In A Tree Posing For Me The 3 noisy crows landed in this tree ahead of me. I have several good photos but wanted to post this one of the three of them. #Crow #Crows #Corvids #CrowsOfInstagram #Birds #Bird #BirdPhotography #Birding #BirdingPhotography #PhotosByJeriRae #Naturalist (at Santa Fe, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbgyUzAg_O-/?utm_medium=tumblr

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

3 Crows In A Tree and one in particular The 3 noisy crows landed in this tree ahead of me. I have several good photos but wanted to post this one of the three of them. #Crow #Crows #Corvids #CrowsOfInstagram #Birds #Bird #BirdPhotography #Birding #BirdingPhotography #PhotosByJeriRae #Naturalist (at Santa Fe, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbgxuYJgriB/?utm_medium=tumblr

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Scenes From My Walk - A House Finch Serenades From High Up In A Tree. I walked past this stand of trees and heard some beautiful bird song but I couldn’t see the bird. I took the mountain photos the returned. The bird was still singing a song was but I couldn’t see it. After I exited the trees I looked back and finally, I saw the house finch way up at the top of the tree. #ScenesFromMyWalk #HouseFinch #Finches #Birds #Bird #BirdPhotography #Birding #BirdingPhotography #PhotosByJeriRae (at Santa Fe, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ-aLFMvSwR/?utm_medium=tumblr

[nonbinary-nature-lover-jeri]

Scenes From My Walk - A House Finch Serenades From High Up In A Tree. I walked past this stand of trees and heard some beautiful bird song but I couldn’t see the bird. I took the mountain photos the returned. The bird was still singing a song was but I couldn’t see it. After I exited the trees I looked back and finally, I saw the house finch way up at the top of the tree. #ScenesFromMyWalk #HouseFinch #Finches #Birds #Bird #BirdPhotography #Birding #BirdingPhotography #PhotosByJeriRae (at Santa Fe, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ-aLFMvSwR/?utm_medium=tumblr