The other day, I had a great walk in nature on a warm, sunny morning, I saw a lot of wildlife! The mushroom was the first I had seen this season. I do not know what it is. The red-tailed hawk was flying from one ponderosa pine to another, as I passed. The white-tailed deer was camouflaged by the trees and it’s movement brought my eye to it. At a water tank were many bugs, including this common whitetail dragonfly.

Mule Deer are native to western North America. Their name derives from the fact that they have large ears, like a mule, the ears move continuously and independently.  This stocky deer does not run like other deer, but they spring in the air, lifting all four feet off the ground simultaneously. Mule Deer eat primarily weeds, twigs, and woody shrubs. This Mule Deer is a black-tailed sub-species.

Common whitetail dragonflies are fairly large and have unique looking wings, which have a broad dark band across the middle while the rest of the wing has a transparent look. They can be found near water areas such as ponds, streams, bays, or ditches.

Read more: RED-TAILED HAWK