Not really sure what exact crab this is, I originally thought may be M. spinosissimus, but too many details don't add up. Please help
Los Gatos Creek Park, Campbell, Santa Clara County, California
This fuzzy plant was growing unplanted at the edge of a vineyard. It was soft.
Immature Telegraphweed maybe? The leaves look like it.
Dried scat found on the path. Not sure what the contents are. My friend guessed it's domestic dog scat.
Referring to yellow coral in the middle - close up crop is attached (as close up as was possible)
Front flippers only seem to have one set of claws, so assuming this is a Green Sea Turtle.
Adult fly scavenging from the guts of a dead juvenile Western Fence Lizard that had seemingly been run-over or stepped on. At the edge of the sidewalk.
After moving the corpse, the fly landed on my hand, shown in the 5th and 6th images. I believe this was the same individual, but if not, let me know and I'll separate the images.
Last image shows the location.
ID based on AI. Flesh Fly?
A small insect observed standing on the ceiling of an overhang at night, outdoors. One of multiple here.
One of multiple Mallows growing on the ground near a Western Sycamore. The last 2 images show the area it was in.
Winged insect rescued from pool. Front legs were red, and the tip of the wings or abdomen was white.
Spotted towhees are not very common visitors to the yard, but recently a pair of them have been seen frequently. One or both of them can often be seen shadowboxing with various parts of our cars.
Juvenile heard frequently making a high pitched peep. Adult was often next to it or nearby.
Gall (?) on leaf. Host plant was a branch sticking out of Santiago Creek. I believe it's the same host plant species as the other 2 galls I've submitted in this small area.
Palm Springs, Coachella Valley, Riverside County, California
Middle of the desert. I sighted A Golden Eagle weeks ago only a few miles west of here. Inat identified all three pictures as Osprey.
Hatched lacewing egg on Palo verde
One of many crayfish found in the mud in and surrounding Santiago Creek near the dam. Was missing one claw.
Plant growing in a thin mud layer in the middle of an open-air storm drain canal. Mud was carried from upstream.
ID based on AI.
A small flowering plant growing on the path. It had hairy leaves.
ID based on iNaturalist's AI suggestion.
Fallen into water pail and drowned
A dried out and seemingly dead Russian Thistle growing on a large pile of soil. Image 12 shows its location, with the plant visible at the bottom of the image. It was spiky.
I found this small caterpillar hanging from a Coast Live Oak tree by a thread of silk (?). I got it to land on my hand and photographed it before returning it to the tree. The silk/thread is visible in the 2nd image.
I have a video of its locomortion that I'll turn into a GIF and add later.
Small spiky plant growing on edge of trail. Had little flowers oddly growing at the base of the stems.
ID based on AI.
While collecting trash from the lagoon, I found this dead and decaying turtle floating in the water. I thought that it was a toy turtle until I picked it up and saw the dangling head. Its limbs were missing, and it stunk badly from decomposition in the water. I'm guessing it's a slider? The only turtles I've seen here are Sliders.
After a few days the neck had decomposed away, leaving the skull. The body still had a lot of meat and flesh.
Not dead, but clearly unwell. No signs of injury.
Any help appreciated with identification.
Growing near the edge of the path.
What's the structure shown in image 10?
This small plant was growing next to a cluster of Sand Pygmyweed. The white specks are specks of gravel.
ID based on iNaturalist's AI suggestion.
Found growing off trail. hairy.
ID based on iNaturalist's AI suggestion.
We found this jaw bone underneath a Raven nest (which was atop a telephone pole). Collected for better photos, which I'll add after cleaning it.
Image 2 shows it as we found it. Image 3 shows a measurement.
Upon cleaning at home, each of the back teeth split in half when removed.
Image 7 shows its location.
Lilac-crowned? still not great with IDing these
Feeding on fruitless Mulberry.
Fish found floating in algae. It was motionless for a minute, so I thought it was dead, it allowed me to get close for macros, but then it moved and swam around. The clear thing floating around its mouth is an insect part, which is actually floating above it.
ID based on AI.
Time approximate as my camera's internal clock was off. The lighting condition in the photos surrounding this one occur at 6-7:20am though, so this is shortly after 7am.
Wearing a bee suit to keep mosquitos out of my face!
Packrat (woodrat?) nest in coast live oak tree. Nest was 14 feet up (I climbed up to it, and had a friend use my height + how high I was.
Blue morph.
Corvidae in large tree. This one stayed put while the others moved to another tree, and later flew back to the same spot. Others were vocalizing.
This bird had light blue eyes.
Spider found on outside wall of a building a few feet from a light.
3rd image shows size comparison to my pointer finger. Spider was found walking up wall.
some animal remains found on a fence railing
This plant was growing unplanted in unwatered soil. Lupine?
It was fruiting and flowering. Image 14 shows a size comparison while image 15 shows its location.
This post is for the plant.
Growing at the edge of the path, at the top of a slope.
ID based on iNaturalist's AI suggestion.
Galls on it: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/110407686
This flowering Brittlebush was growing to the side of the trail, one of many in the area.
What looks to be a Woodrat nest on the ground, built in the open. A pile of Woodrat scat was on a rock a few feet away, posted separately.
Images 4-5 show the area.
*** I'll return to this location and reshoot the nest to answer comment questions.
Brittlebush growing to the side of the path. One of many in the area. Unplanted. The last photo shows its location and surroundings.
A small Brittlebush or White Sage growing off the path. It had yellow sap.
Death...
Around 8-11 of them
This dry, dead looking, and very sharp plant was growing to the side of the path. I've seen this species abundantly in Orange County.
Some kind of Nettle.
This species was growing abundantly next to the Footlighter Theatre.
Pill Woodlouse curled up and very stuck in spider web inside of electrical box, attached to the bottom of the lid.