Autumn Day at Pt. Reyes

October 24, 2025October 24, 2025 / Jet Eliot / 65 Comments

It is always a breath of fresh air to visit Pt. Reyes in Northern California. We go once a month and it is a different and thrilling adventure every time, cycles of the season are always in play.

Our day trip last week was a typical coastal mid-October day. It was chilly and overcast.

We hiked the path at Abbott’s Lagoon, overview seen below–way out in the distance, on the left-hand side at the horizon is a ribbon of the ocean. The sea was relatively calm that day.

With that stormy-looking sky and low cloud cover, there were many raptors on the ground, waiting on the thermals for their lift-off.

This red-tailed hawk, below, perched patiently on a very small post.

An osprey was busy with its catch of the day on a fence, below. We have never seen osprey here so this was a treat. We kept expecting it to take off, but then our optics had that answer–the osprey was preoccupied with a fish in its talons.

Ravens, too, are usually high above us, cawing loudly about one thing or another. But that day, there were several grounded and in our midst. One of my favorite birds, the ravens were especially gorgeous with their shiny black feathers.

The coastal chaparral had advanced into its winter state since last month’s visit. Neither the coyote bush nor the lupine had any more flowers, but the bushes were animated with all the usual birds who hide underneath.

The California quail, this male below in his sentinel position, had a fluttery flock of young ones hidden below among the woody limbs. They were hidden but not quiet. The young ones will soon learn the importance of being quiet, but for now they had dad on the post keeping an eye out.

The white-crowned sparrows, ubiquitous along the Abbotts Lagoon trail, were dapper in their plumage. These individuals on the coast are year-round but further inland we’re seeing more of them arriving to winter with us, they come from Alaska and the Rocky Mountains.

Their song melts my heart and I’m thrilled they’re here for the winter, link below.

Bird Song link: White-crowned Sparrow by Joe Morlan

For the last few months there have been Bewick’s wrens in a patch of coyote bushes near the road, and this one frequently popped out in its dogged pursuit of insects. This wren species does not occur east of the Mississippi, but we have them here in California year-round. It is a joy to watch these noisy nimble birds.

After our hike and teatime, we drove up the road to check on the elk, driving slowly so as not to miss any critters.

This coyote below, camouflaged in the landscape, was our reward.

The coyote, too, was getting a winter coat. Usually the coyotes are prowling in the tall grass and chaparral, hunting, but on this cold, sleepy day it seemed to be naptime.

We have been observing an interesting new phenomenon lately with the elk at Point Reyes. Since a recent lawsuit settlement and the departure of dairy ranches, the elk have gradually been expanding from the reserve into the abandoned ranches.

Below is a herd of female elk grazing beside the open gate of a defunct dairy ranch.

This tule elk bull below, who doesn’t care anything about human lawsuits, was focused on keeping his harem together. The last two months they have been bugling a lot in the middle of their rutting season–a time for them to attract females and warn other males of their dominance. But the rutting season is waning now.

What a joy to see it all: the raptors rearranging their day with the lack of thermals, the elk discovering a bigger space, and the birds and mammals going about their business of resting and hunting and raising their young.

Soon the elephant seals will be making their way here from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska and the migrating shorebirds will be arriving for the winter too.

And when we come back next month, we will have our winter coats on.

Written by Jet Eliot.

Photos by Athena Alexander.

Ancient Animals of Egypt

October 17, 2025October 16, 2025 / Jet Eliot / 50 Comments

As a devoted fan of wildlife on earth, I am excited to share beautiful art depicting wildlife in ancient Egypt. We humans have been revering our wild animals for centuries.

Living in the land of the fertile Nile Valley, ancient Egyptians acquired an in-depth knowledge of the animals that surrounded them. Later, they transferred these animals and their characteristics to the divine realm; eventually the gods were taking animal forms.

Aside from wildlife, Ancient Egyptians also had pets, a big topic for a later date. But here is an interesting article about their pets, link below, and a cat display we saw at a U.S. touring Ramses II exhibit in 2022.

Link: Pets in Ancient Egypt

Coffin of cat mummy, Ramses touring exhibit

(All other photos are from an Egypt tour we made last year.)

The oldest pyramid complex in Egypt is called Saqqara and is an ancient necropolis dating back to the Third Dynasty (approximately 4,600 years ago). It was the seat of government and worship prior to Giza.

Inside Saqqara structures there are numerous tombs with limestone walls (photograph below) displaying carvings of animals, fish, birds, insects, vegetation and everyday scenes with people in hunting, herding and farming scenes. The small, catacomb rooms have walls and walls with floor-to-ceiling carvings. I have just included one tiny part of one wall here.

This is a hippo (left), in an underwater Nile River scene, accompanied by several different fish species including a Nile carp. We see underwater plants here too. Hippos were once common in the Nile River but there are none today.

In addition to these everyday scenes, animals were also prevalent in the characters of their writing language, aka hieroglyphs.

Below are six photos of hieroglyphs with animals used as symbols.

This is a wall, below, in King Ramses IV’s tomb. These are funerary texts intended to guide the pharaoh through the afterlife.

Cobras, on the top row, stand out. They symbolize divine and royal protection, sovereignty, and the power to ward off enemies and chaos in the afterlife. Also of notable interest here (below, lower third) is the snake between the two flanks of women–one head with a very long, curling body. Their snakes must have been very long!

There is a menagerie of animals below the cobras in the small hieroglyphs. This close-up, below, shows a hare (top left) and a vulture (bottom left).

These hieroglyphs, below, are photographed from a wall of the Kom Ombo Temple. Animal symbols here include the head of a cow, cobra, vulture, two lion heads and a viper.

This is an outdoor wall at Karnak Temple covered with hieroglyphs (below). The carvings, which have survived for millennia, tell of battle scenes, religious rituals and gods, providing a rich glimpse into ancient Egyptian culture and history. Animals are prominent.

As in most hieroglyphs, there were multiple meanings applied to the symbolic characters.

For example, carvings of bees could mean the words for beekeeper and honey. But in this carving, below, the bees are paired with two sedge plants, symbolizing the unification of Lower Egypt (bee) with Upper Egypt (sedge), a central theme in ancient Egypt. In the center is an ankh, symbol of life.

In addition to hieroglyphs, individual animals were also highlighted, always as a symbol.

Inside King Tut’s tomb (below) in the same chamber as his sarcophagus, is a painted mural showing 12 baboons–one baboon for each hour, representing the 12 hours of the night. The baboons, honored as divine sentinels of the netherworld, are escorting the Boy King to the afterlife. The upper left-hand side also displays a black scarab representing the sun god in his form of rebirth.

Additionally, animals depicted in tombs or other art were often half-man and half-beast, indicating the animal was expressed as a god or royal symbol. Ancient Egyptians combined the power of the animal with the intellect of a human.

The largest example of this is the Great Sphinx in Giza, a massive limestone statue famous for its lion’s body and human head. The lion symbolized strength and kingship.

Below is a half-man half-ibis representing the god Thoth, deity of wisdom, writing, science, magic, and the moon.

Also visible in the (above) photograph are hieroglyph carvings of falcons and a jackal, ibis, and viper.

In addition to carvings and wall writings there were many animals honored in jewelry, statues, door lintels, ceilings, sarcophagi and more.

The sarcophagus below, an exhibit at the Grand Egyptian Museum, has some of the most elegant carvings I have ever seen. It is the Sarcophagus of Nesptah belonging to Nes-Ptah, a noble and high-ranking priest and an influential son of the Mayor of Thebes, Montumhat. It is from the 26th Dynasty, around 2,500 years ago.

It is made of diorite, a very hard stone, and decorated with hieroglyphic texts from the Book of the Dead.

Human/animal gods as well as hieroglyphs cover Nes-Ptah’s beautiful resting place.

We will close with animal art in my favorite tomb, the Tomb of Seti located in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt.

Join me as we head down into the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I of the Nineteenth Dynasty (approximately 3,200 years ago).

I could’ve stayed down here for days, in this cosmic chamber of peace and grandeur with its richly decorated rooms.

My very favorite is Room J (above) with its depiction of circumpolar stars and constellations on the vaulted ceiling. Amazingly, this is a display of the ancient Egyptian understanding of the cosmos.

The red dots, painted with red ochre, indicate these are rough sketches. They are construction marks used by the ancient Egyptian artists and in an unfinished state. The standard duration for the mummification process was 70 days; then the tomb had to be secured, and sometimes deadlines could not be met.

Today we looked at humans from thousands of years ago and the art and stories and values and reverences important to them. They used animals as a means of communication. What a pleasure it is to share a small bit of that here with you today.

Written by Jet Eliot.

Photos by Athena Alexander.

The Beauty of Frogs

October 10, 2025October 9, 2025 / Jet Eliot / 48 Comments

We have had rainy days recently in northern California, and I heard two different ribbiting toads in the woods on my morning walk. It got me thinking about all my friends the amphibians and the beauty of frogs.

There are over 6,000 species of frogs in the world. We’ll look today at a few of my favorites.

Although some frog species live in frozen tundra and deserts, most of the world’s frogs live in tropical forests in freshwater swamps and swampy habitats.

A frog breathes through its skin, so if a frog is not wet, it cannot breathe. It also needs water to reproduce. Interestingly, a frog doesn’t even drink, it absorbs water directly through the skin.

In California, a typically dry place, there are comparatively few frog species. The California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife states there are 51 amphibian species and about half of those are frogs and toads. (Brazil has 1,175.)

We do, however, have significant winter precipitation in northern California, yielding frogs and toads during the rainy months.

Our most common frog is the Pacific tree frog aka the chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla). It is a very small frog, pictured below, about two inches (5 cm) long.

For several years Athena and I collected tadpoles in a water-filled ditch near our rural home. Around April the ditch water would start to evaporate as the rains subsided and the California sun burned longer.

So we made up a large tray in our backyard with water, rocks and dead leaves and transferred the tadpoles before the ditch water disappeared. We watched our tray daily as dozens of tadpoles grew.

One of the most miraculous things about frogs is their metamorphosis.

While still in their birthplace, the ditch, the unformed Pacific tree frogs were jelly-like clusters of eggs. Not long after that the eggs had hatched and reached their larval stage: tadpoles. There were hundreds of tiny black dots, each one swimming with a tiny tail. Every day there were more.

Then the tadpoles grew bigger and eventually tiny legs emerged, first in back and then in front.

When the tadpole is still very young, they have both the tail and legs.

The photo below demonstrates both stages on one leaf: one tadpole with legs (left) and the one on the right who has not yet grown legs.

Eventually the froglet’s body completely absorbs the tail, and before long a fully formed, tailless frog hops away.

Frog vocalizations are also an exciting phenomenon. If you are near a pond or languid water source during their mating season, especially at night, it can be gloriously deafening.

For us in coastal California it’s a chorus of ribbits, hence their name chorus frog. It usually happens in January and February.

Widespread in the eastern U.S. are the spring peepers (one seen below) who announce the beginning of spring with shrill, repetitive “peep-peep-peep” calls. Pseudacris crucifer.

Only males make the sounds, to attract mates. They have vocal sacs that expand and deflate to create their sound. The link below is a 21-second video of a male inflating his vocal sacs.

Male Mediterranean Tree Frog YouTube link

In tropical climates, there are numerous frog species.

This painted reed frog (below) we found in Zambia is the most colorful frog I’ve ever seen. It’s not poisonous.

Across the globe, we had a chance to observe two poison dart frog species in a Costa Rican rainforest on a birding trip. These frogs are diurnal.

There were two teenage brothers in our group (accompanying their birder parents). They were amateur herpetologists, and they were impressively adept at finding frogs and lizards, which I found thrilling.

The boys were bold and experienced in turning over many moldy logs, rocks and leaves that I never would have touched, and came up with many cool lizards and the green-and-black poison dark frog (Dendrobates auratus), below.

If the poison dart frog toxin gets into your bloodstream, it can make your heart stop. But if you don’t touch it or eat it you are fine, which is the behavior we chose.

Poison dart frogs absorb toxins from their diet (mostly ants) and that’s how the frog becomes toxic.

We had the most fun with the strawberry poison dart frog (Oophaga pumilio).

We found a place in a forest where a ranger had told us we might find it. By this time our little group was gone, but Athena and I were emboldened by the boys and had set out to find this dazzling tiny frog.

We had to quietly, slowly, carefully walk through a mucky low-grass field that was also a mosquito haven. After each step there followed an ankle-level mosquito cloud. We waited to see if any little red frog hopped out of the way.

We found one!

Frogs in psychedelic colors and patterns, tadpole bodies that grow legs and absorb tails, ballooning face sacs, and a nighttime cacophony of spring reverie–an incredible creature we have here on earth.

Written by Jet Eliot.

Photos by Athena Alexander.

Wild Falcons

September 19, 2025September 18, 2025 / Jet Eliot / 56 Comments

All that talk last week about the Egyptian falcon god got me thinking about all the wild falcons in this world. No wonder the ancient Egyptians revered this powerful bird. Today we will focus on three falcon species that most of you have probably never seen.

The peregrine falcon, below, is almost certain to be the most familiar to many readers. It has been clocked as the fastest bird in the world.

Widespread on all continents except Antarctica, falcons are extremely swift and agile flyers, known for their rapid dives and quick aerial chases. With small, compact bodies, long wings and keen vision, they are formidable hunters.

Worldwide there are about 60 species in the Falcon family (Falconidae).

The three falcon species highlighted below are all native to Belize.

Bat Falcon Falco rufigularis

We were visiting a Mayan ruin in Belize called Caracol, stood atop the Caana pyramid, seen below.

Standing 140 feet (43m) above ground gave us height advantage, and on both ends of the pyramid we were actually in the tree canopy. Heaven for a birder.

Just to our right, this Yucatan howler monkey lazily ate figs and watched us.

Many raptors joined us up there on the Mayan “sky palace”, including this bat falcon, below.

You see the bird (center) on its perch, typical for bat falcons–a high, open snag where it can launch aerial attacks on prey.

They hunt bats, birds, reptiles, rodents, large insects and invertebrates. Males and females differ slightly but in general it’s about 9-12 inches long (23-30cm).

This is a nice close-up and shows the distinctive short and rounded head for which falcons are known.

Watching this bat falcon deftly cruise around us made me realize I was glad I was such a big mammal and not a bat. Their flight is efficient and purposeful.

2. Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans

Only found in Central and South America, the laughing falcon was fairly easy to spot with its distinctive black eye mask.

They often perch, like you see below, while hunting prey. They have many distinctive vocalizations and we heard this species often in the forest, but it didn’t really sound much like a “laugh.”

They feed mainly on snakes including large and venomous ones; also lizards, rodents, bats and fish. It is 18-22 inches (45-56cm) long.

3. Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus

This falcon is a rare bird, listed as Near Threatened, and we had to work harder to spot this one. They nest in steep cliffs in tropical mature forests, a habitat that is quickly disappearing.

Our guide drove us in the van, pictured below, up to Pine Mountain Ridge in the rainforests of western Belize not far from the border of Guatemala. Our only goal was the orange-breasted falcon, one of the rarest falcons in the world.

After a long and bumpy ride, we headed for an area near a waterfall where our guide was quite certain we would see one. They breed here.

But the fog was so thick we could not see the waterfall–only heard it. And it was so wet out that there was not one single bird anywhere.

It was our last day in this region and we would not be coming back this way. Our guide had grown up nearby and spoke of the lifting fog as a fact. If we waited, he promised, the fog would lift and we would see the falcon. He said he’d never been up here when he hadn’t seen it. We were in a group of eight and voted to wait until the fog lifted (it was unanimous).

We were on a remote ridge in thick fog and had to stay together as a group for safety reasons. We could not see anything ten feet in front of us and the limestone and granite cliffs had sharp drop-offs.

Two caretakers, a couple, lived in a small dwelling on the property; the woman showed us her humble handmade crafts while we waited. (Photo at end.)

After nearly three hours, the fog lifted and we saw the waterfall. Thousand Foot Falls, the highest waterfall in Belize at 1,600 ft. (488 m).

But still no falcon. And now it was time to leave.

We began reluctantly and dejectedly boarding the van when the guide, who had been listening intently, called out “I just heard it!”

We quickly, somewhat spastically, tumbled off the van and at last we heard the falcon’s “kak-kak-kak.”

Almost like magic, the orange-breasted falcon landed on a limb several hundred feet away.

Cameras and binoculars were raised in a flurry, and the majestic falcon posed for several minutes, then disappeared over the ridge.

Falcons have been enchanting humans for thousands of years with their exquisite prowess. I hope they continue to soar this earth controlling pest populations, maintaining ecological balance, and giving some of us a thrill.

Written by Jet Eliot.

Photos by Athena Alexander.

Temple of Horus, Edfu

September 12, 2025September 11, 2025 / Jet Eliot / 52 Comments

On a grand Egyptian adventure last year, we had the joy of visiting many ancient temples. Let’s skip over to Egypt and take a look at Horus.

The Temple of Horus is one of the most well-preserved monuments of ancient Egypt and is the second largest temple in the country (after Karnak). It reflects a blend of ancient Egyptian and Greek traditions from the Ptolemaic era.

It is located on the west bank of the Nile River in the ancient city of Edfu. A bus transported us from our river cruise boat through Edfu (seen below), population 60,000, to the temple complex.

Construction for the great temple of Edfu was begun by Ptolemy III on August 23, 237 BC.

It is rare that the exact date of construction is known on a structure that is over 2,000 years old–only the beginning of a list of extraordinary features of this temple.

The date is known because there are writings (hieroglyphs) everywhere on the inside of the temple telling many stories including the date when construction began. It was built 2,082 years ago and constructed over a period of 180 years.

It was dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed sky god, considered the protector of the pharaohs. In ancient times the Festival of the Living Falcon was held here to celebrate the crowning of a sacred falcon and symbolize the renewal of the pharaoh’s kingship.

The monumental facade is a large sandstone wall and gateway, referred to as a pylon by Egyptologists. It is approximately 120 feet high (37m).

In the photo below I am standing in awe (foreground far right, blue shirt).

This is the top of the pylon, below.

In the center is a prominent winged sun disk representing divine protection and royal power. There are also numerous scenes carved into the wall showing the pharaoh Ptolemy XII smiting his enemies and performing religious rituals.

It is flanked by two large falcon statues.

The falcon pair stand guard at the entry, each one carved long ago from black granite and standing approximately 10 feet tall (3m). They depict the god Horus in his falcon form.

Visitors walk through the entrance into a large open courtyard. Thousands of years ago the entrance was a door of Lebanese cedar wood covered with gold and bronze.

Today thousands of tourists walk through the gate of this highly popular destination.

In the courtyard are 12 huge columns crowned with a variety of floral motifs–palm leaves, lotus and papyrus.

This photo, below, shows the towering height of the courtyard walls and one column (left foreground). The group of tourists demonstrates size perspective.

The hieroglyphs tell stories of religious, mythological, and architectural beliefs and rituals of the Ptolemaic period.

This column, photo below, features the two mythical gods Horus (L) and Set (R) who had a mythical battle. The temple walls are covered with scenes and texts from the “Sacred Drama” of their conflict, commemorating Horus’s triumph over his uncle, Set.

The detail on these carvings is astounding. Originally they were painted in bright colors.

This is another carving of Set, below. The battle between Horus and Set is a core story in ancient Egyptian mythology.

This photo below of the courtyard shows the back side of the pylon and the aforementioned floral-topped columns.

This relief, below, shows Horus (on L) and Hathor (on R) and refers to the annual Festival of the Sacred Marriage. It celebrated the sacred marriage of Horus of Edfu and Hathor of Dendera.

In ancient times it was a 15-day festival including flotillas on the Nile. At the temple there was a public celebration, sacred rites and rituals, feasting and rejoicing. It was a marvelous festival celebrating fertility and prosperity and occurred every year.

The Temple of Horus had many other rooms and passageways: two hypostyle halls (i.e. rooms with columns supporting a roof), a Court of Offerings, a Vestibule and Sanctuary, side chapels and chambers.

There was once a library called the House of Books. Hieroglyph inscriptions describe chests of books and large leather rolls containing various temple literature like liturgical texts, manuscripts with the temple’s building plans, incantations and administrative documents.

There were 13 chapels and additional side chambers. One of the inner chambers was a laboratory where perfumes, incense, and ointments were made; the recipes are engraved on the walls.

Carved figures in the passageway ceilings, photo below, are over 40 feet (12m) high. How did ancient artisans create these intricate carvings so high off the ground?

Briefly, they worked from the top down. First they built the stone walls and roof and set them in place, then filled the structure with sand and rubble. The rubble was then used as scaffolding for the relief-carving stage, and gradually, in increments, it was removed until all the carvings were done.

The vulture in that relief symbolizes protection, and the beautiful blue paint is a recent result of a joint Egyptian-German mission to clean and restore the original vibrant colors that were obscured for centuries.

The activities I have highlighted here were pagan, but in 391 AD the Roman Empire put a ban on non-Christian worship. Many of the ancient reliefs were destroyed by religious fanatics.

Eventually sand, silt and mud buried the temple for centuries until 1860 when French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette discovered it and excavated. The obliteration by sand for centuries is what helped preserve the temple.

We all have our stories to tell–every century, every generation. How fortunate today that we have the ability to interpret and witness the ancient Egyptian story told here in all its elegant beauty.

Written by Jet Eliot.

Photos by Athena Alexander except first one.

Athena photographing Temple of Horus walls

Bugling Elk

September 5, 2025September 3, 2025 / Jet Eliot / 55 Comments

Towards the end of summer when the Northern California landscapes are tinder brown and we hope for a new rainy season ahead, something wonderful happens at Point Reyes. The elk start their bugling.

We have to drive through much of the park to get to the elk reserve. On the way, there are many wild sightings to enjoy.

California Quail, male. (*Callipepla californica*)

The wild amaryllis, aka naked ladies, are blooming. They give a bright pink highlight to the hillsides and the heady scent of bubble gum. On a hot day you can even smell them from a moving car.

We don’t have blue jays in the western United States, but we do have their distant cousin the California scrub jay, seen below. Aphelocoma californica.

Ravens, turkey vultures, northern harriers, yellowthroats, wrentits, California quail, white-crowned sparrows and a few other bird species joined us that late-August day.

Below is a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).

We are always on the lookout for wildlife but have to be especially sharp-eyed this time of year when many critters blend into the earth-toned landscapes. We spotted this camouflaged coyote (below) moving at a nice clip.

People who are accustomed to rain year-round are often surprised by our brown landscapes. But for as long as I’ve lived here, 40+ years, it’s always been like this. In about two months the rains will start and if we’re lucky they will continue until March or April. There are, however, more droughts now and threats of wildfires are prominent in this changing climate.

Although the dairy cows at Point Reyes are domestic ranch animals, it is always fun to see them. They bring a pastoral beauty to the hillsides.

Recently a contentious lawsuit brought by environmental groups was settled and dairy ranches at Point Reyes are being phased out of the park after nearly 200 years of ranching.

We paid attention to the cows more than usual, knowing they will be gone soon.

Just as we were photographing the cows–so picturesque with Tomales Bay in the background–we were instantly alerted to the distinctive high-pitched scream of a bull (male) elk. He was miles away but on this windy section of the peninsula, the sound gusted our way. Off we went.

There are roughly 300 individuals on this Tule Elk Reserve. It is the largest tule elk population in California. The reserve covers approximately 2,900 acres (1,174 hectares).

Cervus canadensis nannodes, or tule elk, are the smallest of the four subspecies of elk native to North America that still exist today.

This is only the beginning of the rutting (breeding) season. At this juncture the bulls are very busy bugling, showing dominance, and gathering the harem.

Below is a harem, all females. Pacific Ocean in the background.

Eventually there will be mating and sometime in October the rutting season will end. In spring the calves will be born.

On the day we were here we witnessed a lot of bugling and that was all. Depending on how far advanced the rutting season is males can be head butting, antler crashing and exhibiting other displays of aggression.

This bull, below, was very worked up, pacing, and within the minute he was trumpeting.

Due to the wind, we ate our lunch inside the car. With all the windows open, we were serenaded by the wonderfully eerie bugling. After lunch we drove slowly, scanning and listening, and the bugling continued for an hour.

The male throws back his head, topped with that enormous antler rack, and bellows. The sound, however, is not a deep call, it is more like a scream. It is very high-pitched and completely incongruous with the size and fury of the beast.

Below is a YouTube link of tule elk bulls bugling in a different California park.

Fresh air, wild animals, seasonal cycles and the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Heavenly.

Written by Jet Eliot.

Photos by Athena Alexander.

Abu Simbel, Egypt

August 22, 2025August 21, 2025 / Jet Eliot / 58 Comments

This is one of the most remarkable and grand temple sites in all of Egypt. I give you photos and a look at the iconic Abu Simbel from our visit last year.

In southern Egypt, built into sandstone cliffs are two temples: Abu Simbel built by Ramses II and beside it, a smaller temple dedicated to his favorite wife, Queen Nefertari. In the photo above, Abu Simbel is on the left and Queen Nefertari’s Temple is on the right.

Construction of the temple complex occurred in the 13th Century BCE. It started around 1264 B.C. and was completed around 1244 B.C., taking approximately 20 years to build.

Adjacent to Abu Simbel is Lake Nasser, a massive reservoir. In the photo below, you can see Abu Simbel on the right and a bit of the lake on the left.

The complex was originally built right on the Nile River, creating a commanding presence to intimidate enemies of Egypt. But over time problems arose with flooding; we’ll get to that.

Pharaoh Ramses II was the third Pharoah of the 19th Dynasty and ruled ancient Egypt for nearly 66 years (1279-1213 B.C.). He was a brave warrior and powerful ruler, lived a long life to the age of 90 or 91. Egypt reached the height of its military power during his reign. Trade, agriculture, art, and architecture also flourished under him.

Brief History. Much has happened here since Abu Simbel was built over 3,200 years ago. The Nile River has regularly flooded and there were earthquakes, weather. With the passage of time the temples fell into disuse and disrepair, became nearly lost by drifting sand. The temples were forgotten until March 1813 when a Swiss geographer and traveler rediscovered it.

Then in the 1950s the Egyptian government, under the leadership of President Nasser, made big decisions about the building of a new Nile dam. The Aswan Dam would protect local residents and agricultural crops by preventing irregular and unpredictable flooding that sometimes led to famine.

But with that pending construction was the scientific knowledge that the water would flood the two ancient temples built on the Nile. Many possible solutions were considered.

In the 1960s they began one of Egypt’s most successful national projects since the age of the pyramids: the relocation and reconstruction of the Abu Simbel temples. The project was a complex undertaking requiring the dismantling, moving, and reassembly of massive stone blocks.

Every inch of the site was meticulously cut into large blocks, each one weighing an average of 20 tons, and reinstalled to higher ground further back from the river.

It was accomplished by a multinational team of archeologists, engineers and skilled heavy equipment operators with the financial assistance of 50 countries. It is considered one of the greatest archaeological rescue missions in history.

Photo courtesy egyptforward.org

Fast forward to 2024 when we visited.

We walked about a mile from the parking lot to the site in a hot, barren desert-like expanse. Then we turned a corner and there it all stood–this towering, majestic work of ancient art.

Below is the temple of Queen Nefertari. The facade features six colossal statues; each statue is approximately 33 feet (10m) tall.

Unusual in ancient Egyptian art, Ramses and Nefertari are of equal height, demonstrating her divine status alongside the pharaoh.

It is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Queen Nefertari.

The interior is adorned with intricate carvings and scenes depicting Nefertari’s divine status and Ramses II’s affection for her. There are six square columns, each surmounted by a head of the goddess Hathor.

Queen Nefertari is seen below in two relief scenes, presenting gifts to the Gods.

The temple was completed after her death, and she never saw it in its finished form.

Next door was Abu Simbel–the Great Temple of Ramses the Great, one of Egypt’s most famous and successful rulers. Photo below.

Here at the entrance are four colossal figures, each of them Ramses II. The second figure from the left lost its head in a long-ago earthquake. Visitors enter and exit through the door in the center.

The figures are 66 feet (20m) tall.

When visitors leave the harsh African sun behind and enter the temple, everything changes. We are in a sacred sanctuary.

The 26-foot (8m) high walls are decorated with reliefs and hieroglyphs depicting Ramses II’s reign and religious beliefs.

The ceiling is decorated with the vulture goddess Nekhbet spreading her wings.

We walk through an ancient hypostyle hall (above), typical of ancient Egyptian architecture, measuring 59 feet (18m) long and 55 feet (16.7m) wide. Eight massive pillars support the roof, each depicting the deified Ramses II.

Further into the temple there are many different rooms. Characteristic of many Egyptian temples, the rooms get progressively smaller as you move further from the entrance toward the sanctuary.

This room, in the photo below, features four rock-cut statues and was yet another marvel of engineering.

These are four deities, from left to right: Ptah, Amun-Re, Ramses II as a god, and Re-Horakhti. Remarkably, the temple was masterfully engineered to align with the rays of the sun.

On February 22nd and October 22nd, the sun’s rays penetrate directly into this room, illuminating three of the figures. The fourth deity, Ptah, the god of the underworld, remains in shadow. Most sources concur these dates are the king’s birthday and coronation day, respectively.

The northern wall of the temple portrays many events from the Battle of Kadesh. It was a major military conflict between the Egyptians and the Hittites.

The temple’s reliefs provide a visual narrative of Ramses II’s reign and his military campaigns, solidifying his image as a powerful and victorious pharaoh.

This relief below shows the mighty warrior king in his chariot firing arrows at a fortress.

By the time we left, it was about 90 degrees. We walked the mile back to the parking lot, almost silently, our heads full of scenes and imaginings.

So many centuries of human ingenuity, bravery, conviction, and reverence.

Written by Jet Eliot.

Photos by Athena Alexander.

Abu Simbel doorway and ankh key

Calif. Bat Emergence

August 15, 2025August 14, 2025 / Jet Eliot / 64 Comments

Way back in January on the wintry coast of Point Reyes, an elephant seal docent told us about the Yolo County summer bat emergence. We recently drove there to witness it. What a blast!

This is a wildlife spectacle in the central valley of Northern California. Located outside Sacramento in Yolo County, the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area comes alive at sunset with a nightly exodus of 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats.

Led by a smart and dedicated bat aficionado named Corky Quirk and made possible by a large team of enthusiastic volunteers, the Yolo Basin Foundation bat event occurs in the summer months.

Maternal colonies of bats roost in the expansion joints of the Highway 80 overpass, as seen in this model photographed below. Near the bottom of this cross-section model, you can see the little bats and the slats of the causeway where they roost.

At about 8:15pm the bat emergence began. As colony mammals, they gather together, silently swirling underneath the freeway, and then exit together–head for the skies in huge groups. For a half-hour they continued to emerge. Clouds and clouds of bats.

They emerge nightly to hunt for insects in the surrounding wetlands.

Prior to the emergence event, folks of all ages gathered (for we are also colony mammals) in a small classroom for the Bat Talk. We had driven nearly two hours to get here and hadn’t known what to expect, but knew it was worth a try.

There was an excellent presentation on bat natural history by Corky Quirk with a Power Point slide show, live bat close-ups, bat photos and exhibits. The 45-minute talk gave us interesting facts and myth busters and a fun 5-minute video (link provided at the end).

She had a few permanently injured “ambassador” bats to show us, this one photographed below is a Mexican free-tailed bat. You can see its little tail on the upper right. The bat is facing down, head/ears on the left.

They are called free-tailed bats because the tail extends freely beyond the flying membrane known as the uropatagium.

The Mexican free-tailed bat is 3-4 inches long (8-10 cm) with a 12-14″ (30-36 cm) wingspan. Their long, narrow wings provide fast, efficient flight, helpful for long-distance migration and high-altitude navigation.

Tadarida brasiliensis is one of the most abundant mammals in North America. It is the same bat species some of you may be familiar with that roosts under the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin Texas. In Austin it is the world’s largest urban bat colony estimated at up to 1.5 million bats.

This Yolo Causeway we visited has the largest Mexican free-tailed bat colony in California.

Link: More info on Mexican free-tailed bats by Norcalbats.org

We have these bats to thank for catching pests that can quickly ruin agricultural crops.

After the talk as the sun was beginning to set, we all caravanned in our individual vehicles around the wildlife area ending up at the freeway causeway.

This area is a flood basin for the nearby Sacramento River. In the middle of summer the wetland is mostly dry, though we did see a small pond with gulls, egrets and ibis. Wild California sunflowers (Helianthus californicus) also greeted us.

In winter when Northern California gets rain, the area floods which is why they have this handsome 3-mile long causeway.

Each female bat has one pup a year. Right now, late summer, the new pups are nesting but soon they will start leaving the roost.

We watched as a Swainson’s hawk soared above us looking for opportunities to snatch a bat, photo below.

But these bats are the fastest mammal on earth reaching top ground speeds up to 99 mph (160 km/h). They effortlessly flew out of the hawk’s reach. It might be a different story when the vulnerable pups emerge.

This bat species also flies the highest among bats at altitudes around 10,800 feet (3,300 m).

There were about 60 or 70 of us human bat fans who showed up that night. We had all paid $17.00 per adult for this wonderfully organized event. They sold t-shirts and I bought one, am wearing it as I write and it glows in the dark!

Bats emerge in all kinds of places all over the world. So while it is still summer in our northern hemisphere keep your eyes open for bats in your area.

As the sunlight fades to dusk, look to the open skies for their silhouettes and give a salute for all the injurious moths and mosquitoes they are gobbling up.

Written by Jet Eliot.

Photos by Athena Alexander.

Link: Bats Beneath Us: Science on the Spot about the Yolo Basin bat emergence.

Link: The Bat (What Does the Indiana Bat Say?) by the 3rd Grade Crew at Inspire Academy

Indiana third graders have a lot to say and sing about how to promote bat conservation.

Special guest star at the Bat Talk, the pallid bat, California’s State Bat.

Illinois Prairies

August 8, 2025August 9, 2025 / Jet Eliot / 57 Comments

“Anyone can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie.” ~~Willa Cather

I had the pleasure of taking in the Illinois prairie last month while visiting family. With the rich soil of central Illinois, agriculture and prairie thrive here. Let’s look at the prairie, one of my favorite ecosystems.

Climate in prairies is characterized by hot, dry summers and cold winters. These conditions developed 8,300 years ago bringing the tallgrass prairies to this area.

More info: Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources

There are many types of prairies all over the world, but in North America the prairies exist in the middle of the continent. See map below.

Prairie Map courtesy of Univ. of Illinois Champagne-Urbana

Prairies extend about 2,400 miles (3,870 km) from southern Canada southward through the Great Plains to southern Texas and Mexico. They stretch west from western Indiana to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, covering 1.4 million square miles.

I have visited other prairie regions in Wisconsin, South Dakota, Colorado and Texas and hope to visit more. I find them sweet and serene; with birds I don’t often see.

Of the many types of grasslands, Illinois, also known as the “prairie state,” has the tallgrass prairie. Its two most predominant prairie grasses are big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans). There are also other species of grasses and wildflowers.

The wildflowers in the prairie patches were great last month. Some are not native, like the white Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota) seen below; but the (yellow) black-eyed Susan species (Rudbeckia hirta) is native.

In the 1800s, the prairie grasses were taller than humans. Willa Cather wrote books about living on the prairie. Many others wrote about the prairie too, including Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt, Lewis & Clark and Charles Dickens to name a few.

The grasses were so tall back then that it reminded folks of the ocean as the grasses shimmered and waved in the wind. They even used a nautical term for a covered wagon: prairie schooner.

In 1820, Illinois had 22 million acres of prairie land (Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources). Soon after, by 1900, settlers came to live and build communities and had transformed the prairies into agriculture.

Today there are miles and miles of corn and soybean fields here but there are also many knee-high prairie patches adjacent to the fields.

Below is a soybean field with the prairie patch in the foreground. The land is so flat you can see forever.

We stopped on a back road to photograph a patch of prairie. Not seen in the photo below was a farmhouse to the right with a mowed lawn. One day I saw a man on a rider mower mowing it.

But in the front lawn area, seen below, the farmer had let the natural grasses take over.

You can see how dense these grasses and forbs (wildflowers) are. The thick foliage slows down rainwater runoff allowing more water to be absorbed into the ground reducing the risk of flooding and replenishing groundwater supplies.

You might be surprised to know that prairie plants have extensive root systems. Most prairie grasses have a root system deeper into the ground than the stems aboveground, as shown in the diagram below.

Root diagram courtesy Research Gate

As the roots decompose, they add carbon to the soil creating a carbon sink, a natural reservoir that absorbs and stores more carbon than it releases. Beneficial for these times of global warming.

In the early 1800s there was an estimated 30-60 million bison roaming the prairies. They were the dominant large herbivore on the Great Plains and grazed this area. They have jaws and teeth specifically adapted for grazing prairie grasses.

There are no bison in the middle of Illinois anymore, but we did see eastern bluebirds and prairie birds like the eastern meadowlark and lark bunting (below).

We also saw plenty of bees and butterflies, our hero pollinators.

One day we found part of the back road was closed so we parked our rental car and explored for a few minutes. We followed several dancing monarchs and sulfur butterflies lighting on the clover.

We hopped out of the car, my two sisters and I, and posed in front of the super tall corn. We grew up among these corn fields and joke that we are children of the corn.

While the state of Illinois is almost entirely agricultural, the promotion of prairie restoration is on the rise.

Even the nearby twin city of Bloomington-Normal has prairie plantings in their downtown, seen in the foreground in these two photos below.

Of course the Illinois prairies will never be what they were in the 1800s.

But it was with great joy that we stopped often on the Illinois back roads and cherished the prairie grasses and wildflowers.

That vast and dramatic Midwestern sky was also entertaining and brought rain within the hour to this fertile land.

Written by Jet Eliot.

Photos by Athena Alexander.

Land of Lincoln

August 1, 2025August 1, 2025 / Jet Eliot / 50 Comments

While there are many places across America where our 16th president is still celebrated, it is the state of Illinois where Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) really comes alive. It is here, in the prairies of Illinois, where he spent the majority of his life.

While visiting family last week, I visited Springfield and have five Lincoln sights to share.

In Springfield he established himself as a successful lawyer, married Mary Todd and raised a family, and launched his political career. He left Springfield when he was elected president, moved to the White House.

#1–Lincoln’s home.

Lincoln lived in this Springfield house below where he and Mary raised their family.

Today this house is open to the public free of charge. This is remarkable in itself (free!) and is due to his son Robert’s donation of this house to the state on the condition it be open to the public at no cost. It has been part of the national park system since 1971.

Included in this Lincoln Home National Historic Site are also four adjacent blocks preserved from Lincoln’s time as well as a visitor center. The Lincolns lived here from 1844 to 1861.

Every day Lincoln walked a few blocks from his home to his law office and sometimes the nearby state capitol, seen below. Both are open to the public.

Today, under shady deciduous trees, this is a serene and contemplative walk to take as you walk where Lincoln walked.

#2–Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices.

Built in 1841, this law office (below) is where Lincoln and partner William Herndon practiced law from 1844 to 1852. He handled a wide variety of cases, civil and criminal, and was a well-respected lawyer, considered one of the best trial lawyers in the state.

#3–Old State Capitol.

Lincoln pleaded cases at the Illinois Supreme Court in the State Capitol building, seen below. It’s notable for being the location where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous “House Divided” speech addressing the nation’s conflict over slavery during his campaign for a U.S. Senate seat against Stephen Douglas.

Today there is a “new” operational state capitol, built 1868-1888, where the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate conduct business.

#4–The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

The most popular tourist attraction in Springfield is the Lincoln Library and Museum. They are in two different downtown buildings across the street from one another.

The Presidential Library has an impressive collection of Lincoln letters, artifacts, manuscripts, books, and much more. It is open to students, scholars, researchers and tourists by appointment only.

The Museum is a tourist attraction with numerous exhibits and a gift shop. One of the first exhibits a visitor sees are life-size replicas of the Lincoln family. Other exhibits highlight Lincoln in his early years, Lincoln’s presidency and the Civil War, an original handwritten copy of the Gettysburg Address, and much more.

The exhibit below depicts First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln in a ballgown, surrounded by mannequins representing politically connected women of the Civil War era.

#5–Lincoln’s Tomb.

Across town about two miles from Lincoln’s home is his tomb, located in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

After his tragic assassination, construction began on the tomb while his body was placed in a receiving vault at Oak Ridge Cemetery.

His tomb is a grand monument and is open to the public. Entrance and parking fees are free.

Below is the burial room and memorial monument of Abraham Lincoln. This is the final resting place of President Lincoln. His wife and three of their children (Edward, William and Thomas) are also buried here. Due to attempted theft and desecration, his coffin was eventually placed in a cage ten feet deep and encased in 4,000 pounds of concrete.

Lastly, my favorite part.

The inside of the Lincoln home. Visitors walk where Lincoln walked, climb the steps he climbed, see the rooms where he lived, the dining room where they entertained guests, the fireplaces that warmed him.

Small groups of 15 people at a time are allowed in, so there is waiting and tickets involved, but once in, you experience a guided walk that lasts about 20 minutes.

For an online virtual tour of Lincoln’s home, go to the link below.

Link: Virtual Tour of the Lincoln Home

For an abbreviated version, we start by walking through his front door.

When you cross the threshold you see the stairway leading upstairs (below). The foyer has a chair and hooks where he presumably hung his hat.

The parlor is on the left and the sitting room is on the right.

Toward the back of the first floor is the kitchen, shown below.

Although this house is modest, it was considerably roomier and more comfortable than the log cabins of his younger years. Abe and Mary moved here in May 1844 when Lincoln was 35 years old. This was the only house he ever owned.

On the upstairs level we stood in Lincoln’s bedroom, photo below, and walked through the doorways that we were assured his 6’4″ frame could clear. Although there are numerous furniture pieces in his home that are original from his time here, this bed is not one of them. Mary did, however, purchase this bed for the White House years.

If you are ever in or near Springfield, Illinois, put aside a day to go back in time to the strife of the days of the Civil War, a fractured time. You’ll get a chance to immerse yourself in the life of this incredible man who dedicated his life to preserving the Union of the United States.

Written by Jet Eliot.

Photos by Athena Alexander.