This week, it’s Tina’s turn to host the challenge, and she’s asked us to focus on habitats, human and animal. She writes, “We are the stewards of this beautiful planet, still learning how to protect and share its resources. We hope you’ll join us this week to explore the habitats of both human and/or animal ‘residents.'” You can read her entire challenge post here.

When I searched for wildlife photos to populate my response, I was surprised that I had many more images than I thought. Life in the desert is hard in Arizona and Utah’s vast Monument Valley area. There are several herds of wild mustangs there. As we hiked the desert trail around the Mittens rock formations, we saw a pair of horses who looked like they could use a good meal.

In the summer, mountain goats stay above the tree line, where they can find plenty of food. In the winter, they migrate to lower elevations, where they can find food and shelter from the harshest weather.

Pronghorn are found in open prairie and desert habitats across western North America. Though often called antelope, their closest living relatives are giraffes and okapis. Some of the highest pronghorn populations can be found in Wyoming’s Red Desert and Yellowstone ecosystems.

Crocodiles live in freshwater habitats worldwide, including lakes, rivers, swamps, and wetlands. Some species, such as the American crocodile, can tolerate brackish water, a mixture of salt and freshwater. A few species live in a saltwater environment. The Everglades are a mixture of fresh and brackish water with more freshwater in the inland regions.

California sea lions are found along the eastern North Pacific Ocean’s coast, from southeast Alaska to central Mexico. Their primary breeding range is off the coast of California and Mexico. This large male enjoyed the day at home on the rocks near La Jolla.

According to Google, anhingas are found in warm and temperate regions in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. They are great fishers and prefer shallow, slow-moving freshwater habitats with nearby trees or other perches for drying and sunning. This specimen was photographed in the Florida Everglades.

There are two varieties of shearwater birds in Hawaii. They nest at low-elevation sites on almost every island in the Hawaiian chain, including burrows under sand, soil, tree roots, or loose rocks. This chick awaited its mother’s return with food at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on Kauai.

Some geese families live near a pond in Moorhead, Minnesota. This family braves traffic on an Interstate frontage road as it transits between the pond and a large area with plenty of food.

This collection of residents was likely inhabited by the Sinagua people. They are believed to have been the primary builders and inhabitants of Montezuma Castle, living there from approximately 1100 to 1425 AD. The name Montezuma Castle is really a misnomer. Montezuma and his contemporaries never lived in southern Arizona.

The Sinagua at Montezuma’s Castle might be considered living in a “small town.” According to Google, the inhabitants of Mesa Verde in Colorado were the Ancestral Puebloans. Their large apartment-style dwellings at Mesa Verde are more like a big city. Mesa Verde is famous for its cliff dwellings and multi-story stone structures built into the sides of cliffs. However, the Ancestral Puebloans also lived in above-ground villages and pit houses. They likely chose the cliff dwellings for defense, access to sunlight, and cultural significance.

The world combines rural areas, small towns, and big cities. This long-term resident of the United States is familiar with these lifestyles only in this country. I have seen a few examples of European environments, but only as a tourist. I could have included many images of life in Fargo, but instead, I decided to feature an image from Hillsborough, North Carolina. Indeed, according to the 2020 Census, the small town’s population was less than 10,000 residents.

Millions of people prefer to live in large cities, one of the largest of which is New York City. Manhattan Island contains most of the Borough of Manhattan, with approximately 1.6 million residents as of the 2020 census. Comparing the areas of Manhattan Island, at 22.6 square miles (58.7 sq km), to Hillsborough, at 4.6 square miles (12 sq km), Manhattan Island is about five times larger in area but contains about 160 times the population.

Thanks to Tina for this week’s challenge. I discovered how many wildlife photos I have in my galleries. I can now consider myself a wildlife photographer… well, I like to think that, anyway.

Last week, Egidio brought us the Two Rectangles Challenge, a concept I discovered that I use even though I didn’t know it. One of the advantages of participating in these challenges is learning about photographic concepts that are new to us.

The Lens-Artists Team will be on a summer hiatus starting next week. There will be no challenge the first week of July. We welcome guest hosts for the remaining weeks in July. Here’s the schedule that Tina posted on her challenge this week.

July 13: Leanne of Leanne Cole explores TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

July 20: Elizabeth of Albatz Travel Adventures leads us with PAIRS

July 27: PR of Flights of the Soul presents BALCONIES

John Steiner