המועדפים של rivermont

9.7 cm TL. I believe I finally found one: Lepomis gibbosus x Lepomis auritus (pumpkinseed x redbreast sunfish.)

Lepomids in drainage: Pumpkinseed, redbreast, warmouth, green, bluegill and redear.

The solid red patch on the ear flap and somewhat pointy pectoral fin must be explained by a redear or pumpkinseed.

The dark mottling pattern in the median fins, especially the dorsal fins, is only explained by a pumpkinseed or warmouth.

Pumpkinseed makes further sense with the orange/brown spot pattern on the body and the faded blue streaking on the head (photo #5); that head streaking is also only explained by a pumpkinseed. It’s safe to assume a pumpkinseed is one of the parent species.

The moderately-sized mouth must be explained by the redbreast, green or warmouth. A warmouth cannot be the parent as the orange rays of the median fins are not explained by the pumpkinseed parent and are not explained by a warmouth. And no other warmouth features appear on this specimen.

It’s more difficult to eliminate a green or a redbreast from possibility. The opercular flap’s size and coloration appears with little intermediacy, mostly resembling the pumpkinseed in this area even with the lack of white edging on the top margin. The length of the opercular flap isn’t a significant tell as many redbreast of this size don’t yet show lengthy flaps.

The length of the pectoral fin almost extends to the anterior margin of the eye. Assuming even intermediacy, this is better explained by a redbreast parent than a green. Likewise, the maxilla of the jaw structure only extends just past the anterior margin of the eye—better explained by even intermediacy with a redbreast than a green.

Three features on this specimen common to the redbreast of this area: 1. The dark line of blotching on the proximal portion of the 2d dorsal fin (photo #2.) 2. The two clean blue lines extending into each margin of the opercular flap (photo #7.) 3. The specks of blue iridescence popping up in the anal fin rays (photo #3), though this occurs in pumpkinseed as well.

Finally, with most all green x pumpkinseed hybrids the lateral pattern is much different. In this specimen, the orderly orange/brown spotting along the body seems ideal for a pumpkinseed x redbreast, both of which express orange/brown spotting along the body. Also what is quite common on any green hybrid is more opaque white seen on the margins of the median fins and pelvic fins; here we have mostly clear margins (photo #4), expressed by both pumpkinseed and redbreast. The gill rakers (photo #6) appear very redbreast-like, perhaps a bit shorter, which makes sense with a pumpkinseed parent.

Caught in a turbid creek in a shallow pool. Released after photos.

This smallish alligator swam up with the duck already captured, tried for 20 minutes to toss it back, and in the end swam away with it still gripped in its jaws. It was a Blue-winged Teal. It swam up at 4:54 pm, and swam away at 5:15.

This roadrunner was at a bird feeder at Sandia Crest (~10,678 feet elevation!) and was first observed lying flat in the seed tray of the feeder. After it was disturbed by me and left, a few Mountain Chickadees arrived at the feeder. When I returned to the spot sometime later, the roadrunner was back in the feeder tray and then was observed on the ground under the feeder swallowing a bird -- perhaps a chickadee it had caught. Unfortunately I missed the actual capture of the prey bird.

Found this melanin deficient fledgling crow right under an active nest along with a set of tertials from another melanin deficient fledgling from the same nest. Seems like the entire brood wasn't fed all that well.

The parents and their remaining live fledglings were surely not amused, i'm probably a target now :')