Your Outdoors Photos: May 2016

The Inland Northwest is full of flora, fauna, waters, scenery and active people out to savor it all. Please visit this gallery regularly to share photos of your wild experiences, learning moments, hot discoveries, favorite trips. Help us build a visual tour of what's so great about the outdoors in this region through all four seasons. This photo gallery will be an inspiration to some people. To others it will be a reminder of why we love to live here -- and get outside as much as possible.

NOTE: Before photos show up on the reader photo gallery, they must be approved by an editor. If yours does not show up immediately, fear not. The only likely delay is that an editor has not had a chance to approve new photo submissions yet. Thanks for participating!

NOTE: Before photos show up in the reader photo gallery, they must be approved by an editor. If yours does not show up immediately, fear not. The only likely delay is that an editor has not had a chance to approve new photo submissions yet. Thanks for participating!

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Section:Reader Photo

Sun., May 1, 2016

Photos in This Album

Best spider I have been fortunate enough to photograph, so far this year. Species is unknown. Beautiful! I believe it is a female.

Photographer: Heather Kaer
Bee fly, an unusual find @ Manito

Photographer: Heather Kaer
Attacked by ants, this guy was moving frantically to get them off.

Photographer: Heather Kaer
Spider blending into a tree in Manito

Photographer: Heather Kaer
Visitor on the roses of Manito

Photographer: Heather Kaer
Robby FitzGerald at the Audubon Park water playground, May 31, 2016. CC BY-ND 3.0

Photographer: Ray FitzGerald
Enjoying back-yard birding, male and female house sparrow (May 29, 2016)

Photographer: Michele Palmer
My favorite fallen hero, my nephew. My family will never be the same. I appreciate all the men and woman fighting for our country.

Photographer: Lori Pence
Checking out the cemetery's reminding us of our Fallen Hero's and our lost loved ones.

Photographer: Lori Pence
North Cascades: Going up Washington Pass from the east side.

Photographer: Bruce Turner
Taken at the Plant Farm in Spokane Valley on May 25, 2016.

Photographer: Ron Berkley
A 747 flying overhead. Taken from Spokane Valley on May 4th, 2016.

Photographer: Ron Berkley
Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa) getting ready to open. Taken Wednesday on the Beaver Bay to Buttonhook Bay trail at Farragut.

Photographer: Steve Davidson
Butterflies and Lilacs, break from the rain today (May 24, 2016)

Photographer: Michele Palmer
Taken May 22nd, 2016. Was out driving around with my kids to see what we could find and we found this place. On Jantz rd. just outside of Odessa, WA.

Photographer: Becky Nelson
Shadow Falls, Coeur d'Alene National Forest.

Photographer: Tiffany Hansen
Fern Falls, Coeur d'Alene National Forest.

Photographer: Tiffany Hansen
A cow moose I spotted up in the Coeur d'Alene National Forest. My favorite animal!

Photographer: Tiffany Hansen
Cow moose spotted on our rainy Sunday drive through the Coeur d'Alene National Forest.

Photographer: Tiffany Hansen
Selkirk Mountains crest from Upper Pack River on May 15, 2016.

Photographer: Benjamin Read
Copper Falls/Creek East Port ID 5/20/16

Photographer: Karen Soenke
This Robin is eyeing her nest, which is right above my head.

Photographer: Dan Hayes
A floating trot, where all four feet are off the ground at the same time, is done by one of the approximately one ton Clydesdales. Each horse consumes 40 pounds of timothy hay and 30-40 gallons of water each day. Spokane Fairgrounds, 5/18/2016 (all of these submissions)

Photographer: Sharon Lindsay
The white markings on the body are also considered when selecting new candidates for the teams. The bay horses, with their dark brown bodies, black manes, and black tails also must have a white blaze on their faces which adds to their flashy appearance.

Photographer: Sharon Lindsay
The geldings selected to join the teams which pull the wagons are chosen for their physical characteristics and train-ability. One requirement is long white hair on the legs. These “feathers” are distinctive and eye-catching as they flounce while the horses trot.

Photographer: Sharon Lindsay
A Clydesdale version of “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch your back.” Mutual grooming is a frequently seen activity with these “gentle giants.” Spokane Fairgrounds 5/18/2016

Photographer: Sharon Lindsay
Overlooking still-frozen Harrison Lake while hiking up toward Harrison Peak on May 15. Snowshoes still required to get to lake.

Photographer: Shuwen Wang
Turtle sunning under water lily at "the lake."

Photographer: Vickie Garner Sienknecht
Another photo from Turnbull

Photographer: Matthew Orion Stephens
This was taken in Turnbull on May 16, 2016

Photographer: Matthew Orion Stephens
A panorama I took while adventuring through Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge by Cheney.

Photographer: Matthew Orion Stephens
The bamboo is flourishing this year and the Clematis is exploding with blooms!

Photographer: Lisa
creek Mt. Spokane State Park 5.17.16

Photographer: Bob Salsbury
trillium Mt. Spokane State Park 5.17.16

Photographer: Bob Salsbury
trillium Mt. Spokane State Park 5.17.16

Photographer: Bob Salsbury
A northern flicker at her nest by Long Lake on the evening of May 16.

Photographer: David Sams
wildflower Hog Canyon 5.14.16

Photographer: Bob Salsbury
wildflower Hog Canyon 5.14.2016

Photographer: Bob Salsbury
Missouri Iris Hog Canyon 5.14.16

Photographer: Bob Salsbury
Missouri Iris Hog Canyon 5.14.2016

Photographer: Bob Salsbury
Lycaean Blue might be Boisduval’s Blue, Plebejus icarioides, or Anna’s Blue, Plebejus anna, or some other species in the genus Plebejus. Taken on the trail up Steamboat Rock at Steamboat Rock State Park last week.

Photographer: Steve Davidson
Sticky Geranium (Geranium viscosissimum) in Northrup canyon at Steamboat Rock State Park in the Grand Coulee. Taken last week.

Photographer: Steve Davidson
A pileated woodpecker foraging in a fallen tree along a trail by the Little Spokane River on the evening of May 13.

Photographer: David Sams
Japanese White Spirea in bloom, Turnbull Wildlife Refuge (May 11, 2016)

Photographer: Michele Palmer
Quail on the lookout in the sagebrush channeled scablands by Brook Lake just north of Stratford, WA. Taken last Wednesday morning.

Photographer: Steve Davidson
Moth taken today. 5-11-16 in Pend Oreille County

Photographer: Karen Soenke
Tuesday, May 10, 2016, we hauled our horses to the Rock Creek Recreation area (also known as Escure Ranch) south of Lamont, Washington to make the three mile trek to Towell Falls. The day was magnificent, as this panorama indicates.

Photographer: Gary Miller
Azalea Spokane Valley 5.10.16

Photographer: Bob Salsbury
Heron in flight, photographed at the confluence of the Spokane and Little Spokane Rivers on May 3.

Photographer: David Sams
Turkey vulture soaring over the Little Spokane River and Highway 291 on May 6.

Photographer: David Sams
Buck with new antlers, photographed on May 8 in a meadow near the Little Spokane River.

Photographer: David Sams
Osprey on her nest at the confluence of the Little Spokane and Spokane Rivers, photographed on the evening of May 8.

Photographer: David Sams
Spokane Falls from the outdoor seating at Anthony's. May 5, 2016.

Photographer: M J Lovell
Painted turtle basking in the sunshine at Loon Lake, WA. Photo taken May 6, 2016.

Photographer: M J Lovell
A Marsh Wren is collecting the cattail seed fluff to line the inside of its nest at Turnbull NWR.

Photographer: Carlene Hardt
A glimpse of the Milkyway on May 7th near Spangle, Wa. Less light pollution due to the New Moon helps us see the Milkyway.

Photographer: Mike Gass
At this time of the year the views are breathtaking out in the Rock Creek area located south of Sprague. This area of channeled scablands was formed by the Lake Missoula Floods.

Photographer: Gary Miller
Backyard birding, enjoying the hummingbirds (May 5, 2016)

Photographer: Michele Palmer
This Calliope looks like he's in a sea of salvia. I photographed the hummingbird on May 5 on the South Hill.

Photographer: Cortney Litwin
From Whidbey Island around Fort Casey taken on Friday April 22nd.

Photographer: Janis Goings
From Whidbey Island close to Fort Casey taken on Friday April 22nd.

Photographer: Janis Goings
Spring run-off under the swinging bridge in Riverside State Park

Photographer: Bruce Turner
Clematis in full bloom

Photographer: Bruce Turner
Yearling moose at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge.

Photographer: Carlene Hardt
Sunrise at Sullivan Lake this week before the storm came through.

Photographer: Craig Goodwin
This friendly fellow, the pheasant, was posing alongside a country road near Sprague. Photo was taken May 1st near Escure Ranch/Rock Creek in the channeled scablands area.

Photographer: Cindy Miller
Honeybee in my garden in north Spokane.

Photographer: Kelly Green
Sea foam hitting against the rocks at the Oregon Coast.

Photographer: SJ Hanchett
chocolate lily Mica Peak Conservation Area

Photographer: Bob Salsbury
wildflowers Mica Peak Conservation Area 5.3.16

Photographer: Bob Salsbury
Bumblebee in flight, Moscow, Idaho.

Photographer: Terry Gray
It's wildflower season on Steptoe Butte, lots of nice blooms.

Photographer: Mike Gass
Mallards surround their ducklings at a pond on the South Hill on Sunday. I saw two sets of families.

Photographer: Cortney Litwin
Yellow-headed blackbirds are singing a loud, funky song at Feryn Ranch Conservation Area on Peone Prairie. The Audobon Society says that they "may have the worst song of any North American bird, a hoarse, harsh scraping." I think they sound kind of like R2-D2 from Star Wars.

Photographer: Craig Goodwin
A Canada Goose enjoying a quiet weekend morning on the Little Spokane River by the Painted Rocks trailhead.

Photographer: Ashley Karsh
Tim Colquhoun captured this image of a great blue heron at Fernan Lake last week.

Photographer: Tim Colquhoun
Spring in the Channeled Scablands along Rock Creek south of Sprague is breathtakingly beautiful. A single frame picture doesn't do justice, so this panorama is three frames stitched together.

Photographer: Gary Miller
A farm meadow flooded by spring runoff near Twin Lakes in North Idaho.

Photographer: Craig Goodwin
Camas blooming in Pend Oreille County, 5/1/2016. Like a sea of beautiful blue.

Photographer: Karen Soenke
Photographer Carlene Hardt writes, "The newly-hatched goslings at Turnbull NWR are as publicity-shy as their parents, but this one gosling wasn't afraid to give a cute goodbye glance."

Photographer: Carlene Hardt
A male dusky grouse displays during breeding season in a North Idaho forest.

Photographer: Jim Mellen
Damselfly.

Photographer: Terry Gray
Stylish kid-fishing trip to West Medical Lake.

Photographer: Jake Burkholder
Frog sunning himself at Fish Lake taken April 26, 2016.

Photographer: Gayla Aspenleiter
A young bull elk in lush green meadow just after sun rise in Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge.

Photographer: Buck Domitrovich
A northern Pygmy owl with breakfast in talons as morning sun peeks over horizon in Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge.

Photographer: Buck Domitrovich