Animal tracks on the mud of Middle Bayou near Road 50, 4 miles south-east from crossing with Road 60, near Batts Ferry Road, south from College Station. Texas, July 19, 2009
Mud rendered walls and exposed timber beams of Bird Market (falcons) in Souq Jaidah behind Souq Waqif. Doha, Qatar, April 6, 2012
Dry mud on the bottom of Somerville Lake in Birch Creek Park. Texas, September 17, 2011
Middle Bayou near Road 50, 4 miles south-east from crossing with Road 60, near Batts Ferry Road, south from College Station. Because of dry spell and hot weather, water level dropped revealing caked mud and bare iron bridges at the bottom of the bayou. Texas, July 19, 2009
Mud flat near mangrove forest exposed at low tide near Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, April 4, 2015
Dry landscape with caked mud of Middle Bayou near Road 50, 4 miles south-east from crossing with Road 60, near Batts Ferry Road, south from College Station, Texas, July 19, 2009
Animal tracks on caked mud of dry bottom of Somerville Lake near Birch Creek Park. Texas, August 21, 2011
Details of the mud texture in Middle Bayou near Road 50, 4 miles south-east from crossing with Road 60, near Batts Ferry Road, south from College Station, Texas, July 19, 2009
Cooked forest above Black Dragons Caldron (Mud volcano area) in Yellowstone Park. Wyoming, July 24, 2010
Caked mud on dry bottom of Somerville Lake near Birch Creek Park. Texas, August 21, 2011
Caked mud in Somerville Lake in Birch Creek Park at sunrise. Texas, September 17, 2011
A sheel in dried mud of Somerville Lake in Birch Creek Park. Texas, September 17, 2011
Mud flat near mangrove forest near Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, April 4, 2015
Plants of pepper-grass (Lepidium aucheri) on caked mud in a silty depression near a road to Zubara, area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, February 27, 2016
Young plants of pepper-grass (Lepidium aucheri) on caked mud in a silty depression near a road to Zubara, area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, February 27, 2016
Beach mud sculpture on shores of Kuyalnik Liman. Odessa, Ukraine, July 4, 2009
Dragon s Mouth in mud volcano area in Yellowstone Park. Wyoming, July 24, 2010
Caked mud of Somerville Lake in Birch Creek Park. Texas, September 17, 2011
Caked mud on the bottom of Somerville Lake in Birch Creek Park. Texas, September 17, 2011
Seedling of least snout-bean (Rhynchosia minima) growing from cracks in mud in a silty depression on roadside of a road to Zubara, area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, October 24, 2015
Althaea ludwigii (local name khatma) in caked mud in a depression on roadside of a road to Zubara, area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, November 7, 2015
Seedlings of pepper-grass (Lepidium aucheri) growing on caked mud near a road to Zubara in area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, February 13, 2016
Mud rendered walls of Bird Market (falcons) in Souq Jaidah behind Souq Waqif. Doha, Qatar, April 6, 2012
Dried caked mud on the bottom of Abu Nakhla jail ponds (sewage lagoons). Qatar, April 18, 2015
Mud wall gallery of Bird Market in Souq Jaidah behind Souq Waqif. Doha, Qatar, April 6, 2012
Mud creepers (mangrove whelk, brackish-water snail, gastropod mollusk, Terebralia palustris) in mangroves area near Jazirat Umm Tays, barrier island at northern tip of Qatar, east from Ruwais. Qatar, April 12, 2013
Dried Abu Nakhla jail ponds (sewage lagoons), with caked mud at the bottom. Qatar, April 18, 2015
Texture of caked mud in a depression on roadside of a road to Zubara, area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, November 7, 2015
Mud creepers at low tide on Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, May 28, 2016
Crayfish (crawfish) mud chimney on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest near Huntsville, Texas, March 24, 2018
Dried caked mud covering the bottom of Abu Nakhla jail ponds (sewage lagoons). Qatar, April 18, 2015
Caked mud in a silty depression near Al Numan (Naim tribe, Nuaman, Nuaimiya). Northern Qatar, February 27, 2016
Mud creeper snails on Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, May 28, 2016
Plant of pepper-grass (Lepidium aucheri) on mud in a silty depression near a road to Zubara, area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, February 27, 2016
Cracks in mud on the bottom of Somerville Lake in Birch Creek Park. Texas, September 17, 2011
Cracks of caked earth mud of dried pond in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, August 6, 2011
Caked mud of a river near Somerville Lake in Big Creek Park. Texas, August 13, 2011
Cracked mud on the bottom of Somerville Lake in Birch Creek Park. Texas, September 17, 2011
Spectators watching mud show at Texas Renaissance Festival. Plantersville, Texas, October 11, 2009
Mangrove whelk (mud creepers, brackish-water snail, gastropod mollusk, Terebralia palustris) in mangroves area near Jazirat Umm Tays, barrier island at northern tip of Qatar, east from Ruwais. Qatar, April 12, 2013
Mud Pit performance at Texas Renaissance Festival. Plantersville, Texas, November 23, 2008
Mud show at Texas Renaissance Festival. Plantersville, Texas, October 11, 2009
Dried caked mud of Abu Nakhla jail ponds (sewage lagoons). Qatar, April 18, 2015
Mud crab in mangroves area near Jazirat Umm Tays, barrier island at northern tip of Qatar, east from Ruwais. Qatar, April 12, 2013
Mud flat exposed at low tide near mangrove forest near Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, April 4, 2015
Mud crab burrows in mangrove forest near Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, April 4, 2015
Mud flat with aerial roots (pneumatophores) of mangroves (Avicennia marina) exposed at low tide near Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, April 4, 2015
Dried aquatic plants of brittle naiad (Najas marina) in caked mud of Abu Nakhla jail ponds (sewage lagoons). Qatar, April 18, 2015
Texture of dried caked mud of Abu Nakhla jail ponds (sewage lagoons). Qatar, April 18, 2015
Mud creepers at low tide Purple Island (Jazirat Bin Ghanim). Al Khor, Qatar, May 29, 2015
Seedling of least snout-bean (Rhynchosia minima) with a flower growing from cracks in mud in a silty depression on roadside of a road to Zubara, area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, October 24, 2015
Seedling of least snout-bean (Rhynchosia minima) emerging from mud in a silty depression on roadside of a road to Zubara, area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, October 24, 2015
Wild jute (Corchorus trilocularis) growing in caked mud in a silty depression on roadside of a road to Zubara, area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, October 24, 2015
Seedling of Zygophyllum simplex (Tetraena simplex) on mud in a silty depression on roadside of a road to Zubara, area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, October 24, 2015
Caked mud in a depression on roadside of a road to Zubara, area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, November 7, 2015
Blooming seedling of pepper-grass (Lepidium aucheri) in caked mud near a road to Zubara in area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, February 13, 2016
Seedling of pepper-grass (Lepidium aucheri) in mud near a road to Zubara in area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, February 13, 2016
Blooming seedlings of pepper-grass (Lepidium aucheri) in mud near a road to Zubara in area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, February 13, 2016
Rosette of leaves of pepper-grass (Lepidium aucheri) in mud near a road to Zubara in area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, February 13, 2016
Young plant of pepper-grass (Lepidium aucheri) in mud near a road to Zubara in area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, February 13, 2016
Young plants of pepper-grass (Lepidium aucheri) growing on caked mud near a road to Zubara in area of Al Magdah farms. Northern Qatar, February 13, 2016
Caked mud on roadside of Dukhan Highway west from Khawzan. Qatar, June 24, 2016
Mud heaps on the ground in area of Dibuny - Pesochny, near Saint Petersburg. Russia, June 3, 2017
Mud chimney borrowed by crayfish (crawfish) on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest near Huntsville, Texas, March 24, 2018
Psathyrella mushrooms on drying mud on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest, near Huntsville. Texas, June 2, 2018
Terrestrial form of liverwort Fringed Heartwort (Ricciocarpos natans) on a mud flat on a shore of Lake Conroe near Stubblefield section of Lone Star hiking trail north from Trailhead No. 6 in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, February 16, 2020
Thalloid liverwort Fringed Heartwort (Ricciocarpos natans, Crystalwort family) on mud flats of Lake Conroe at low water level on Stubblefield section of Lone Star hiking trail north from Trailhead No. 6 in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, February 16, 2020
Liverwort Fringed Heartwort (Ricciocarpos natans) and Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) on mud flats of Lake Conroe at low water level on Stubblefield section of Lone Star hiking trail north from Trailhead No. 6 in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, February 16, 2020
Floating liverwort Fringed Heartwort (Ricciocarpos natans) and Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) on mud flats of Lake Conroe at low water level on Stubblefield section of Lone Star hiking trail north from Trailhead No. 6 in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, February 16, 2020
Aquatic form of liverwort Fringed Heartwort (Ricciocarpos natans) on mud flats of Lake Conroe at low water level on Stubblefield section of Lone Star hiking trail north from Trailhead No. 6 in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, February 16, 2020
Liverwort Fringed Heartwort (Ricciocarpos natans) and Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) and tiny duckweed floating in shallow water on mud flats of Lake Conroe on Stubblefield section of Lone Star hiking trail north from Trailhead No. 6 in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, February 16, 2020
Aquatic form of liverwort Fringed Heartwort (Ricciocarpos natans) floating in shallow water on mud flats of Lake Conroe on Stubblefield section of Lone Star hiking trail north from Trailhead No. 6 in Sam Houston National Forest. Texas, February 16, 2020
Crayfish (crawfish) mud chimney on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, April 18, 2020
Small brown gilled mushrooms on dry mud in a normally dry area on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, September 17, 2020
Crayfish (crawfish) mud chimney on Winters Bayou Trail in Sam Houston National Forest. Cleveland, Texas, September 28, 2019
Ascomycete fungus Hymenoscyphus epiphyllus(?) on a dry leaf on wet mud on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, April 11, 2021
Cup fungus Hymenoscyphus epiphyllus(?) on a dry leaf together with Scutellinia superba on wet mud on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, April 11, 2021
Eyelash fungus Scutellinia superba together with moss on wet mud on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, April 11, 2021
Eyelash fungus Scutellinia superba on wet mud on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, April 18, 2021
Orange cups of eyelash fungus Scutellinia superba on wet mud on Caney Creek section of Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, April 18, 2021
Bladderwort (Utricularia gibba) on wet mud of Flag Pond on Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, September 12, 2021
Blooming bladderwort (Utricularia gibba) on wet mud of Flag Pond on Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, September 12, 2021
Yellow flower of bladderwort (Utricularia gibba) on wet mud of Flag Pond on Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, September 12, 2021
Wet mud of Flag Pond with plants of bladderwort (Utricularia gibba) on Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, September 12, 2021
Mud flats of Flag Pond on Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, December 30, 2021
Mud flats and edge of Flag Pond on Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, December 30, 2021
Violet crystalwort (Riccia huebeneriana) on nutrient-poor muds on edge of Flag Ponf after its water level fell on Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, December 30, 2021
Crayfish (crawfish) mud chimneys on Caney Creek Trail (Little Lake Creek Loop Trail) in Sam Houston National Forest north from Montgomery. Texas, April 16, 2022
Small fibrecap mushrooms Inocybe paludinella(?) together with milkcaps Lactarius neotabidus on dried mud of baygall forest on D. L. property. Bleakwood, Newton County, Texas, June 11, 2022
Caked mud on shores of Lake Somerville near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 4, 2022
Caked mud on bottom of Lake Somerville near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 4, 2022
Caked mud on bottom of Lake Somerville near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 4, 2022
Dried bottom with cracked mud of Lake Somerville near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 4, 2022
Dried cracked mud on bottom of Lake Somerville near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 4, 2022
Dried mud with patches of green grass of Lake Somerville near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 4, 2022
Caked mud on bottom of the lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 12, 2022
Flat caked mud on bottom of the lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 12, 2022
Flat caked mud and mussel shells on bottom of the lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 12, 2022
Caked mud on dried bottom of the lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 12, 2022
Caked mud with green grass on bottom of the lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 12, 2022
Caked mud with grass on bottom of the lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 12, 2022
Fresh grass on caked mud on bottom of the lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 12, 2022
Dried mud and grass on bottom of the lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 12, 2022
Mud with green grass on bottom of the lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 12, 2022
Caked mud overgrown by grass on bottom of the lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 12, 2022
Caked mud covered by green grass on bottom of the lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 12, 2022
Fresh green grass growing over caked mud on bottom of the lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 12, 2022
Lotus (Nelumbo lutea) in dried mud of Flag Pond near Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 16, 2022
Dry leaves of lotus (Nelumbo lutea) in caked mud of Flag Pond near Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 16, 2022
Hairy carpet weed (damascisa, Glinus lotoides) on dried mud of Flag Pond near Lake Somerville Trailway near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, October 16, 2022
Cracks in mud on bottom of dried Somerville Lake near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, December 29, 2023
Rebuilding of the Forest Building (Russian: Lesnoy Korpus) in a major reconstruction project at the historic Sestroretsk Resort (Sestroretsky Kurort). The original Sestroretsk Resort was a famous health spa complex founded in 1898 by engineer Peter Avenarius. It featured several grand wooden structures, including a massive Kursaal (concert hall), a mud bath facility, and the Forest Building. The resort was a hub for St. Petersburg s elite and intelligentsia in the early 20th century. The original Forest Building was a beautiful wooden hotel and sanatorium building constructed in the early 1900s. It was a key part of the ensemble but was destroyed during World War II. The new structure faithfully replicates the "Northern Art Nouveau" style of the original resort architecture, characterized by its complex roofline, spires, towers, and wooden detailing that harmonizes with the surrounding pine forest and dunes. The exterior appears nearly complete, showing the elaborate wooden facade, the large central dome, and the corner towers with their needle-like spires. The scaffolding indicates that finishing work is still in progress. Saint Petersburg, Russia, October 9, 2025
Wheeled excavator (specifically a Cat model) stationed within the drained bed of the Longitudinal Pond in Catherine Park. It is engaged in dredging and channel cleaning operations. It is chosen for its versatility and mobility on firm surfaces like the temporary track laid out in the canal bed. It is equipped with a ditching bucket (wide and flat-edged). The excavator is removing accumulated silt, mud, and decaying organic matter (leaves, branches) from the bottom of the pond. Pushkin (former Tsarskoe Selo) near Saint Petersburg, Russia, October 10, 2025
Riccia fluitans (Floating Crystalwort) in its terrestrial (mud) form, or potentially the closely related Riccia stenophylla on a shore of 40 Acre Lake in Brazos Bend State Park. Needville, Texas, December 25, 2025
Thallus of liverwort Riccia fluitans (Floating Crystalwort) in its terrestrial (mud) form, or potentially the closely related Riccia stenophylla on a shore of 40 Acre Lake. While R. fluitans is famous as a floating aquatic plant, when it is stranded on mud (as water levels drop in lakes like 40 Acre Lake), it changes form significantly, becoming shorter, broader, and more anchored to the substrate. Brazos Bend State Park, Needville, Texas, December 25, 2025
Dollarweed or Marsh Pennywort (genus Hydrocotyle) in 40 Acre Lake from Spillway Trail, most likely Many-flower Marshpennywort (Hydrocotyle umbellata). It forms a dense, low-growing carpet near the water s edge or in shallow mud. Brazos Bend State Park, Needville, Texas, December 25, 2025
A symmetrical, bright green mat of terrestrial water-starwort (Callitriche terrestris) growing on the exposed sandy shore of Lake Somerville. This tiny, native semi-aquatic plant behaves as an opportunistic pioneer on recently exposed mud and sand. When a seed germinates on bare, unobstructed ground, it sends out highly branched, creeping stems that radiate outward at an equal rate, rooting at the nodes as they travel. This uniform, radial growth is what creates the nearly perfect circular "cushion" seen here. Texas, February 28, 2026
Green mat of terrestrial water-starwort (Callitriche terrestris) growing on the exposed sandy shore of Lake Somerville. Closer to the lake[CloseCurlyQuote]s edge, individuals of this same species growing in puddles or shallow water will look remarkably different. When submerged or growing in saturated mud, the plant physically alters its cellular growth, producing leaves that are much larger, thinner, and distinctly elongated to maximize their ability to capture diffused light and dissolved gases underwater. Texas, February 28, 2026
Mud flats and various water birds on a shore near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, February 28, 2026
On the dry bottom of Flag Pond, the exposed basin was covered with an almost continuous green-and-yellow carpet of cursed buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus), turning what is usually open water into a bright spring sheet of bloom. The plants spread densely across the dark, uneven mud, with only a few bare patches and scattered taller shoots breaking the surface of the low, fine-textured vegetation.The broad open expanse, distant tree line, and heavy gray clouds make the scene feel both striking and a little surreal, as if the pond has briefly become a flowering meadow. Near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
Focusing closer, the photograph reveals the intricate, densely packed structure of the cursed buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus) as it colonizes the dried mud. The plants exhibit a vibrant, fleshy appearance, characterized by deeply lobed, shiny green leaves that vaguely resemble flat-leaf parsley or young celery--giving the plant its alternate name, the celery-leaved buttercup. In this dense thicket, the stout, hollow stems branch frequently, creating a tangled, multi-layered canopy. Tiny, five-petaled pale yellow flowers dot the upper stems, standing out brightly against the dark backdrop of the soil and the deeper green foliage below. Flag Pond near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
In this wider view of the dried Flag Pond basin, the landscape reveals a different growth pattern of the cursed buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus). Rather than forming a low, continuous carpet, the plants here have grown into distinct, robust clumps separated by wide veins of pale, heavily caked mud. The deep fissures running through the sun-baked earth create a striking geometric web, framing the bright green bushes of buttercup. In the background, a band of dry brown reeds marks the pond s original edge, giving way to a dense tree line under the same overcast, gray sky. Near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
An isolated cluster of cursed buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus) emerges from the deep, jagged fissures of the heavily caked mud. Unlike the healthy, spreading vegetation seen elsewhere, this specimen exhibits bizarre, highly abnormal growth, with its thick main stems aggressively twisting and winding upward in a chaotic tangle. The plant s leaves appear curled and irregularly cupped, while its reproductive stalks terminate in bare, green, thimble-like floral heads entirely devoid of the plant s characteristic yellow petals. The dramatic twisting, sudden elongation, and stunted foliage seen here are textbook symptoms of exposure to a synthetic auxin herbicide, such as 2,4-D, triclopyr, or dicamba. These systemic chemicals are frequently used in park maintenance or nearby agricultural areas to control broadleaf weeds. When absorbed, the herbicide mimics the plant s natural growth hormones and triggers uncontrolled, rapid cell division and elongation. This chemical overload forces the stems to bend and coil unnaturally--a severe stress response known as epinasty--while causing the leaves to become strapped and deformed. Near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
Olive-green leaf of an American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) in caked mud of Flag Pond near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
Single, perfectly round, olive-green leaf of an American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) in caked mud of Flag Pond near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
In the caked mud of Flag Pond, a bright green, bushy seedling of cursed buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus) emerges strongly from the deep fissures. Beside it lies a single, perfectly round, olive-green leaf of an American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) seedling, dotted with a few tiny water droplets that highlight its water-repellent surface. Scattered around these two fresh sprouts are the thick, dried, gray-brown stalks of mature lotus plants from a previous growing season, resting lifelessly across the severely fractured, dry earth. Near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
In this wide expanse of the dried Flag Pond basin, the vegetation pattern of the cursed buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus) has shifted dramatically, becoming highly sparse and widely scattered. Here, the landscape is dominated by pale, heavily baked mud that has contracted and fractured into a vast, repeating network of geometric desiccation polygons. Emerging from these deep, crisscrossing fissures are a few isolated, bright green clumps of buttercup, accompanied only by the dry, curled, and withered stalks of last year s aquatic vegetation. Near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
In this highly desolate section of the dried Flag Pond, the landscape has been reduced to a severe, almost desert-like expanse of deeply fractured earth. The pale, sun-baked mud is completely broken into a continuous, interlocking mosaic of large desiccation polygons, with wide, dark fissures separating the hardened crust. Dead, curled stalks from last year s aquatic plants are sparsely littered across the barren surface, and in the direct center of the frame, a single, vibrant green cursed buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus) stands entirely alone. Near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
Caked mud of a dried lake with isolated of the cursed buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus). Flag Pond near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
A single, vibrant green cursed buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus) stands entirely alone in caked mud of Flag Pond near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
Close-up of caked mud of Flag Pond near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
Field of caked mud of Flag Pond near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
In this detailed close-up of the desolate Flag Pond basin, the cursed buttercups are entirely absent, leaving behind a stark canvas of severely fractured, gray-brown mud. The features of this dry landscape are two incredibly clear, five-fingered tracks pressed directly into the center of a large, unbroken slab of the baked mud crust. While it is easy to imagine these prints belonging to a large wading bird, avian species almost exclusively leave three- or four-toed, fork-shaped tracks. Instead, these highly distinctive, hand-like imprints with five long, slender, splayed toes are the classic signature of a foraging raccoon. Flag Pond near Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 14, 2026
Mud tracks of white pelicans on the lake shore near Birch Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park. Texas, March 21, 2026
