Hot Shots – April 2013

This monk seal seems mighty sleepy, but it was still keeping one eye on Allan Jack of Washington, who snapped this photo while on a Hawaiian vacation with his wife, Janet.

Mike Lukan took this photo of a bee on a flower on a rare sunny spring day along the Montour Trail in McDonald.

Tom Guckert had his dog, Ziggy, out for a walk at the end of March when he saw this sure sign of spring: ramps poking up from among the brown leaves and twigs.

Brook Ward took this photo from beneath the Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh.

Kerry Pigeon of Scenery Hill took this photo of a bounty of crocuses blooming in her flower bed as spring arrived. Of course, the next day they were covered with snow.

Every have the feeling that you're being watched? Linda Bruner of Venetia took this photo of her cat, Benjamin, peering in at her through the kitchen window.

Marlene McClure of Washington took this photo of a pair of woodpeckers in a maple tree outside her dining room window. She initially thought the female woodpecker just had fewer markings than the male, but then saw that it is an albino.

Carol Brunetti says she was driving along Hills-Hendersonville Road in Cecil Township recently when she stopped to get this photo of blanket-clad horses grazing in a field at the Dellovade farm.

Joshua Lemon spotted this large toad near his home in Muse.

Diana Morris of Claysville said she had been hearing a woodpecker going about its work in the mornings but hadn't been able to spot it. Finally, one day when she had her camera out to take photos of her dog, this pileated woodpecker made an appearance in her backyard.

Estelle Woodburn took this photo of peach blossoms that have made an appearance at her Independence Township home.

Adam Garrettson took this photo of the sunrise peeking through a tree in Pancake.

It's been a relatively dry spring, but Kerry Pigeon says mushrooms are popping up all over her property in Scenery Hill.

Jimmy and Suzi Smith took a peek inside this nest built high atop a large wreath on their front porch in Amwell Township and spotted these beautiful blue robin eggs.

Kathleen Moore of Deemston took this photo from her kitchen window of a squirrel that clearly planned well for the long winter.