Random Windows Spotlight images

Twenty-one islands sit off the mainland of Wisconsin in Lake Superior at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Many visitors are drawn here by the collection of lighthouses, said to be the largest number of lights in any United States National Park Service area. Others come out to explore by kayak, with paddlers drawn especially to the caves at Devils Island, Sand Island, and along the park's western shore. The distinctive caves were formed over centuries as waves eroded the islands' sandstone cliffs. When the lake water churns just right in some of the caves, eerie sounds echo out and can be heard miles away. And during winter, fantastic ice formations hang over cave entrances like frozen curtains.

Despite the name, the Eurasian red squirrel can display a wide range of colors in its fur, depending on the season and the location. The fur may be the rusty red color seen in our image, a pale gray winter coat, or even black.

The red squirrel is the only squirrel species native to the United Kingdom, but its numbers are in decline. It’s estimated there are only 160,000 left in the UK, and 75 percent of the population makes its home here in Scotland, where conservation groups are coming to its aid. The main threat to red squirrels comes from nonnative gray squirrels, which were introduced here in the 19th century and outcompete the reds for food and living space. Luckily for the red squirrel, pine martens, a weasel-like critter, find gray squirrels especially tasty, and as a result, the red squirrel population here is on the rise again.

In one of the most remote parts of an already remote country lies some of its most fantastic scenery. The Westfjords is a peninsula that branches up from northwestern ">In one of the most remote parts of an already remote country lies some of its most fantastic scenery. ThIn one of the most remote parts of an already remote country lies some of its most fantastic scenery. The Westfjords is a peninsula that branches up from northwestern Iceland like a stout shrub. Our image looks across the meadows and mountains of the Strandir Coast, on the eastern edge of Westfjords—this is said to be the most far-flung portion of the peninsula. (Can you sense a theme here?) A great deal of classic Icelandic scenery graces the Westfjords, including sharp mountain peaks, geothermal pools, huge waterfalls, Europe’s largest bird cliffs, and of course, deep fjords. This peninsula usually records the coldest ground-level temperatures in the country—not surprising as it’s not terribly far from the shores of Greenland.

This sweet moment of mother-and-cubs togetherness may challenge your perceptions of the cheetah as a speedy predator of the African savanna. But check out mama's gaze: She's a fierce protector of her offspring. Cheetah cubs are fairly helpless for the first six weeks of their lives, so mom stays close during this crucial time. And if she needs to leave the cubs behind to hunt for herself, the cubs are protected by a coat of spiky, golden fur, called a mantle, which helps camouflage them in the tall grass while mom's out. The mantle gives way to the characteristic cheetah spots as the cubs grow and learn to care for themselves.

Crater Creek is aptly named—the waterway you see in our image is flowing across the rim of Mount Okmok, a large shield volcano. The resulting waterfalls and the sheer cliffs they tumble over are known as the Gates of Okmok, and are just one of the spectacular sights on Umnak Island in the far-flung Aleutian Islands chain. Besides the sweep of green-carpeted lava fields and looming peaks, the island boasts the only geyser fields in Alaska. While not lacking in scenery, Umnak has very few residents: As of the 2000 census, the island was home to only 39 people.