I’ve never heard as much talk about the weather as I do here in the Northwest. Most people I meet do not like the drizzle, despite the fact that it’s an integral facet of living in a marine environment. For me, when the temperature starts to hit 80, I seek basement bunkers. Heat stroke cured…
Welcome Home, Sockeye
I remember, I remember the hollowed nest in stream of stars the size of my eyes, I remember the swell of water, shape of light, celestial order to mirror the song of the river, the constellations … ~ From Celestial Navigation by Judith Roche I wrote about Judith Roche’s Salmon Suite poetry project at the…
The Hook-and-Plastic Club for Birds
Edited on 6/12/12 to add a few links and resources. This was my last shot of the night. Under a California sky, I saw my favorite silhouettes on approach … those pterodactyl forms, Brown Pelicans, gliding past the fallen sun. Knowing I would get just the barest outline of a pelican, I raised my lens…
Dear Catfish … the Heron is Not Your Friend
This is the largest prey yet that I’ve seen a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) catch and eat in one bite. The heron was hunting around Union Bay Natural Area in Seattle when it suddenly flew off, its breast skimming the water because of the drag from a large fish. The heron landed out of…
The Caching Benefits of Jays
Disclaimer: As you can see, this Steller’s Jay is grappling with a few almonds, all of which were left out for the jays who are probably nesting nearby. In other words, this particular food was not foraged from local tree sources. At this point, the jay had four or five almonds stuffed into its expanding…
Sky Lanterns … and Tangential Links to Wildlife
If you stretch it, there’s a wildlife tie-in with just about every human contrivance. But in this case, I was actually avoiding wildlife connections — taking a break from the stress of nestlings, fledglings, entanglements and predation. My goal was moonrise over the Space Needle … a moonrise scheduled for 11pm. As luck would have…
The Benefits of Anthropomorphism
If you work with or care about animals, the nonhuman ones, eventually, someone will say something like, “shouldn’t you care more about what happens to people?” That question doesn’t faze me anymore. Given our predominantly anthropocentric world view, I’d actually be surprised if people didn’t ask it. I have plenty of answers for why it’s…
Thursday on the Beach With Brant
On the surface, Brant Geese — in this case, Pacific Brant or Black Brant or Branta bernicla — are a marvel to behold. That’s but a superficial observation. There’s a lot more to a Brant than her aesthetic, but let’s face it, aesthetics form our first impressions. Clustered together like Tribbles, they call out in…
Meanwhile … Back at the Cell Tower
When I last left the Cell Tower Osprey, they were in an apparent tussle over their nesting site. Photographically speaking, I chose the wrong time for this week’s visit. But, I was in the neighborhood just after dawn and figured I’d drop in for a few minutes. The only place to photograph this tower is…
A Closer Look … for Birds in Trouble
This post contains one image of a long-deceased gull, just FYI. You’d think I would have learned my lesson last year, with the dead gull I found wrapped around a deterrent wire on a nearby warehouse … or the gulls we untangled last fall from a fish-pen net. But, in fairness, this location was difficult…