It’s an unlikely title, I realize, for a girl born and raised during the Second Wave of feminism . . . in the hashish-a-plenty streets of Amsterdam . . . with an insomniac artist for a mom who developed algae foods for astronauts and read her babies chemistry homework as bedtime stories. Helen Gurley Brown…
Fast Food [Gull] Nation
Part of what makes gulls both amusing and exasperating to humans is their cleverness and opportunism when it comes to food. Across the gull universe, the diet is omnivorous. They’ll eat crustaceans, fish, insects and other marine organisms. They will also prey on the nests of other bird species for food. A number of researchers…
The Ravens of Ocean Beach
With onshore winds, Ocean Beach is my favorite place to photograph ravens. Along the Great Highway, these feathered balls of onyx launch into the wind like superheroes, hovering over the beach below with tails trailing like capes. I had some time to kill after an appointment in the Sunset. I grabbed my camera and headed…
Ari the Falcon Fledges
The San Francisco falcons growing up on a ledge at the PG&E building in San Francisco are fledging. Palladin took off a few days ago and at last report, was perched atop a nearby structure. This is recently uploaded video of another baby, Ari, taking that first leap off the ledge. You can fast forward…
The Lady Fairer
Have you seen her all in gold Like a queen in days of old? She shoots colors all around, Like a sunset going down, Have you seen the lady fairer? I know Mick didn’t have Starlings in mind when he sang that. For those who don’t have a frame of reference for the song, the…
The Swallows [400 Miles North] of Capistrano
Quick note: With all of these photos, I kept my distance with an effective 600mm zoom. I’m careful not to disturb birds during nesting season. And, it’s also against the law to disturb wild bird nests or eggs. These are the famous Swallows of San Juan Capistrano. Well, not these birds in particular. This species,…
Nest Bound
This Robin was building a nest, low in a trellis at a public park. I kept my distance while shooting this image, but kept wishing she would reconsider the positioning of the nest.
Mixed Use, Pelican Style
You know that I’m into “mixed use” and reclamation as it relates to creating viable, urban habitat for wildlife. Seeing a goose, for example, with its wings outstretched against a backdrop of Port of Oakland shipping cranes is just awesome to me …
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Of Towhees, Tripods and Trust
I’m extra cautious out there as a photographing fool. I feel I owe the animals my respect when they allow me into their inner sanctum to photograph them …
Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Day …
I planted myself in the middle of a field for this shot, watching a male and female Brewer’s blackbird forage around me — for insects, seeds, fruit …
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