Edited to add: Originally, I posted the location of where we hiked to see the Snowy Owls. It’s fairly common knowledge around Washington, but I suffered post-blogging pangs about revealing the location of a popular species like a Snowy Owl. After chatting with a wildlife photographer I dearly respect, I’ve decided to remove those references….
The Thing with Feathers
“Hope” is the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops — at all – And sweetest — in the Gale — is heard – And sore must be the storm – That could abash the little Bird That kept so many…
[Northern] Flickering
I believe this interaction was a territorial display between two Northern Flickers. Their routine was on a continuous loop for about five minutes, performed on utility cables strung across our view of the city. Aggressive displays such as “bill directing” or “bill poking” are used by flickers. That is, a flicker may point his bill…
Wet Eagles and Power Gulls
This is who we came to see in Beautiful British Columbia: And this is what drew our eyes upward … to the gossamer-draped mountains: All morning, the gulls traversed the valley in regiments. First one troop would cross, then another, then a third, their numbers interspersed with sudden flushes of Starlings from the trees (the…
10,000 Crows and Counting
This is what it looks (and feels) like when you’re standing under 10,000+ crows, coming home to roost. I shot the video well after dusk, so I had to crank exposure up in iMovie, causing pixel issues. Still … you’ll get the idea. This occurs every dusk in Bothell, Washington, when crows from Seattle, Snohomish…
Welcome, 2013~! We’ve Been Waiting For You.
“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” ~ Bill Vaughn I stay up for both. Happy New Year, my blog friends! Thank you for enriching my life with your own photos, writings and conversations. I learn from your talent,…
The Snowy Owls of Seattle
12/31/12: I edited this post early this morning to correct for some late-night syntactical issues. “The piercing light of her eyes is a reminder there is light upon the dark path no matter how doubtful it might be …. Owl can navigate the dark realms of the night and still sustain her nourishment; if you…
An American Crow in Seattle
Maybe this photo resolves the American Crow/Northwestern Crow conundrum, once and for all: I suspect that any Pledge of Allegiance here is to Corvid Nation. Check out my post Crows on Cairns for a short discussion about what really constitutes “American” or “Northwestern” when it comes to corvids. Photographed at the Ballard Locks with the…
[Bird] Towel Optional
A European Starling preens in a communal bath on the Seattle waterfront as a juvenile Starling wanders into the splash zone. This bird bath was a series of long, narrow puddles at the edge of a bike path, visited at various times by Starlings, crows, finches and sparrows. Each time a cyclist buzzed by, the…
Space Rays
This photo was the serendipitous outcome of a flawed system. As much as I love my lightweight Manfrotto tripod, he cuts a moody figure in aluminum. Sometimes he’s steady and sometimes he sweeps the frame with creep and blur. In fairness to my Man Frotto, I was on a hill shooting the Space Needle and,…
