Hugh and I traded lenses for this casual shoot several months ago. He took the E-520 and the 70-300, and I went wide with the 14-54mm on the E-3. I thought I’d capture scenery against a mackerel sky. I wasn’t expecting to get this perspective on pelicans. In fact, I admit handing over the 70-300…
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.
Bird Bath Bliss
I’ll never forget the experience of Mikiko and his bath. He was a hospital rescue, a Japanese Quail with no verifiable background. Most likely, he was being raised for food, for eggs, for hunting or for dog training, and the lucky little guy escaped into the arms of a good samaritan. Dust Baths I had…
Super Raven
I took this shot the day after Thanksgiving — just getting around to posting it. The 25-foot swells off Ocean Beach were camera worthy. But I found myself swiveling with lens toward the cliff’s edge, where ravens were striking these comical poses in the headwinds. I captured several such raven moments, but this was my…
Tussle on Mountain Lake
This was a first for me . . . witnessing a down and dirty fight between American Coots intent on keeping each other off coveted turf. Neither bird was hurt. Well, maybe emotionally. The loser scrambled across the water to escape the victor. American Coots can drown in territorial battles, although it’s not common. They…
Return of the Waxwings
It starts with a whistle, but a whistle so faint it’s a whisper across the leaves. And then the sound of raindrops, but it’s not rain. It’s the patter of falling berries, pyracantha and holly, dropping into the blanket of debris below the trees.
Pigeon Masters of Culinary Adaptation
Refined carbs aren’t any better for pigeons than they are for us. But urban birds, used to groveling for handouts, will take what they can get. This mottled pigeon person stumbled upon a bounty in Mission Bay. We could hear a gang of gulls on the approach so the pigeon was in his own Amazing…
Sunday in the Park With Pelicans
Always my favorite SF Bay residents . . . photographed from Tiburon this afternoon. Related posts on pelicans: Miss Them Already: California Pelicans | Pelicanorama | The Flight of the Pelican | Mixed Use, Pelican Style | Up on the Roof
Black and White
I almost expected Man-Thing to come crawling out of the mud this morning. The humidity evoked spirits of the bayou: moss, mosquitos, mint juleps. The only time California resembles a swamp is in the wake of a tropical storm, the same wake which pummeled us with record rains a few days ago. We did about…
Reclaimed: Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds
Reclamation is among my favorite themes — especially as it pertains to nature. I root for the vines overtaking fire hydrants and windblown seeds germinating new habitat in former refuse sites…
