SHOT FROM THE FILE

Red-tailed Hawk – On A Chilly Day

Red-tailed Hawk

On A Chilly Day On a chilly dayFeathers I will splayIn this simple wayBody heat will stay Here is an example of a unique technique used by many bird species to maintain comfort during cool weather. The strategy is to trap and hold its body heat by fluffing the feathers. The spaces created between the plumage captures the escaping warmth and insulates the bird’s skin from the cold. ~ Poem, anecdote and Red-tailed Hawk capture, On A Chilly Day © Jerry L. Ferrara

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Black-faced Vervet – That Simian Stare

Black-faced Vervet monkey

That Simian Stare In Tanzania, Africa, a Black-faced Vervet monkey gives pause to stare into the lens. Psychotic, neurotic that simian staredevious eyes hint at what’s there … ~ Anecdote, poem and Black-faced Vervet monkey capture, That Simian Stare © Jerry L. Ferrara

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Snowy Owl – The Ghost From The North

The Ghost From The North I caught these transitory glimpses of “the Ghost from the North” not too far from my home circa 2011 and 2014. ~ Captures under the title, The Ghost From The North © Jerry L. Ferrara

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Northern Hawk Owl – SCREWED!

Northern Hawk Owl

SCREWED! As a Northern Hawk Owl prepares to dine, the expression on the vole’s face succinctly sums up the rodent’s certain star-crossed situation in one stark word: SCREWED! Just a little dark humor for today 🙂 ~ Anecdote and Northern Hawk Owl capture, SCREWED! © Jerry L. Ferrara

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Some Favorites of 2025 – Happy New Year!

Some favorite moments and subjects captured during 2025. Hope you enjoy the view and HAPPY NEW YEAR! ~ Wood Duck, African Elephant, American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, White-tailed Deer [fawn], Northern Flicker, Leopard, Moose, Pileated Woodpecker, Painted Wolf, Red Squirrel, and Sloth Bear captures, Happy New Year! © Jerry L. Ferrara

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Brown Pelican – Feather Flailing

Brown Pelican

Feather Flailing In the quiet shelter of a secluded seaside cove, a Brown Pelican takes a moment to shake in the watery medium. The ‘feather flailing’ resulted in successfully cleansing its plumed garb. ~ Anecdote and Brown Pelican capture, Feather Flailing © Jerry L. Ferrara

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Sea Otter – The Actors on the Dais

Sometimes the little dramas in life are hidden from sight. Wait for the right conditions and the thespians magically appear The Actors on the Dais The misty morning murk tenaciously held its ghostly grip on the heavily shrouded seaside bay, suffocating the view both far and near. But for a distant, despondent-sounding plaintiff sough emanating from a hidden watercraft announcing its presence, the air held no voice and all was still. Then the brume lifted like a colossal curtain that had veiled a great stage and the actors on the dais were exposed in plain sight. ~ Anecdote and Sea Otter capture, The Actors on the Dais © Jerry L. Ferrara

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Puma – The Elusive

Puma

The Elusive In his book A Field Guide to Animal Tracks, Olaus Murie paints the elusive Puma as a creature cloaked in secrecy. Much of the time spoor is all most of us will see of the feline’s ghost-like perambulations. Over the years, here in the U.S., I’ve had the good fortune to have encountered lions on three separate occasions in a wild setting. Each time the camera was absent, yet that does not take anything away from the thrill experienced in witnessing these magnificent cats. ~ Anecdote and Puma capture, The Elusive © Jerry L. Ferrara. Image recorded in the wilds of Chile’s Patagonian outback.

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