The Gelid Setting Except for the brisk breeze, all other movement was devoid in the gelid setting. Nestled tight in the frozen terrain, a pair of Whooper Swans quiescently conserved their energy. ~ Anecdote and Whooper Swan capture, The Gelid Setting © Jerry L. Ferrara
Coming Soon Being absent during winter, the perky Savannah Sparrow will soon return to our local fields and pastures. ~ Anecdote and Savannah Sparrow capture, Coming Soon © Jerry L. Ferrara
The Encounter The encounter was intense. It came unexpectedly with a startling swiftness when the African Lion exploded from the nearby brush and bore down on the bewildered Wildebeest calf. Separated from its mother and the herd, the young Gnu faced a certain demise. Its struggle to survive was certainly spirited, yet not potent enough. In the end, the feline stole its soul. ~ Anecdote, African Lion and Wildebeest calf image, The Encounter © Jerry L. Ferrara
Onca d’agua Something’s fishy in the water, searched by Giant River Otter. To the fluid flow it steals, hunting for a piscine meal. Not long it takes for it to be, the otter feasts exuberantly. So Giant River Otter are, best of fishers yet by far …a truly efficient predator, not unlike a Jaguar. The Giant River Otter [or Giant Otter], sometimes known colloquially as Onca d’agua [Portuguese for Jaguar of the water], is not really a Jaguar at all. In fact, they are members of the mustelid or weasel family and hold the distinction of being the longest creatures in that group. A mature Giant River Otter may reach a length of between five and six feet. Once prevalent, this puckish South American species is considered rare today. ~ Essay, poem and Giant River Otter capture, Onca d’agua © Jerry L. Ferrara
The Disseminator The handsome Phainopepla is a disseminator. It is also a resident of parts of our desert southwest and belongs in the avian group referred to as the Silky Flycatchers. They play a key role in the lifecycle of another desert component, the mistletoe plant. In order for mistletoe to propagate, the seed must actually land on a shrub or tree. The usual substrate is a Palo Verde or a Mesquite. This is accomplished by a contract formed between mistletoe and Phainopepla. Like a siren, the mistletoe seduces the bird with ruby red fruit. The Phainopepla eats voraciously and the indigestible seeds pass through in the bird’s fecal droppings. If the excrement lands on a nearby bush and adheres, as shown in the photo, the stage is set for a new generation of plant growth. When a mistletoe seed does germinate, it invades the host plant and takes some of the benefactor’s nutrients which it then uses to make its own food. ~ Anecdote and Phainopepla capture, The Disseminator © Jerry L. Ferrara
Upon A Mound Silent, silent it makes no soundSits it and waits upon a moundBecome complacent and less waryYou’ll surely be this feline’s quarry ~ Poem and Leopard capture, Upon A Mound © Jerry L. Ferrara
Previsualization Black Skimmer in flight. Not the quintessential image of the Black Skimmer. Not yet. Someday fortune might smile on me and the Skimmer skimming with those highly utilitarian mouth parts, will be held captive on my camera’s memory card. Just a moment of previsualization. ~ Anecdote and Black Skimmer capture, Previsualization © Jerry L. Ferrara
The Feathered Fisher This ‘Feathered Fisher’ is coming soon to our area. It is known as the Osprey or Fish Hawk. Caught this one on-the-wing after it had just pulled a good-sized meal from the water. ~ Anecdote and Osprey/Fish Hawk capture, The Feathered Fisher © Jerry L. Ferrara
A Covert Operation A furtive Hippo gives a pensive peek at the camera from the Serengeti’s Mara River. It was conducting a covert surveillance operation. 😀 ~ Anecdote and Hippopotamus capture, A Covert Operation © Jerry L. Ferrara
![Rocky Mountain Goat [Kid]](https://ferrarawildlifephotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/lnwlb-3.jpg)
Sure of Foot High upon a mountain peakA youngster gives a furtive peekLofty crests pierce thinned-out airWhere Mountain Goats both live and dareThey tread the heights with fancy movesSure of foot with cloven hoovesAdapted to the altitudeFar above in solitude At over 14,000′ elevation, a kid Rocky Mountain Goat pauses briefly during a ‘rock scrambling’ play session. Check out the capricious creature’s cloven clogs which enable it to grasp and negotiate the rocky terrain with ease. ~ Anecdote, poem and Rocky Mountain Goat capture, Sure of Foot © Jerry L. Ferrara