Robert of Lincoln We’ve been anticipating seeing the annual reappearance of the Bobolink to the fields and meadows around our home. Robert of Lincoln showed up today. ~ Anecdote and Bobolink capture, Robert of Lincoln © Jerry L. Ferrara
What The Bison Saw To avoid becoming a statistic, the image was created using a long lens from the safety of a vehicle. What the Bison sawwas a universe of grassreckless with abandonwildly undulatingwhile capitulating to the fury of the windWhat the Bison sawwas fire in the skyraking, arachnid-likearcing bolts that lit the inky nightand set the prairie afireWhat the Bison sawwere frozen winter ‘scapesa sea of rimy furand vast clouds of cottony breathWhat the Bison sawwere packs of Great Plains Wolvesthat choreographed strategic onslaughtson the foldthey took both young and infirmWhat the Bison sawwere indigenous peoplewho drove the panic-stricken herdto deathover treacherous cliffsWhat the Bison sawwere iron trailsstretching far across the prairie’s faceavenues for smoke-belching monstersthat spoke of thunder and leadWhat the Bison sawwas a landscape of deathtongueless, hideless carcassesscattered liberally to the horizonWhat the Bison sawwas a situation of near extinctionyet, from a small grouptheir numbers grewbut never like they were … that is what the Bison sees ~ Poem and Bison capture, What The Bison Saw © Jerry L. Ferrara
Dining on Dandelions The young Black Bear looked as if it had fallen into the honey pot. It was so engrossed with eating dandelions, it paid little attention to anything else around it. When it sat back on its haunches with a mouthful of greens, reminiscent of sucking spaghetti, it was all I could do to keep from busting up laughing. CLICK! ~ Anecdote and Black Bear capture, Dining on Dandelions © Jerry L. Ferrara
Bandito The Common Yellowthroat is a five-inch long wood warbler found locally here in North Idaho near and in brushy areas especially within the haunts of riparian systems. The male’s conspicuous black mask lends him the devil-may-care personna of “bandito”. The Common Yellowthroat is the Zorro of the marsh. ~ Anecdote and Common Yellowthroat capture, Bandito © Jerry L. Ferrara
Skinned A hapless South American Gray Fox is caught in the difficult circumstance of being skinned as a Puma preps to dine. The “zorro” didn’t stand a chance against the apex predator’s ambush skills. ~ Anecdote and Puma/South American Gray Fox capture, Skinned © Jerry L. Ferrara
Vigorously Splashes Away There was quite a bit of noisy activity taking place in a small shallow pool of water that was recently born from a not-long-past storm. It contained a ‘scold of gulls’ … more precisely a group of energetic and very noisy Laughing Gulls taking advantage of the cooling medium on a warm spring day. Here one member of the flock vigorously splashes away. ~ Anecdote and Laughing Gull capture, Vigorously Splashes Away © Jerry L. Ferrara
Up On Two The species Brown Bear does not relish surprises, especially when suddenly encountering one of its own kind in close proximity. While wandering through tall, thick, grassy riparian habitats, they will periodically practice the art of standing upright on their hind quarters to peer over the vegetation, just in case another bear is nearby. I am a bear, so do beware. Wander me, through the grassy sea. Tall reeds are, why I won’t see far. But what if there, be another bear? So up on two, I peruse the view. I am a bear, that is aware. ~ Anecdote, poem and Brown Bear capture, Up On Two © Jerry L. Ferrara
The Incoming Meal As a gift-bearing male Osprey returns to the nest, his female counterpart intently eyes the incoming meal … an exercise in courtship feeding. ~ Anecdote and Osprey capture, The Incoming Meal © Jerry L. Ferrara
Cause and Effect
Suspended Suspended in midair against a cerulean sky, an Osprey’s attention is solidly gripped by the potential of a scaly meal swimming just below the lake’s murky surface. ~ Anecdote and Osprey capture, Suspended © Jerry L. Ferrara