Spoils In Talon After diving into the water, the Osprey was having a bit of difficulty releasing itself from the lake’s grasp. Suddenly it popped from the fluid surface and off it labored, clutching its spoils in talon. ~ Anecdote and Osprey capture, Spoils In Talon © Jerry L. Ferrara
Feather Maintenance Preening is an important aspect of feather maintenance. In the capture, a male Tree Swallow [one of our native bird species] runs a flight feather through its beak during the act of feather grooming. By doing so, the swallow is more than likely anointing the plume with oil from its uropygial gland [oil gland] or it may be simply re-conforming the feather’s structure … or both. ~ Anecdote and Tree Swallow capture, Feather Maintenance © Jerry L. Ferrara
Harvest While photographing in North Idaho’s scenic Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, I encountered a flock of Cedar Waxwings along Myrtle Creek. Their distinctive trilling calls from the hedge rows were what first caught my attention and alerted me to their presence. Looking closer revealed they were harvesting the ripening choke cherries. In this capture, a waxwing had just gathered a fruit before gobbling it down. ~ Anecdote and Cedar Waxwing capture, Harvest © Jerry L. Ferrara
Take-out Much of the time the Bald Eagle carries its prey by its talons, but in this case it chose an alternate method and its “take-out” was conveyed by mouth. ~ Anecdote and Bald Eagle capture, Take-out © Jerry L. Ferrara
The Wind Dancer Handsome and elegant come to mind when I see the Black Tern. Little creatures of freshwater marshes, their distinctive call is a harbinger of late spring. They arrive, breed, rear their young and just as suddenly as they appear, they vanish. Their journey takes them to the wetlands of Mexico and Central America for the winter. When I first tried capturing Black Terns as images, it proved a daunting task. Their flight patterns are anything but linear and predictable. Erratic is more the rule, or maybe an unchoreographed free-style dance would be a more fitting description. I caught this one in mid-ethereal flight as it danced across the wind. ~ Anecdote and Black Tern capture, The Wind Dancer © Jerry L. Ferrara
Wings Aloft Feathers spread with grace divine Wings aloft by Grand Design ~ Poem and Bald Eagle capture, Wings Aloft © Jerry L. Ferrara
Across The Tranquil Marsh On a brisk autumn morning, as the sun burned off the brume, a pair of Moose casually made their way across the tranquil marsh. ~ Anecdote and Moose capture, Across The Tranquil Marsh © Jerry L. Ferrara
Tranquil Did The Predator Wait Gently fell the silken snow and quietude saturated the soft silent surroundings. In the midst of the serene storm sat a steadfast spirit. Tranquil did the predator wait. ~ Anecdote and Bald Eagle capture, Tranquil Did The Predator Wait © Jerry L. Ferrara
Sweep the Boreal Aurora Sky While the background for this shot may be reminiscent of those eerie, shadowy curtains of charged particles from the sun [the aurora borealis], it is in reality not the dramatic light show at all. What follows is the story behind the making of the image: Across the wide and watery chasm of the expansive bay, white-headed entities idled tree-bound in the deafening, hushed stillness while greeting the somber light of dawn. That same light, cast from the forest and smeared subtly onto the liquid surface, created ephemeral impressions, mirrored reflections, and muted hues … Nature the artist, the lake its immense canvas. In time, a solitary Bald Eagle launched from its lofty lookout. Over the pigmented fluid it glided low, the backdrop redolent of a Northern Lights array. Suddenly the eagle performed an astounding aerial maneuver … and “Sweep the Boreal Aurora Sky” came into existence. ~ Anecdote and Bald Eagle capture, Sweep the Boreal Aurora Sky from the book, Wild North Idaho: Photos and Reflections © Jerry L. Ferrara
The Return The sprightly little Western Flycatcher is a spirited species that returns to our property to breed each spring. There is another aspect to this flycatcher ‘returning’, though. It has been placed back [returned] to its original single-species status [Western Flycatcher] after being split into two species [in 1989]: the Cordilleran and the Pacific-slope Flycatchers. Science at work. ~ Anecdote and Western Flycatcher capture, The Return © Jerry L. Ferrara