California Quail – Vox Clamantis
Vox Clamantis Be keen to the call of the California Quail. Vox clamantis, a voice crying out. ~ Anecdote and California Quail capture, Vox Clamantis © Jerry L. Ferrara
SHOT FROM THE FILE
Kittiwake – Kittiwake, Oh Kittiwake
Kittiwake, Oh Kittiwake According to Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology, the Black-legged Kittiwake is a pelagic species of gull usually found far out in the northern seas unless it is breeding and rearing its young. In my copy of Arthur Cleveland Bent’s Life Histories of North American Gulls and Terns, the author states “The ordinary cry of the Kittiwake suggests its name …” Kittiwake, Oh KittiwakeWhat a strange noise you do makeYour voice does cause one double-takeIt sounds a bit like your namesake ~ Poem and Kittiwake captures, Kittiwake, Oh Kittiwake © Jerry L. Ferrara. Kittiwake images recorded in Iceland and Norway.
Waterbuck – A Mirror Image
A Mirror Image An inquisitive Waterbuck near Zimbabwe’s Zambezi River pauses pregnantly near a still pool of water casting back a mirror image of itself. ~ Anecdote and Waterbuck capture, A Mirror Image © Jerry L. Ferrara
Raccoon – The Little Bandit
The Little Bandit Lounging on the cherry tree trunk, the little bandit stages just before an all-out raid on the fruit high up in the canopy. The beady eyes and ‘Zorro’ mask are dead giveaways as to the rascality to come. ~ Anecdote and Raccoon capture, The Little Bandit © Jerry L. Ferrara … image from my backyard.
American Dipper – Water Ouzel
Water Ouzel Roaring mountain creeks and lightning-quick western streams are the homes of a nondescript bird called the American Dipper [aka the Water Ouzel]. It’s a treat to catch sight of one hunting a streamside watery realm for aquatic insects and larvae. I caught this Ouzel in a pose between its forays to an Idaho river for water bugs. ~ Anecdote and American Dipper capture, Water Ouzel © Jerry L. Ferrara
Razorbill – Bearing Gifts
Bearing Gifts In a remote sector near the Arctic Circle, within the dizzying heights of a rugged Icelandic bluff, a remarkable seabird of the auk tribe known as the Razorbill arrived near its nest. It was bearing gifts for its developing youngsters secreted away in a rocky seaside cleft. ~ Anecdote and Razorbill capture, Bearing Gifts © Jerry L. Ferrara
Red-tailed Hawk – On A Chilly Day
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
Black-faced Vervet – That Simian Stare
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
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
Northern Hawk Owl – SCREWED!
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