SHOT FROM THE FILE Archives - Ferrara Wildlife Photography

Light Geese – Below A Silent Crescent Moon

Below A Silent Crescent Moon The icy morning temperature loitered near twenty degrees Fahrenheit as soft calls and gentle murmurings from the Snow Geese drifted languidly across the marsh. Waiting patiently to depart their evening roost, the geese idly “talked” … and then came their cue. Light, from the eastern horizon, brightened as our nearest star began to paint the pre-dawn sky. A pregnant pause in “goose speak” stilled the air waves. The silence, however, was short-lived. What ensued was a spectacular tumult as a storm of wings-by-the-thousands thrashed the air amidst the keyed up cries of the departing geese. As rafts of boisterous birds blew up from the wetland, they passed below a silent crescent moon. ~ Anecdote and Light Geese capture, Below A Silent Crescent Moon © Jerry L. Ferrara

Dignity and Grace They stride across the painted marsh with dignity and grace when eve’s dark vigil passes, and morning takes its place The calls and cries of “feathered kind”trumpet through the air as cranes and all the waterfowl chant bliss without a care. ~ Poem and Sandhill Crane capture, Dignity and Grace © Jerry L. Ferrara

To Gorge The elk’s moment of mortality had arrived and death hovered close by. Time and age had worked their unrelenting influences on flesh and blood and bone and muscle. Worn was the noble beast. Each step taken by the arthritis-riddled cervid was a painful endeavor. It could no longer maintain pace with the herd and so the crippled creature lagged behind, its fate sealed by senescence. Down by the river it lingered alone waiting for quietus and that final moment of release. For sure the elk would struggle, but the effort would be futile … and so it was. When the wolves arrived they mercilessly assailed the wapiti with vicious, rending fangs. Relentlessly they targeted haunch, throat and mouth. Tissue tore and crimson fluid spewed the air. The brutal deed was committed with a ferocious savagery, yet the act maintained a sense of pure poetic beauty. The elk’s spirit slipped away. In so doing it left behind a gift in the form of sustenance. What remained were days worth of fare, on which to gorge. ~ Anecdote and Gray Wolf image To Gorge © Jerry L. Ferrara

Ladies of the Evening Along the Missouri Breaks, a trio of Mule Deer doe leisurely strolled the rugged ridgeline at sundown. They were Ladies of the Evening set against a painted sky. ~ Anecdote and Mule Deer capture, Ladies of the Evening © Jerry L. Ferrara

Two Belts For this Belted Kingfisher, two belts [one rust-brown, one blue-gray] mean the creature is a female. The male counterpart has but one blue-gray belt. This female happened to be making the rounds early one morning when I caught her perched atop a bush. Suddenly she opened her stiletto-style beak and gave out the species’ raucous, clattery call. The hushed morning air was rocked! ~ Anecdote and Belted Kingfisher capture, Two Belts © Jerry L. Ferrara

A Cacophony on Steroids The din was disquieting in the Cape Gannet rookery as thousands of these strikingly handsome sea birds quarreled for real estate from which to breed and rear their young — a cacophony on steroids. ~ Anecdote and Cape Gannet capture, A Cacophony on Steroids © Jerry L. Ferrara. Lambert’s Bay, South Africa

Using Your Head In Montana, this Black-tailed Prairie Dog was in the process of playing architect and to accomplish the task, the phrase ”using your head” became quite appropriate. A powerful storm had just passed over and the soaker had drenched the earth. The prairie dog took this opportunity to move the moistened, loosened soil to build up the mound around its burrow. Of course this was facilitated by pushing the dirt into position and then tamping it with its nose and forehead. So … using your head to do the job, in this case, was literally accurate. ~ Anecdote and Black-tailed Prairie Dog capture, Using Your Head © Jerry L. Ferrara

Rejected In the rich light of early morning a drama takes place. In a heron rookery, inhabitants know the rulesDo not encroach another’s space or surely be the foolSo give a sign that you belong, lest risk to be inspectedAnd if you aren’t convincing, you’ll surely be rejected ~ Poem and Great Blue Heron capture, Rejected © Jerry L. Ferrara

Running It was very late in the day. Harsh shadows had retired and a coolness permeated the air. It was time to play. That’s exactly what a White-tailed Deer fawn was doing as it enthusiastically dashed before my camera and lens, seemingly running for the pure pleasure of running. The caper was caught quickly as the youthful creature bolted by. ~ Anecdote and White-tailed Deer capture, Running © Jerry L. Ferrara

Onca The Prelude: The setting for today’s story is an old California Spanish Land Grant tract of land known as Rancho Guejito [wah-hee’-tah] in east San Diego County. I believe the actual incident related here occurred somewhere between the late 1940’s to mid 1950’s. The account was told to me by my father when I was a very young boy. My father heard the narrative directly from the rancher who actually experienced the event. The tale made a lasting impression on my youthful, fertile mind and I often thought what a great experience it would be to see a Jaguar in a truly wild setting. The seed of a dream was planted many years ago and it began with this story. The Narrative: A heavy brume blanketed the rolling topography hiding secrets within its murky mist. This was an often-recurring early morning manifestation that happens in the Engleman Oak forest and chaparral-laced place known as Rancho Guejito … and a cattleman on his steady steed came to pause while in search of the herd. During the respite the rancher adjusted the wide brim of his lofty-crowned hat and rearranged the oversized white kerchief masking the prodigious goiter bulging from his […]

SHOT FROM THE FILE

Light Geese – Below A Silent Crescent Moon

Sandhill Cranes – Dignity and Grace

Gray Wolf – To Gorge

Mule Deer – Ladies of the Evening

Belted Kingfisher – Two Belts

Cape Gannet – A Cacophony on Steroids

Black-tailed Prairie Dog – Using Your Head

Great Blue Heron – Rejected

White-tailed Deer – Running

Jaguar – Onca

Ferrara Wildlife Photography