Leopard – Upon A Mound
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
SHOT FROM THE FILE
Black Skimmer – Previsualization
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
Hippopotamus – A Covert Operation
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] – Sure of Foot
![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
Western Grebe – The Look
The Look A pair of Western Grebe in courtship. ~ Anecdote and Western Grebe capture, The Look © Jerry L. Ferrara
Spotteed Towhee – A Quick Crimson-eyed Glance
A Quick Crimson-eyed Glance The other day I came across this handsome male Spotted Towhee, an 8-inch long native New World sparrow. Preceding the encounter I heard it rummaging around in the duff under some bushes. When it popped out and up onto a nearby rock outcrop, it provided an ephemeral opportunity for making the portrait. It gave a quick crimson-eyed glance before briskly dashing away. ~ Anecdote and Spotted Towhee capture, A Quick Crimson-eyed Glance © Jerry L. Ferrara
Burchell’s Zebra and Spotted Hyena – The Fighter
The Fighter It was a titanic battle with Death, and Life fiercely fought back … but it was only a matter of time. Intensively the Burchell’s Zebra struggled to keep up with its herd. It had just survived a lion attack, and that encounter had left the zebra disemboweled. As its strength wearily waned a Spotted Hyena clan’s relentless bedevilments became bolder and bolder. What ensued was a battle of will that reached tsunami proportions. Repeatedly the hyenas charged. Again and again the zebra met each assault with its sharp hooves flying. The fracas continued for what seemed an eternity. In the final moments of its life, the zebra stood stalwart and defiantly faced its assailants. Then the opportunists closed in and down went the equid. There was rending of flesh, fast whoop calls and a confusing obfuscation of view as mortality was consummated. In the end the fighter was vanquished yet one aspect of the striped horse could not be diminished. Its dauntless spirit lives and still wanders the vast expanses of the enigmatic Mara. ~ Anecdote and Burchell’s Zebra and Spotted Hyena capture, The Fighter © Jerry L. Ferrara, Kenya.
Mule Deer/Sandhill Cranes – They’ve Got Us!
They’ve Got Us! Lazily lounging in the early morning’s tranquility the Mule Deer herd leisurely ruminated and the moment was bucolic … but the scene was destined soon to change. With great fanfare a tumultuous flood of Sandhill Cranes boisterously blew in, shattering the peaceful setting and the startled deer herd came quickly to attention. “We’re surrounded!” one of the deer exclaimed. “They’ve got us!” The paranoic grass-eaters were thoroughly convinced that a re-enactment of Custer’s last stand was about to ensue. 😀 ~ Anecdote and Mule Deer/Sandhill Cranes capture, They’ve Got Us! © Jerry L. Ferrara
Timber Wolf – The Lonely Lament
The Lonely Lament The snow blew in abusively powerful buffeting waves. At times visibility was reduced to a mere few feet and the melancholy moan of the wind set a terrifying tenor that chilled to the core of the soul. Or was the wail the wind? Perhaps. Perhaps not. As the misty murk thinned, the author of the lonely lament was gradually revealed. A Timber Wolf stood idly in the ice-crystalled landscaped and gave a sonorous serenade to the open expanse … its voice was the definitive signature of wilderness. ~ Anecdote and Timber Wolf capture, The Lonely Lament © Jerry L. Ferrara
Chestnut-backed Chickadee – The Gymnast
The Gymnast While testing and checking camera and lens combinations in preparation for an upcoming trip, I caught this Chestnut-backed Chickadee at the seed cylinder performing a ‘one-footed’ acrobatic stunt. The chickadee is quite the gymnast! ~ Anecdote and Chestnut-backed Chickadee, The Gymnast © Jerry L. Ferrara