Mr. Pugnacious Mr. Pugnacious,You look so audaciouswith a mask that’s bodaciousyou give such a scowl.All rodents bewareOf that glowering glareAs you may not farewhen he’s on the prowl.… Mr. Pugnacious, you are so outrageous. ~ Poem and American Badger capture, Mr. Pugnacious © Jerry L. Ferrara
You’ve Gotta Be Pullin’ My Leg Wrestling, grappling and committing general mayhem, a pair of immature and rambunctious Utah Prairie Dogs were caught in the act of playing “rough house” when one pup grabbed the foot of its rival at the same moment the camera shutter captured their awareness of being noticed. Attention span was hugely succinct, though, as the adolescent duo resumed their spirited horseplay … wrestling, grappling and committing general mayhem. ~ Anecdote and Utah Prairie Dogs capture, You’ve Gotta Be Pullin’ My Leg © Jerry L. Ferrara
Funny Face During the recent storms, a water-drenched Pileated Woodpecker peers in the direction of the camera … Funny Face ~ Anecdote and Pileated Woodpecker capture, Funny Face © Jerry L. Ferrara
The Stretch A Great Blue Heron takes on a posture called “The Stretch”, a courtship behavior carried out during and after pair formation. ~ Anecdote and Great Blue Heron capture, The Stretch © Jerry L. Ferrara
Rushing The Western Grebe is a spring and summer visitor to our North Idaho area and one of its most recognized behaviors is the flamboyant courtship performance called “rushing.” The ritual often doesn’t last long but is none-the-less a thrill to view. The mated pair raise themselves up in tandem, arching their backs and cocking their heads atop their beautiful swan-like necks, and with their wings held back, they literally run across the surface of the water. Near the end of the rite the pair slow down and one or both dive below. Here are two Western Grebes I caught in full swing during their “rushing” maneuver. ~ Anecdote and Western Grebes capture, Rushing © Jerry L. Ferrara
Tranquility Tranquility governed the landscape as the Brown Bear lumbered along the placid interface of lake and land. A very gentle breeze caused small waves to gently lick the shore. As the bruin progressed in my direction, I slowly moved a few feet inland out of its direct path and sat down in the grass. And I waited. The clouds overhead and in the background were halcyon to the eye while the distant brightening sky, from a sun not quite exposed, boldly announced the coming day. The goal, on my part, was to snare the creature’s silhouette in the notch between the snow-topped mountains on the lake’s far side. Using an ultra-wide-angle lens, the beast was captured at the preconceived moment. ~ Brown Bear capture and story, Tranquility © Jerry L. Ferrara
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