Savannah Sparrow – Coming Soon
Coming Soon Being absent during winter, the perky Savannah Sparrow will soon return to our local fields and pastures. ~ Anecdote and Savannah Sparrow capture, Coming Soon © Jerry L. Ferrara
SHOT FROM THE FILE
African Lion/Wildebeest – The Encounter
The Encounter The encounter was intense. It came unexpectedly with a startling swiftness when the African Lion exploded from the nearby brush and bore down on the bewildered Wildebeest calf. Separated from its mother and the herd, the young Gnu faced a certain demise. Its struggle to survive was certainly spirited, yet not potent enough. In the end, the feline stole its soul. ~ Anecdote, African Lion and Wildebeest calf image, The Encounter © Jerry L. Ferrara
Giant River Otter – Onca d’agua
Onca d’agua Something’s fishy in the water, searched by Giant River Otter. To the fluid flow it steals, hunting for a piscine meal. Not long it takes for it to be, the otter feasts exuberantly. So Giant River Otter are, best of fishers yet by far …a truly efficient predator, not unlike a Jaguar. The Giant River Otter [or Giant Otter], sometimes known colloquially as Onca d’agua [Portuguese for Jaguar of the water], is not really a Jaguar at all. In fact, they are members of the mustelid or weasel family and hold the distinction of being the longest creatures in that group. A mature Giant River Otter may reach a length of between five and six feet. Once prevalent, this puckish South American species is considered rare today. ~ Essay, poem and Giant River Otter capture, Onca d’agua © Jerry L. Ferrara
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
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.