Pileated Woodpecker – Funny Face
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
SHOT FROM THE FILE
Great Blue Heron – The Stretch
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
Western Grebe – Rushing
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
Brown Bear – Tranquility
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
Bobolink – Robert of Lincoln
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
Bison – What The Bison Saw
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
Black Bear – Dining on Dandelions
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
Common Yellowthroat – Bandito
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
Puma, South American Gray Fox – Skinned
Skinned A hapless South American Gray Fox is caught in the difficult circumstance of being skinned as a Puma preps to dine. The “zorro” didn’t stand a chance against the apex predator’s ambush skills. ~ Anecdote and Puma/South American Gray Fox capture, Skinned © Jerry L. Ferrara
Laughing Gull – Vigorously Splashes Away
Vigorously Splashes Away There was quite a bit of noisy activity taking place in a small shallow pool of water that was recently born from a not-long-past storm. It contained a ‘scold of gulls’ … more precisely a group of energetic and very noisy Laughing Gulls taking advantage of the cooling medium on a warm spring day. Here one member of the flock vigorously splashes away. ~ Anecdote and Laughing Gull capture, Vigorously Splashes Away © Jerry L. Ferrara