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Continue reading →: Kingfisher KerfuffleBelted Kingfishers are fairly common along the South Fork of the Eel, For as loud and sassy as they seem to be they are also remarkably skittish. In other words, if they see you before you see them they will disappear in a hurry, often sounding a mocking rattle as…
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Continue reading →: Bay Day, Bay Day!The heat has been intense in Garberville lately, so much so that just after a cool shower provides a bit of a reprieve, sweat glands immediately get back to work. The best remedy for such a day is a trip to Humboldt Bay where the bracing coolness and salt tingle…
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Continue reading →: Long Time No See, Old FriendsWhile there is always something fascinating going on at the river on any given day, there are those rare quiet days when I find myself furtively checking my email. However, once in awhile there are days that feel as though some sort of energetic wrinkle has rendered a gathering of…
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Continue reading →: Eagle Nest Update August 4, 2025It’s getting late in eagle season, and this may be the last report from the nest until November or December when refurbishments begin for the 2026 season. I thought I would share below some of the other residents of the Benbow Valley that I am lucky enough to observe in…
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Continue reading →: Eagle Nest Update, July 23, 2025When I arrived at the Benbow Bald Eagle nest watching spot Wednesday morning I was prepared to see nothing of the young eagle or its parents, knowing that the bird was likely flying now based on its “branching” activity seen last week, and could be anywhere. The valley was quiet…
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Continue reading →: Eagle Nest Update July 14, 2025When I arrived at the Benbow Bald Eagle nest watching spot last Monday I could hear the juvenile crying loudly and persistently. The sound made me smile as last week I heard very little crying and saw very little action in or around the nest. I am used to not…
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Continue reading →: June Swoon, Part TwoSummer starts to get serious in June. The soundscape includes louder and more abundant insects and less ardently singing birds. Algae begins to appear in the river, as do polliwogs and tiny newly hatched fish as well as a myriad of invertebrate life forms. Grasses finish turning brown and dryness…
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Continue reading →: June Swoon, Part OneThe highlight of the month of June was the explosion of baby birds appearing everywhere. Tiny beaks belonging to a wide variety of species broke out of countless eggs as life asserted itself unbothered by the doings of man. Parents then worked tirelessly to bring nutrition to their helpless nestlings.…
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Continue reading →: Eagle Nest Update June 30, 2025In an effort to beat the heat and the poor light that comes with it I arrived at the Benbow Bald Eagle nest watching spot at 6:20 this morning, hoping to get some good looks at the juvenile. The young eagle had other ideas, however, as it never moved, sleeping…
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Continue reading →: First Day of Summer 2025The first day of summer, 2025 was a memorable one. On my visit to the river I saw or heard 59 different species of birds, many of whom were the usual suspects, but some of whom were surprises, suggesting the shift in activities from spring to summer. Once nestlings are…
Welcome to Free Range Photography, a photo-journal of encounters with birds and wildlife, mostly in Humboldt County, California.
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