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Continue reading →: Gray Foxes ReturnThere’s no way to know for sure if the two foxes who showed up in the exact same spot on a bank above the river are the same as the ones I saw a bit over a month ago, but it would be a pretty safe bet. This was a…
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Continue reading →: Duckling UpdateJust when I was doubting I’d see the duck families again this summer, two different families of Common Mergansers and one Wood Duck family came by in the last week, and it was impressive to observe their growth and development….and it was especially heartening to see that a majority of…
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Continue reading →: Baby’s Got Blue EyesJust a few years ago the only dragonfly I could identify was the locally ubiquitous and aptly named Flame Skimmer, the bright orange dragon seen buzzing over the river all summer, often tangling with others of its kind, and one of the few dragons that would reliably sit still for…
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Continue reading →: Wood Drake in Eclipse PlumageNot long after mating, the male Wood Duck loses his exquisitely beautiful feathers and goes into “eclipse” plumage. Seen from a distance it might not be easy to distinguish the drake from the hen, but if you can get a good look you will see a faded version of the…
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Continue reading →: The Daily ShowOn many days when I’m out looking for birds or other creatures nothing unexpected shows up. I snap pictures of species I’ve seen hundreds of times because you never know when you might capture an unusual behavior or view of a Song Sparrow that has never been seen before, not…
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Continue reading →: Uncommon VisitorThe joyful serendipity of an unexpected bird on an otherwise dullish day is the endlessly giving feature of watching birds that is one of few things in life that makes me believe in grace. This morning was gloomy and windy, a stubborn overcast never really left until about noon, and…
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Continue reading →: Class of ’24Birds are going about their business of making more birds, and as the summer continues, more and more of the youngsters are finding their way in the world. Here is an album of baby birds I have been able to document this year. It’s a bit bittersweet, because as life-affirming…
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Continue reading →: Golden Eagle Expelled by RavensIt was a relatively quiet morning at the river today. An overcast dawn gave way to a choppy wind that blew out all the cloud cover but then hung around keeping birds under cover and hard to hear. Just when the last of the grey was being replaced by blue…
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Continue reading →: Return of an Old FriendOld-timers will tell you that Black-crowned Night Herons were seen and heard pretty often along the South Fork of the Eel back in the day. They recall colonies of the stocky mid-sized heron being a regular feature of river habitat. I remember hearing them at night along the river as…
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Continue reading →: Mink Family AffairIt’s rare to see more than one American Mink at a time along the South Fork of the Eel, but over the past week or so I believe I’ve been seeing a family consisting of an adult (presumed mother) and at least two offspring. I’m not sure if I’ve seen…
Welcome to Free Range Photography, a photo-journal of encounters with birds and wildlife, mostly in Humboldt County, California.
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