Wildlife

Contemplation

Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida Big Cypress covers 2,400 square miles. It is home to two Indian tribes, the endangered Florida panther, and the rare ghost orchid. We watched egrets, ibis, herons, and wood storks as they fished in the swamp, while several alligators lurked nearby.

Harmony and Peace on the Prairie

The magnificent buffalo, or tatanka, is a symbol of self-sacrifice and generosity, honored and respected by the Lakota for the blessings it confers on the people. Taken at sunrise in Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, near Badlands National Park, after several inspiring days spent with Lakota people in the Black Hills.

She Who Belongs

Cooks Meadow, Yosemite National Park A magnificent pair of coyotes were meandering round this seasonal pond in Cooks Meadow. The female evantually posed momentarily on the white snow beside the water. These were mountain coyotes. They live in family groups, so these two were probably a mating pair, out hunting for prey under the snow. Coyotes have lived in the western United States for perhaps 50,000 years. This is their place. I thank them for letting us visit. . .

Great Egret Perch

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida Two great egrets pose on a dead tree in the early morning light. I purposely overexposed this photo hoping to get this look. The blue light of the shadowed side of the birds gave this photo a graceful feeling.

Heron, Big Cypress National Preserve

Great Egret

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida At the same location and same day as the above photo, this heron posed on a nearby deadhead. Also purposely overexposed.

Great Egret

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida

Walks on Water

Great Egret, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida Those birds in the background seem to be watching the dance performance of the egret in the foreground. What great entertainment to watch with them.

Egret Feeding Frenzy

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida In many years of visiting the refuge, we have only twice seen so many birds fishing in one place. I could sit on the bank and just keep firing away, capturing different versions of this scene.

Mating Dance

Herons, J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge,

Heron

Ding Darling National Wildlife Preserve, Sanibel Island, Florida We watched this heron perfectly posed under the leaves for an hour and a half, He didn't move more than a few inches in that time. It's not surprising that in some Native American legends, this bird represents wisdom and patience.

Heron

Ding Darling National Wildlife Preserve, Sanibel Island, Florida Still posing.

Blue Green

Heron, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida Taken at the same spot as the above photos, but three years later. We returned here every year, hoping a heron would be standing once again in this spot. It happened again this year two days in a row.

Egret and Heron Fishing

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida

Fishing

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida

Koi Dance

Reflections of sky and clouds We used to enjoy the koi in our garden pond. They are so peaceful to watch, and reflections like these add to their beauty. The Japanese included koi in their gardens because they recognized how their mesmerizing motion and color could lift you out of the every day world into a world of imagination and grace.

Flight Of Terns

Sanibel Island, Florida Their flight is so graceful. They are also fun to watch standing together on the shore facing into the wind. One bird in this group is looking down and about to dive for a fish.

Departure

Great Egret, Ding Darling National Wildlife Preserve, Sanibel Island, Florida We came across a group of over a dozen egrets fishing in a small pond. They flew gracefully back and forth in what sometimes looked like a dance. In early morning, the reflections of the shore plants form a great background palette for the egrets and herons.

Egret Flight

Ding Darling National Wildlife Preserve, Sanibel Island, Florida

Ding Darling National Wildlife Preserve

Great Egret

Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida

Great Egret

Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida

Duck Pond

Battle Point Park, Bainbridge Island, Washington

Egret Reflection

In the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida

Egret Dance

Ding Darling National Wildlife Preserve Another photo of the large group fishing. I think the one on the right looks like a ballerina.

Butterfly

Bainbridge Island, Washington Butterflies and moths are of course symbols of transformation, but their fluttery flight seems to me designed just to make us happy. This one landed on the leaves of our calla lily plant.

Frog

Bainbridge Island, Washington From egg to tadpole to this adult, the life of a frog speaks to renewal and spiritual growth. Our little tree frogs also have an amazingly strong voice.

Wading Heron

Gabriola Island, Vancouver Island, British Columbia The colorful sandstone near the Malaspina Galleries formed an interesting setting for this wading heron.

Sea Gull Flight

Sanibel Island, Florida The late afternoon sun provided the warm glow for this busy group of seagulls.

Pelican Perch

Captiva Island, Florida

Deer Ears

Cape Disappointment, Washington Just like us, this deer was enjoying the flowers on the hillside just above the lighthouse. At the southwest corner of Washington State, this is one of the foggiest places in the country; but not on the day we visited.

Two Herons and a Reflection

Ding Darling National Wildlife Preserve, Sanibel Island, Florida

Starfish Dream

Kalaloch Beach, Washington What fun it is to see our colorful starfish along the shores of the Pacific. We also love Loren Eiseley's story of the starfish. Eiseley was a scientist known as “a writer of imagination and grace.” The story is of a writer walking on a beach. He finds a man throwing stranded starfish into the sea. There are thousands of starfish on the beach, and the writer suggests the man can’t save them all. But the man replies: "It made a difference for that one."

Walking the Beach

Sanibel Island, Florida

Heron in Backlight

Eagle Harbor, Bainbridge Island, Washington I thought this heron perfectly demonstrated the qualities of patience and appreciation.

Wild Burro

Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area I couldn't resist including a photo of this lone burro; the rest of the band was not far away, but this one was posing for a photo in the early morning sun. Red Rock Canyon is in the eastern Mojave Desert not far from Las Vegas.

Koi Abstract

A somewhat slow shutter speed lets these swimming koi paint their own abstract picture.

Wallaby

Coles Bay, Freycinet National Park, Tasmania

Pair of Frogs

New South Wales, Australia

Koala

New South Wales, Australia

Heron Feathers