sunshine on my shoulders

This road is no longer than a mile. I was photographing birds there yesterday morning. More importantly, I was listening to and experiencing birds there … yesterday morning. The landowner stopped by and began talking to me. Nice man, he’s been here for a while. Farming has always been difficult, and even more so theseContinue reading “sunshine on my shoulders”

“Well, I heard…..”

If I had begun any portion of the oral defense of my graduate work with “Well, I heard that (insert conjecture, rumor, hearsay, myth, conspiracy theory, latest youtube prophet)…” I would have been shot down with no hesitation, metaphorically speaking. I was greeting the morning yesterday at a large reservoir in my county of residence,Continue reading ““Well, I heard…..””

“Who are you really, wanderer?”

“Who are you really, [W]anderer?”—and the answer you have to giveno matter how dark and coldthe world around you is:“Maybe I’m a king.” – from A Story That Could Be True, William Stafford Harris’s Hawk, also known as Bay-winged Hawk, is a handsome raptor of the southwestern United States down to South America. In Texas,Continue reading ““Who are you really, wanderer?””

Long distance migrants

For survival. Twice a calendar year. We are never the only ones. I had the pleasure of scoping a species I don’t get to see too often. They were somewhat distant, and mostly backlit. Birds are not obligated to present us with good photo opportunities. They are not court jesters. However, on the first ofContinue reading “Long distance migrants”

Always a stunner

Seeing movement in the juniper, raising binoculars, only to have this guy fill the field of view; it reminds me of reasons I still do this. At times, I wonder if it is some form manifestation of obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Other times I believe it to be one thing that still makes sense to me inContinue reading “Always a stunner”