Nature Quote: “Wild Enchantment”
(Russian Ridge Open Space, San Mateo County, CA) "Here she stopped and, closing her eyes, took a deep breath of the flower-scented air of the broad expanse around her. [...]
Return to the Cormorants
Return to the Cormorants Natural Bridges State Park Santa Cruz, CA Spring 2022 Notice, I did not say “Return OF the Cormorants” although they have returned to their nesting [...]
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block July 4, 2022 Ben Lomond, CA The new kids are Merriam's Chipmunk pups, a litter of five. Before the 2020 fires raged through this [...]
Catch of the Day – Barn Swallows
Barn Swallows, (Hirundo rustica) Baylands Nature Preserve, Palo Alto, CA July, 19, 2022 It’s rare to see swallows sitting still on a branch! Here is a male adult barn [...]
Catch of the Day – Juvenile House Finch
Juvenile House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) Los Altos Hills, CA July 11, 2022 I saw this juvenile house finch fluttering awkwardly in a cedar tree. It looked almost too young [...]
The Sad Evanescence of Wildflowers (Wildflowers Part II)
The Sad Evanescence of Wildflowers (Wildflowers Part II) Photos from April 4-24, 2020 (Originally posted in May 2020.) It's what makes wildflowers so extraordinary: they come unbidden and last [...]
Catch of the Day – Wilson’s Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler June 14, 2022 Ben Lomond, CA I was delighted to see this small, lovely bird, a male Wilson’s Warbler. It was visiting our land on its migration [...]
The Feeding Frenzy
The Feeding Frenzy Santa Cruz, CA June 11, 2022 I grabbed the first available parking spot as I drove down busy West Cliff Drive on a clear hot Saturday [...]
What’s This Blog About Anyway?
“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” – Gary Snyder WHAT'S THIS BLOG ABOUT ANYWAY? This web blog started as a way to document our year-long [...]
Where Elephants Seals Abound
San Simeon, CA April 2, 2022 Peering over the railing, I could see them resting only a few feet below. Huge furry slug-shaped creatures the color of sand and [...]