Laurel Gale

A photo of a great blue heron standing at the edge of a pond and looking down at the water.

Any fishies down there?

#birds #nature #wildlife

I just went outside to bring the bins to the curb for trash day, and there was a huge flock of tundra swans flying overhead.

They were flying high up, and it was raining and already getting kind of dark, so I might have missed them if they weren't so incredibly noisy.

A photo of a northern flicker perched on a branch. The bird has a spotted belly, a black bib, and red cheeks.

I'm not sure I could pull off such a flashy look, but the northern flicker looks great.

#birds #nature #wildlife

A photo of an owl standing on the grass. The owl's body is facing right, but its head is turned back, facing left. The owl has mostly adult plumage, but it has not developed much of its "horns" or tufts of feathers yet.

A juvenile great horned owl from the summer.

In the very early morning, the owls were sometimes hanging out on the ground before retiring to the trees to sleep for the day. (taken with Sigma 600mm lens and cropped)

#birds #owls #nature #wildlife

Nice!

Good things come to those who wait, right?

I've been working on big new creative project (not books or photography) and I think I'm getting close to being ready to announce it. 👀

A photo of an osprey flying while carrying a fish.

A photo of an osprey flying to its nest while carrying a fish.

A photo of an osprey flying while carrying a fish, framed by trees.

Me: (looking up at the sky)

Friend: What are you doing?

Me: Oh, just looking for fish.

#birds #nature #wildlife

Fish!

A photo of an osprey flying toward the camera with its legs extended down.

It's March, which means the osprey should be showing up soon. They usually arrive late March/early April.

Here's one of my favorite captures from last year.

laurel-gale.pixels.com/featured/com...

#birds #nature #wildlife 📷🐡

Thanks! Wrens are exceptionally photogenic.

I found a spot with lots of them, and I love listening to them.

A close-up photo of a canyon wren. The bird's long, narrow beak is open wide in song.

A canyon wren singing its sweet song.

#birds #nature #wildlife

Yep. I'm trying to upgrade my camera. I really want to do it before spring.

A photo of a great blue heron standing in shallow water at the edge of a pond.

A great blue heron out looking for breakfast.

#birds #nature #wildlife

A photo of an American robin perched on some gray rocks. The robin is facing right, and its orange breast is not visible, so it looks very gray, but its orange bill provides some bright color.

This American robin would blend into the gray rocks pretty well if not for that bright orange bill.

#birds #nature #wildlife

Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy camera gear, and that's pretty close.

A close-up photo of a yellow-bellied marmot, which is a type of large ground squirrel similar to a groundhog, peering out of a dark burrow.

This yellow-bellied marmot just woke up from hibernation, but it's still ready for a close-up.

#nature #wildlife 📷

Well, there are some berries, but not a lot. I see waxwings more in the summer and was actually surprised to see them this time of year.

A photo of a bird with a striking black mask perched on some bare branches. The bird has a berry in its beak.

There are still a few berries if you know where to look!

(cedar waxwing, photo taken on Sunday)

#birds #nature #wildlife 🐡

Yes, I love hearing them sing. I often hear them first and then look around for them.

A photo of a small, roundish bird with a long tail and a long beak, perched on a rock in front of dark blue water.

Canyon wrens are so photogenic!

While the ruby crowned kinglets and cedar waxwings hid behind twigs, this cutie was out posing for my camera.

#birds #nature #wildlife 📷

A photo of a black and white woodpecker perched on a tree.

A downy woodpecker I spotted yesterday.

#birds #nature #wildlife

A photo of a male turkey in full display with his tail feathers up and wings spread out, surrounded by golden fallen leaves.

I love spotting less common species (bobcat!) but I also love studying common wildlife and planning photos.

I watched some turkey for a week or so this autumn, waiting for the perfect capture of a tom surrounded by leaf litter.

laurel-gale.pixels.com/featured/wil...

#birds #wildlife 🐡 📷

A photo of an owl standing on the grass. The owl's body is facing right, but its head is turned back, facing left. The owl has mostly adult plumage, but it has not developed much of its "horns" or tufts of feathers yet.

A juvenile great horned owl from the summer.

In the very early morning, the owls were sometimes hanging out on the ground before retiring to the trees to sleep for the day. (taken with Sigma 600mm lens and cropped)

#birds #owls #nature #wildlife

A photo of a small black, yellow, and white bird perched on a twig.

A lesser (but still pretty great IMHO) goldfinch.

#birds #nature #wildlife

They can be very entertaining to watch!

And sometimes the common wildlife surprises you - like when I saw these two turkeys fighting each other.

I didn't know turkeys fought like this until I watched them go at it.

laurel-gale.pixels.com/featured/wil...

#birds #wildlife 🐡 📷

A photo of a male turkey in full display with his tail feathers up and wings spread out, surrounded by golden fallen leaves.

I love spotting less common species (bobcat!) but I also love studying common wildlife and planning photos.

I watched some turkey for a week or so this autumn, waiting for the perfect capture of a tom surrounded by leaf litter.

laurel-gale.pixels.com/featured/wil...

#birds #wildlife 🐡 📷

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