Notes To My Mother

I had never experienced anything quite like photographing red foxes.  I was with them nearly all day, for three days in a row.  I was so taken by them, especially the way they related to each other.  Above is the dog fox, the adult male of the group, with one of his offsrping, a female kit fox.    In this family group there were two vixen, one was the grandmother, the other the mother of three kits.  The adult females attended the den all day with one or the other going off to hunt, returning with food for the kits.  Missing most of the day was the dog fox and when he would return the kits all gravitated to him. All of the kits seemed to adore the dog fox but the moments between him and his daughter were especially touching.   What a gorgeous, photogenic animal he is.  When I returned a year later he was still there and there was a whole new brood of kits.  I am hoping to return again this year having missed last year due to a bout ...

Driving on a back road I saw this coyote running full speed parallel to the road and in the same direction I was driving.  I had my camera in my lap and got a couple of quick shots of him.  I noticed him looking back a couple of times and there some distance behind him was the reason for his apparent panic This coyote was coming like gangbusters.  It was a marvelous animal, bigger than the other, and looked to be a much more powerful animal, running, leaping and digging in,  giving it all he had in what appeared to be a chase after the first coyote.  As they went up over the hill and out of sight, we had to drive farther up the road to the other side of the hill to a place we could park and get out of the car.   As we got out of the car, here came the first coyote, the one who was being pursued, around the bend, still glancing back, panting, but no longer running for his life.  I am guessing that this coyote was in the other coyote's territory and...

Visiting Point Reyes National Seashore on Thanksgiving reminded me of what a gem this location is and motivated me to return.  On the following week a friend and I headed there.  In particular I wanted an image of Drakes Beach with its sandstone cliffs holding back the surf.  I think it would make a nice painting subject. On the way to Drakes Beach we spotted this female Northern Harrier.  Harriers fly very close to the ground in search of prey, which makes it possible to get some pretty close images if you are lucky enough to be in their path. The one bird which is a favorite of mine is the kestrel.  I couldn't remember ever seeing one a Point Reyes and mentioned this to my friend remarking that we needed one.  About a half hour later, there it was on a bush next to the dirt road we were on.  Kestrels are usually fairly shy birds so it was quite a treat to have it stay on its perch while we took its picture. And then off it went, which is what we were...