They grow up so fast

A trio of baby barn owls peer out from their nest box in a barn near Elkton, Ore., on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

Oregon sunrise

The morning sun cuts through fog on a Douglas fir forested hillside near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.

Sad news

I photographed this handsome young bald eagle flying low over the Umpqua River last week. 

Today while fishing near the same area of the river I found a dead young eagle in the shallows. Possibly the same amazing animal. Its unknown how it died. The eagles and osprey have been fighting in the area recently and its possible a confrontation became fatal. Wildlife officials will be taking over the investigation in case of a human caused fatality. 

An osprey and adult eagle have a confrontation over the same area on May 15th.

Life and death struggle

A wild garter snake captures and eats a bullfrog on the bank of the Umpqua River near Elkton in rural Douglas County, Oregon on Monday, May 25, 2020. According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife garter snakes are known to eat frogs, toads, salamanders, birds, fish, reptiles, and small mammals. Bullfrogs are considered an invasive species in Oregon.

Spider and the fly

A jumping spider clasps a struggling fly after pouncing while hunting in a blackberry thicket on a hillside near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Jumping spiders have some of the best vision among arthropods and use it in courtship, hunting, and navigation.

If I don't move they can't see me

A days-old black tailed deer fawn hides in tall grass in a pasture along a country road near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Monday, May 18, 2020. Farmers and homeowners should keep a lookout for hiding fawns while mowing their fields this time of year.

Snack attack

A wild ground squirrel snacks while hiding in a thicket along a country road near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Saturday, May 16, 2020.

Fawn in the woods

A day-old black tailed deer fawn hides in a brushy area along the Umpqua River as it waits for its mother to return near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Saturday, May 16, 2020.

Air to air combat

An osprey, left, and a bald eagle have a confrontation in the sky over the Umpqua River near Elkton in western Oregon on Friday, May 15, 2020. The osprey has a nest nearby and it was likely defending it from the eagle. 

Gimme shelter

A wild turkey hen and her baby chicks spend a rainy morning in a pasture along a country road near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Thursday, May 14, 2020.

A little crabby

A crab spider waits for unsuspecting insects on a wildflower growing along the Umpqua River near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Monday, May 11, 2020. Crab spiders don't build webs, but instead use camouflage to hide and ambush their prey.

A good day fishing

A wild osprey snatches a fish out of the Umpqua River near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Monday, May 11, 2020. The bird flew into a nearby tree and quickly ate about half of the fish. It next flew to its nearby nest and delivered the other half to its waiting mate. 

Are you our mother?

In a nest tucked into the rafters of an old barn, a clutch of Brewer's blackbird chicks raise their mouths for feeding on a farm near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Sunday, May 10, 2020. Brewer's blackbirds are common and found in the open country of the western United States. They adapt well to habitats altered by humans, and are often spotted on suburban sidewalks or scavenging for food around restaurants and grocery stores.

Published work

My chill squirrel photo published in The Guardian today via ZUMA Press in the Week in Wildlife web galley.

17 year itch

A newly emerged cicada clings to the branch of a hazelnut tree in an orchard on a farm near Elkton in western Oregon on Monday, May 4, 2020.. The insects are known for their high-pitched and sometimes deafening song. Some species of cicada emerge from their juvenile stage for reproduction at long intervals of 13 or 17 years making them one of the longest lived insects in the world.

Snake eye

A wild gopher snake basks in a gravely area on a hillside near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Sunday, May 3, 2020. Gopher snakes are nonvenomous and are considered a subspecies of the bullsnake. 

Elk watering hole

In a photo made with a remote motion activated camera a herd of wild Roosevelt elk wade in a pond on as isolated hillside near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Friday, May 1, 2020. Roosevelt elk are the largest sub-species of elk in North America.

Salad days

A black-tailed deer feeds on tender young leaves as it browses along the edge of a wooded area on a hillside near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Friday, May 1, 2020.