Snow days

We don't get much snow in SW Oregon. The day after Christmas we received several inches. 

A chocolate Labrador retriever plays in foot-deep snow on a hillside near Elkton in rural western Oregon. The National Weather Service has issues a winter weather advisory for the area with snow predicted for the next several days.

 

Heavy snow falls as a cow stands in a pasture along a country road in rural southwestern Oregon near Elkton.

A group of black-tailed deer climb through a snow covered landscape near Elkton in southwestern Oregon.

Sometimes you're the heron... and sometimes the rodent

A great blue heron catches and prepares to swallow a vole while hunting in a hazelnut orchard near Elkton in rural southwestern Oregon on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021. During winter months, it’s common for herons to hunt in pastures and orchards.

 

Kentucky tornado recovery

 I've been working with Heart to Heart International in Mayfield, Kentucky documenting important work helping with recovery. 

Victoria and her 4yo son Ja’Quan lost their home when a massive tornado ripped through Kentucky on the Dec 10, 2021. Inside the Heart to Heart Mobile Medical Unit, parked outside of their shelter, Victoria told her story of survival and loss.

Otter: nom, nom, nom

A North American river otter forages in the Umpqua River near Elkton in southwestern Oregon on Nov. 28, 2021. The otter appeared to be diving to the bottom of the river and catching crayfish.

 

Slippery situation

A large Pacific banana slug slides over a cluster of small mushrooms growing on a rotting log on a damp hillside near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021. The Pacific banana slug is the second-largest species of terrestrial slug in the world, growing up to 9.8 inches long with weights up to 4.1 ounces.

 

Pretty bird

An American kestrel perches on a hazelnut tree sapling in an orchard near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. The small falcon appeared to be hunting for rodents on the cool sunny morning. 

 

Amphibious vehicle

A rough-skinned newt crawls through rainwater on the edge of a country road near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. As fall rains soak the area, rough skin newts become active and are often seen crossing roads. 

 

King tide in Oregon

During an unusually high king tide, a family takes selfies from on overlook of the Pacific Ocean at Shore Acres State Park near Charleston in southwestern Oregon on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021. The term ‘king tide’ is a non-scientific term that refers to the highest winter tides that occur each year. The King Tides Project (www.oregonkingtides.net) is documenting the effect that extreme tide events have on Oregon’s beaches and coastal waterways. According to The King Tides Project, understanding and documenting the extent and impacts of especially high tide events will help communities predict and plan as sea levels rise due to climate change.

A man photographs the unusually high tide as the surf crashes on the beach at nearby Sunset Bay State Park.

A swarm of photographers gather on the overlook at Shore Acres State Park.

 

It's a small world

A small mushroom grows on a damp hillside near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. The National Weather Service is predicting foggy conditions for the area over the next several days.

Nearby, dew drops clinging to a blade of grass refract the image of another mushroom.

 

Thanks for the fish! Eagle vs Heron slideshow

 

Ahh! That’s the spot

Ahh! That’s the spot - a cow (or maybe a steer? or heifer?) scratches an itch on a SW Oregon ranch near Elkton on Friday, Nov. 26, 2021. Licking the barbed wire? No idea why.

 

Rodent control

A norther harrier hawk hunts rodents in a pasture along a country road near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021. Northern harrier hawks have exceptional hearing and will ofter use auditory clues while hunting. 

 

Stuffing the bird

On a cool Thanksgiving morning, an American robin feeds on holly berries near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Nov. 25, 2021. Although holly berries can be toxic to humans, causing vomiting and diarrhea, they are an important fall and winter food source for many birds and even mammals. Wild turkey, quail, and songbirds will feed on the berries. 

 

Fine feathered enemies

A bald eagle swoops in to take a fish away from a great blue heron at Plat I Reservoir near Sutherlin in southwestern Oregon on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. 

Bald eagles get much of their food from scavenging and stealing from other birds. American historical figure Benjamin Franklin once said in a letter to his daughter, the “bald eagle...is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his living honestly…[he] is too lazy to fish for himself.”

The eagle takes to the air after eating the fish.

 

With part of the fish in one talon the eagle struts over to get a drink of water.

Before the eagle swooped in the heron had the fish speared on its lower beak. 

Misty morning in Oregon

On a cool foggy morning, dew drops cling to a blade of grass growing under a large mushroom on a hillside near Elkton in rural western Oregon on Monday, Sept. 22, 2021.

A banded garden spider hands in her dew covered web.

 

Nature's juice box

A rufous hummingbird licks up juice from an apple in an orchard on a farm near Elkton in southwestern Oregon on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021.

 

A flock of bird photos

I've been photographing lots of birds recently. I had shoulder surgery just over a month ago and my mobility has been limited. I'm pretty much only able to photography while sitting in my car or with my gear on a tripod. 

A juvenile red-shouldered hawk hunts from a utility pole in rural SW Oregon.

A double-crested cormorant drip drys in the late afternoon sun along the Umpqua River.

My bald eagle photo by used by The Guardian. My photography is represented by ZUMApress.com.

A bald eagle takes flight from a Douglas fir tree in Oregon.

Rufous hummingbird shakes off rainwater in Oregon.

An adorable American Kestrel on a utility line.

A bald eagle cruises low over the Umpqua River with a female mallard duck in its talons. Photo taken from far away and enlarged thus a bit blurry.

The one that got away

A great blue heron struggles with a large fish it caught in shallow water at a reservoir near Sutherlin in southwestern Oregon on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021. 

The slippery fish managed to struggle free from the birds beak and escaped back into the water.

After the loss of his prize, the heron became aggressive to a nearby egret which had been attracted to the heron's struggle with the fish.

 

Hummingbird video

 

Moon halo

A halo is seen around the waxing gibbous moon as seen above a barn near Elkton in rural western Oregon late Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. Halos around the sun or moon are caused by high, thin cirrus clouds. Tiny ice crystals in the atmosphere create the halos. They do it by refracting and reflecting the light.

 

Rock slide closes Oregon Highway 138W

A massive rockslide blocks Oregon Highway 138 West at about milepost 10 between Elkton and Sutherlin early Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, an estimated 7,000 cubic yards of rock and debris slid into the roadway earlier Friday and will need to be cleared before the highway can be opened.

The road is expected to re-open on Tuesday.

Bug-eyed monster

Not a monster. Just an adorable Jerusalem cricket climbing over a moss covered rock on a hillside near Elkton in southwestern Oregon on Monday, Nov. 9, 2021. Also known as potato bugs, the flightless insects are not crickets or true bugs. They also are not native to Jerusalem. They are found in the western United States, parts of Mexico and Central America.

 

Feathered friends

A flock of starlings land on a Roosevelt elk in a pasture at the  Bureau of Land Management Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area near Reedsport in southwestern Oregon on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.

The Times of the UK used one my shots in their News in Pictures gallery today. My work is represented by the international photo agency ZUMApress.com. They fixed my caption and said the flock of starlings was a murmuration.

Past meets present in Cottage Grove, Oregon

A man and his dog walk past a historic mural in the small town of Cottage Grove in western Oregon on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. Cottage Grove has a colorful history depicted in murals in the downtown area. The town has served as the filming location for scenes in several movies including Buster Keaton’s The General in 1926, Animal House in 1978 and Stand By Me in 1986.

 

Modern-winged antique

With autumn colors in the background, a northern harrier hawk takes flight in a field along the Umpqua River near Elkton in southwestern Oregon on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. Northern Harriers hunt mostly small mammals and small birds, but they are capable of taking bigger prey like rabbits and ducks.

 

                    To a Marsh Hawk in Spring 

(the marsh hawk has been renamed the northern harrier)

There is health in thy gray wing,
Health of nature’s furnishing.
Say, thou modern-winged antique,
Was thy mistress ever sick?
In each heaving of thy wing
Thou dost health and leisure bring,
Thou dost waive disease and pain
And resume new life again.

by Henry David Thoreau