Category: nature

Icy Weather Anniversary

I thought it was appropriate to post this today, since I photographed it February 7th of 2014, 21 years ago.

With a low of 18 degrees, it was a record cold day for Puget Sound which turned this and two other once flowing waterfalls at the Tulalip Resort Casino into walls of ice.

The resort, located in Quil Ceda Village, north of Seattle and 80 miles east of Sequim, is owned and operated by the Tulalip Tribes of Washington.

Located near the Seattle Premium Outlets (where I may have been shopping on this particular day), it’s a fun place to stop and not only try your luck, but to witness the forces of nature as well – that’s if you should be there on an 18 degree day.

A Tender Moment

It had been awhile since I’d gotten close enough to photograph our elk herd, which I consider to be the gems of our community. But I was fortunate to spot them yesterday evening and to share in this tender moment between two cows.

The anticipation of seeing them, both the cows and the bulls, keeps me enthusiastic about hauling my gear, bundling up and waiting for the right moment, although it’s hit and miss as to whether they’ll show up, or “pose”.

I love the challenge though and when I take out-of-towners to their typical spot, they understand completely, although they often ask, “why would anyone name this SCHMUCK Road”???

The Grey Ghost

Often seen in open grasslands, this raptor, the Northern Harrier, is a local but a very evasive one.

Catching a glimpse of one is difficult enough, but getting a photograph, and especially a closeup, is uncommon; and catching one in flight a true challenge.

This is the male who while in flight has a more ghostly white appearance with a face resembling an owl although they’re not related. The female is a darker brown with more pronounced owl-like features and is somewhat larger.

Keep an eye out for them in grasslands, marshes, or fields in our area, and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed in watching their acrobatics as they glide, tip and swirl, hunting for their prey: small mammals, small birds, rabbits and ducks.

If you know of a great spot to photograph them, let me know in the comments…please! 😁

Dungeness River Nature Center Trestle

Another favorite spot for many us is the Nature Center, and although I photographed it in spring, the infrared/sepia treatment I applied to it almost makes it appear like snow on the trees.

If you haven’t visited the center, or haven’t since the new building and landscaping redesign, then you’re truly missing what is now one of Sequim’s most beautiful attractions.

As stated on their website at https://dungenessrivercenter.org/about-us/our-story/, “The Dungeness River Nature Center’s mission is to inspire understanding, respect, and stewardship of our natural and cultural resources”. And the trestle still stands a bridge between Sequim’s past and its present.

The View from Helen’s Pond

Ahhh…the joys of winter on the Olympic Peninsula

The view of Helen’s Pond off of 3 Crabs Road, with Canada geese dotting the sky, offers a warmer approach to January than the snow on the ridge, at least for me.

And the return of the Trumpeters at Kirner Pond is the icing on the cake!

Olympic Peninsula Audubon Members – Please join us for this FREE event this evening:

Tonight, a dozen Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society member photographers will be presenting a collection of their photos along with narrative about where, when and how they recorded them.

I will be among them, and the above is a sampling of the local photos I’ll be presenting. I’ll also be displaying several of the ones I’ve photographed in Argentina, California, and Florida, while the other photographers will have varying collections as well, all of which are impressive.

If you’re a member, great, but if not, please consider signing up. I hate to leave anyone out! So here’s a link to their website: https://olympicpeninsulaaudubon.org/membership

The presentation will also be presented on Zoom for those members who would rather attend in their jammies.