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! 😁

Color? Color!

While on our route through Sequim this afternoon, I couldn’t help but think about how dreary things appeared today. So for those of you who are feeling a bit down about gray skies and chilly temperatures, know that I empathize!

And there is color out there, it’s just a bit harder to find this time of year. Fortunately for me, these trumpeters were swimming in the last remains of fall color at Kirner Pond, and close enough for me to capture them with my camera.

And, it appears that love may be in the air – just in time for Valentines’ Day!

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.

Tornado Ridge?

I talked with a cousin this afternoon who relayed that she had 22 degree temps in Atlanta this morning. That got me to thinking about the wacky weather occurring throughout the country, and this image of what resembled a funnel cloud.

When I spotted it, I almost believed that Sequim was experiencing a tornado – which could result in renaming the ridge, at least to my estimation.

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!

More Snow on the Mountain

Hurricane Ridge on a spectacular winter day…

Hurricane Ridge Winter
Snow scripting

When a Facebook friend posted video of snow at her house yesterday, I was surprised that we didn’t see it as well. With our temps well into the 30’s I dread that it won’t be long until we’re shoveling the driveway – but I delight in the chance to capture the amazing snowboarders who turned this hillside into such a calligraphic expression of joy!