Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
A Pictorial On the rolling hills of Point Reyes National Seashore, gophers drive the ecosystem. In addition to sustaining coyotes, foxes, weasels, and bobcats, this makes for happy hunting for all manner of raptors: kestrels, red-tail hawks, great horned owls, white-tailed kites, northern harriers, and … Continue readingThe Birds of Point Reyes National Seashore
The stark black and white stands out like a beacon in the amber fall landscape. For a fraction of a second, I thought I’d found a badger. That’s the only striped animal I expect on this landscape. But the color, body shape, and floof of … Continue readingSkunks During the Daytime
It’s my fourth trip to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), though it’s been nine years since my last visit. Usually, the town of Estes Park is overrun by elk in the fall. They’re on the golf course, at the school, downtown, and, of course, in … Continue readingA Lake of Rocky Mountain Elk
The Flood Spring of 2022 brought a “once in 500 years” flood to Yellowstone National Park, prompting evacuations and an unprecedented full closure of the Park. Flows in the Yellowstone River were recorded at 50,000 cubic feet per second (cf/s) on the morning of June … Continue readingForce of Nature: The 2022 Yellowstone Flood
I’m surprised at how many bears I saw at close range during this first week of June. I didn’t expect any real bear encounters here. I thought they’d all be binocular or spotting scope distance away. On my first morning out, a private guide pointed … Continue readingYellowstone Bears
People often ask how I find the wildlife that I photograph. It’s a combination of honed observational skills, preplanning, and luck. It’s hard to learn the intricacies of microhabitats and animal routines in a few days. The people who know put a lot of time … Continue readingTips for Finding Wildlife in Yellowstone
The HerbivoresBison In Yellowstone National Park, bison begin calving in early spring. Their young, colloquially known as “red dogs,” are the first wildlife babies, usually appearing in Lamar Valley and Little America in April. By early June, when I visited, it seemed like a full … Continue readingSpring Wildlife Watching in Yellowstone National Park
Searching, Pushing I had spent the morning driving around the northern tier of Yellowstone National Park; no activity at the Slough wolf den, and Lamar Valley was quiet, with all the wildlife being spotting-scope distance away. I spotted some bighorn ewes near Specimen Ridge on … Continue readingYellowstone Badgers
Snorkeling Placencia Caye via Kayak The winds eased up on our last full day in this sunny, humid paradise. The ocean waves subsided so we could kayak from our beach-front cabana to the windward side of nearby Placencia Caye. We loosely tied the kayak to … Continue readingSnorkeling Placencia Caye
I handed $140 US cash to two Belizeans standing on the deck of my cabana. We promised with a handshake to meet at the marine gas station at 8:30 the following day. Rudy’s Adventures Rudy and Ruth took Rob, me, and another couple on a … Continue readingSnorkeling Placencia