Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
Serendipity: an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. accidental discovery Planned In October, I went to Estes Park, Colorado, the hotbed of elk activity, to photograph the rut. There weren’t many elk around, and Moraine Park was empty. Unplanned Later, I was in Northern … Continue readingTule Elk Rut
The Search Begins In December, I came to northern California to commune with bobcats and bask in blue skies and warm sunshine. Rain was forecast for parts of the first two days (the trailing end of an atmospheric river bringing snow to my mountain home). … Continue readingDate with a Bobcat
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
The Trail I’m moving purposefully up the half-mile trail from the parking lot in Point Reyes National Seashore. If I’m going to see the river otters and still find a bobcat, this detour can’t take too long. Along my way, there are birds all about … Continue readingRiver Otters
I’d heard that the best place to photograph bobcats in the US was at Point Reyes National Seashore. This lesser-known national park is just north of San Francisco. I immediately put it on my ever-expanding travel list. I’ve never been to northern California, but San … Continue readingPhotographing Elusive Bobcats
From the roadside three-quarters of a mile from Kehoe beach, I can hear the rhythmic crashing of the waves. There’s a High Surf Advisory for the coast at the trailhead. The warning posted notes “breaking waves 15-20 feet possible in the surf zone” and there’s … Continue readingKehoe Beach Trail
Gophers are everywhere in this part of Northern California. The landscape is literally pockmarked with their holes. Their vision is poor, living mostly underground, finding food by smell and navigating with their exquisitely sensitive whiskers. They eat primarily grasses, shoots and roots sometimes pulling a … Continue readingHunting Herons at Point Reyes National Seashore