(A note from Brendan: The main purpose of wingtrip (which is now essentially only written on by me, unless there are tempted contributors out there) is to fuse words, images, and in the near future, video, in discussion of exploring the natural world (hopefully with a… Read More
Sometimes the birds just don’t want to cooperate. Sure, I could hear many but I couldn’t see a damn thing. Down the slope of Hurricane Ridge I was squinting across, only six trees were likely candidates for a Olive-sided Flycatcher I could hear pipping away,… Read More
Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) are ubiquitous and easily observed. So common, widespread, and obvious that they are easily written off. You’ve seen a lot of them and will see many more, as they are one of the most adaptable waterbirds in North America. These… Read More
Happy World Oceans Day! Hope everyone takes a second to think about the beautiful oceans on this planet we live on. I’ve never been a big swimmer, but I sure as hell cherish the ocean. Here are a few photos that came to mind when… Read More
Feathers were strewn everywhere. Body and head asunder. Something had been eating the skull custard. A murder in my backyard. I’d been walking my bike to the back patio of my urban home in Seattle when I’d been stopped in my tracks. A bird lay… Read More
The unflagging exuberance of young birders (or simply those enamored with nature) is draining on those even just slightly older. Certainly it’s uplifting and I felt energized as we left the Sage Grouse Lek on Foster Flats. Energy was entirely welcome after all, we still… Read More
Flattening animals is never a good way to start the day. The jackrabbit was in the opposite lane when the brights caught it. Why it made the decision to hop daintily beneath my tires is beyond comprehension. As Tristan put it later, slowing would have… Read More
Who the hell set my alarm for 3 AM? Right. That was me. Four hours later I was in Ephrata, Washington, doubting my sanity. There were two cars in our caravan. Five demented birders. We had about twelve hours of driving from Seattle, Washington to… Read More
He’d been sitting there for twenty minutes, tooting at the young Red-tailed Hawk soaring over head. The hawk was attempting to mind its business, but two Common Ravens were relentlessly dive bombing it, drawing the whole forest below into a reel of uneasy glances and… Read More
When the mercury dips, people who have the option head inside. It’s fairly obvious other animals don’t have that choice quite so readily available to them. Sure, I’d be happy to share my room with a menagerie of critters in a snow storm, but I… Read More
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