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Welcome to Riverswind notes

I hope you will join in my adventures here in Humboldt County and elsewhere as I explore nature & people.



I welcome your comments.



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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Rain,wind and huge waves


It has been coming down all night with some loud Thunder waking my girlfriend(KPS) and I up in the middle of the night.

This is much needed rain and as I peer out the window I can see huge waves crashing against the large rocks off the coastline at Trinidad State Park. I think that I should grab my rain gear and go down to the coastline to photograph these tremendous crashing waves. The sound from here with the window cracked open is immensely powerful much like subdued thunder. I'm out of here as soon as I wrap some chores up.

When I drive down to the parking area at Trinidad Beach overlooking the Surf I am mesmerized by the violent, powerful waves crashing against land, their sound, smell and energy immersing me deep into the moment. Today at least the beach is devoid of surfers and no one else is in sight. Just one "old fossil" feeling like a kid again or as I imagine an adult butterfly emerging from the pupal stage, Taking flight for the first time.

A few crows join me here almost unnoticed as they walk and hop along the surfs edge foraging for morsels. This is the kind of moment that makes being alive so precious and fullfilling.

This is one of "The" moments that keeps my attention for a long period of time lost in reverie and the amazing and beautiful visual display before me.
This "high" I feel could not possibly be enhanced by anything else unless I shared it with you.

I stopped above at the "Memorial" Lighthouse and took this photo of the fishing boats bobbing up and down in the harbor below.


click on above photos to enlarge them to full screen.

It was difficult to drag myself away from nature's
show today but I'm happy to share it with you.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Fox in our woods


My camera trap had been out below our rental home in Trinidad, California for a week so I checked it yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised to find a Grey Fox had visited the site and this marked my first of this beautiful mammal. Here you see the fox in an alert posture apparently listening for sounds nearby,
The fox visited the site three different times on the night of my wife's birthday (Feb. 2). The first photo was caught at 7:32 P.M.. The fox returned at 10:18 P.M. and again at 2:30 A.M.. We felt that it was a great birthday gift for both of us.
The Grey Fox is a member of the dog family (Canidae) which includes Coyotes and Wolves. They are the most omnivorous of all North American canids. Their diet consist of small mammals and birds as well as wild berries. They are a little larger than a domestic cat and their tracks (prints) are similar except the fox print shows claws. The fox is Nocturnal and crepuscular and is considered a habitat generalist. It appears that the Grey Fox is not found north of the Columbia river which explains why I didn't get any photos of them during my camera trapping along the East Fork of the Lewis river in Washington State. Each time I get a new species with my camera trap I thank my mentor Dr. Chris Wemmer for introducing me to this fascinating hobby.