Tag: John Davis
-
Mustelid Musing
Willing unfamiliars into focus so that we may photograph Ermine, Marten, and Weasel…
-
Coyote Pup
On May 7, 2022 at 11:43 AM friend and wildlife steward John Davis made this video of a coyote pup playing in a brush pile in Rosslyn’s wildlife sanctuary. One of several he witnessed denning near Library Brook, I resisted the temptation to post this at the time in order to protect the location of…
-
Yard Sale Postmortem
One week ago today we celebrated Essex Day with the mother of all yard sales. This recycling and reuse extravaganza was cohosted with several friends who were similarly interested in downsizing their possessions. If something’s not being used regularly, pass it on! Today it’s time for a quick yard sale postmortem. Prologue For prologue, this:…
-
Before Time Runs Out
Since returning home to Rosslyn almost two months ago after a capricious walkabout with Susan, Denise, and John, some of the joy and celebration of homecoming has been overshadowed with waiting, delays, anticipation, setbacks, deferring, etc. This tension between ebullient gratitude and serial deferral is sometimes motivating, sometimes profoundly vexing. Lately, more of the latter…
-
After Wake Surfing
Day’s end. After wake surfing… I’m overcome with gratitude as we head home following an end-of-day, end-of-weekend, end-of-yard-sale wake surf. Thank you. Thank you, Susan, Denise, John, and Cheri, for joining us in a colossal re-homing extravaganza (aka “yard sale”) for Essex Day. Thank you, Pam, Tony, Supi, Glen, and Peter for helping us pull…
-
Home is Wherever I’m with You
Homecoming! After a week in the Gila Wilderness with John Davis and other Rewilding friends I’m reunited with my beautiful bride. The photo above has *almost* nothing to do with my backcountry adventures in the middle of 3 million acres of New Mexico wilderness. That image was taken about a month ago when Susan and…
-
OG Bobcatting
Exciting update from one of Rosslyn’s wildlife cameras when I awoke this morning. Not sure why, but I always get especially enthused when we document a Bobcat. The sequence of three images captured at 2:29am appears to be the same bobcat we photographed a few months ago. Still healthy. Strong. Well fed. I’m struck by…
-
River Otter
Exciting news to share. Today while reviewing images from one of our wildlife cameras, I came across this pair of River Otter photographs. Our first sighting ever! Better yet? As you can see, the date stamp is April 26, 2023, my birthday. So I’m choosing to see this rare encounter as a birthday gift from…
-
Movable Feast
Earlier this month one of Rosslyn’s wildlife cameras captured this remarkable image of a coyote (running with her/his mouth full.) Despite the grainy, blurry photograph, John and I both believe that we’ve identified this movable feast. To be certain, the eyes are prominent. And the snout. But the coyote is unmistakably carrying something. To our…
-
Beyond Brook Bushwhack
A chilly afternoon warmed with laughter while bushwhacking on snowshoes, today Susan, Denise and John Davis, and I ventured into Rosslyn’s westernmost woods to trailblaze a new loop through a maturing pine forest located between Library Brook, the Essex Firehouse, and Essex Farm. Long anticipated, this remote route will extend and diversify our existing trail…
-
Ruffed Grouse
The male ruffed grouse in the photo above was documented on a Rosslyn wildlife camera about a year ago. Fancy fowl! And the two images below were recorded a few weeks ago. Rosslyn’s backlands are fortunately flush with ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), a welcome reminder that wildlife gravitates — as if by some primal sense…
-
Coyote or Coywolf?
There’s something stunning if slightly startling about spotting (or hearing the howl of) our ubiquitous Adirondack canid. Agile and attentive, swift and stealthy, this familiar predator is a familiar and important part of our ecosystem. And yet much mystery and misunderstanding collects around this handsome neighbor, not the least of which is disagreement over whether…