The WOW! Page

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the number of moments that take our breath away.

This page is an 'oldie but a goldie' — one of the originals from my first website and still (in spite of the poor image quality) one of the most visited and enjoyed series of photos. I created it out of amazement, surely an essential quality of Nature Photography.  

May your life be filled with natural experiences that astound you and make you say WOW! 

Your bushtit nest photo (#7) is so incredible!  It makes me want to get a Ph.D. in bushtit nest-building!  From there I browsed through your other photos, and so many moments of revelation!  I just have to thank you for your patient devotion to the wildlife that is right under our noses, observing it for us and bringing us images from the REAL world.  I think the WOW reaction we all have to such beautiful and insightful photos is an indication of just how hungry we've become for some contact with the NATURE that gave birth to us.  —Hub Meeker 

I was taking photographs on Beacon Hill one quiet morning when this deer suddenly jumped out of the bushes right next to me! I soon discovered she did it to draw my attention away from her fawn that was nestled in the undergrowth. Young hawks fiercely guard their food; but when a small chick in this brood was not eating, his larger sister (on the right) started sharing her food with him, even turning her head upside down so he could easily eat out of her mouth! I had never seen a Great Blue Heron doing yoga before; but this one sat motionless in this Buddha-like position while the sun rose across Goodacre Lake in Beacon Hill Park. Amazing! When ducks have their babies, the gulls will steal and eat them. I was watching some newly hatched ducklings when this gull swooped in, grabbed one of the babies and carried it off . . . Within seconds, the mother chased down the gull and bit it (hard!) on the tail. As the gull cried out in pain, the duckling flew from its mouth and landed safely on the ground. The gull flew away and the mother led her baby back to the pond. Other bird interactions are more elegant. There two hummingbirds flashed their colours and performed amazing mid-air dancing and acrobatics for one another just a few feet away from me. Bushtits build such wonderful nests, lined with tiny feathers, spider webs, grass and lichen. They insulate their nests so well that the adults need only spend 40% of daylight hours incubating the eggs. Here is one of the tiny builders of that wonderful nest ― actively engaged in her craft, carrying a mouthful of fluff to line her nest. Both she and her mate worked SO hard to make this a strong and warm home! I watched a hawk chase a squirrel and then, just as he was about to catch it, the sunrise became too beautiful for them to ignore. They suddenly stopped, watched the sun bursting through the trees for a few minutes, then the hawk just flew away. Click on the image above (or any other image in this series) to enter the Members Only Galleries. They are now FREE and open to everyone!
 

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